Franklin College looks to fill void with no football

The parking lot east of Red Faught Stadium, a beehive of activity before Franklin College home football games, is months removed from its next wave of tailgaters.

Gordon Cox would circle the date, if only he knew it.

The COVID-19 pandemic’s refusal to loosen its grip continues to alter the look of athletic competition at all levels, including Franklin College, which plays in Division III as a longtime member of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

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Under normal circumstances, Cox — the president of the school’s Touchdown Club the past 10 years — would have spent last week preparing for the Grizzlies’ home opener against Illinois Wesleyan on Sept. 5.

Except he wasn’t.

“This whole situation is people trying to make decisions based on a moving target,” said Cox, who presides over the tailgating done before home football games and understands how the environment benefits everything from morale to the recruiting process in many, if not all, of Franklin College’s athletic programs.

“My mom and dad went to Franklin College, I went there and two of my kids went there. One of the biggest enjoyments for me is providing that tailgating experience because of the bonding you get to do being part of that program.”

The previously scheduled opener would have been the debut of new Franklin College football coach Alan Hensell following the retirement of his predecessor, Mike Leonard, the school’s career leader in victories.

It was to be the first of four Franklin home games, the last being the annual Victory Bell Classic showdown against Hanover on Nov. 14. The conference is dedicated to playing football games in the spring, though no concrete plan has been laid out at this point.

“It’s hard to imagine a college fall without football. It’s going to be different,” Franklin College athletic director Andy Hendricks said. “It is something very, very special. We use it in so many ways. To engage the students. To engage the Franklin community and everybody who wants to be a part of it.

“And, of course, it affects the students.”

Crisp autumn afternoons have long been special at Franklin College, with Leonard’s arrival in 2003 taking the game-day experience to new levels. According to Cox, the touchdown club serves a tailgate meal to as many as 1,000 people showing up to partake in pregame festivities.

Leonard, who in previous seasons was preparing coaches and players for that day’s opponent, was looking forward to immersing himself in the tailgating scene.

“It wasn’t just when I took over as coach. It was a perfect storm of people who helped make it such a special event,” Leonard said. “Everyone on campus, to a degree, is impacted, as well as members of the community. It’s the togetherness.

“You pull up to the stadium, you can smell the burgers and brats and hear the music that’s playing. It’s socializing in a very fun way that brings people together.”

Andrew Jones, vice president of student development and the dean of students at Franklin College, recognizes the important role every home football game plays in terms of keeping students engaged in some sort of activity.

The outbreak of the pandemic back in March gave Jones, as well as others, ample time to prepare. In time, football games at Franklin College will return.

Only now, the game around it will have changed.

“Spring semester sort of gave us a taste of what things might look like this fall. Our student development team is doing things to keep the students engaged,” said Jones, citing the outdoor movie that was shown last week and online activities such as virtual trivia and virtual paint night.

“A lot of what we’ve learned through this might still carry over, but to a lesser degree. Apply some of the strategies that have been successful during the pandemic.”