OXFORD, Miss. – The festivities of BancorpSouth Grove Bowl Week 2013 begin Wednesday and will culminate with a jam-packed Saturday surrounding the BancorpSouth Grove Bowl (#BXSGroveBowl), which kicks off at 1 p.m. CT and is free to the public.
The activities begin with the third annual Rebels’ Choice Awards Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for Performing Arts. The semi-formal event is free to the public, but a ticket is required. Tickets are available at the UM Box Office, Ford Center Box Office or by calling 662-915-7411.
On Friday, the nationally-ranked Ole Miss baseball team begins a three-game series against Alabama at 6:30 p.m. at Swayze Field. The Rebels and Crimson Tide also meet Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30. Tickets remain through the OleMissSports.com ticket site.
Other events for fans on Friday include a free concert with Grace Potter and special guest Jerrod Niemann in The Grove at 8:30 p.m., the women’s tennis team’s match against Missouri at 3 p.m. and the formal introduction of new women’s basketball coach Matt Insell at the Gillom Sports Center at 11 a.m. The tennis team is also in action Sunday hosting Texas A&M at 1 p.m., and both matches are free at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center.
Saturday’s full slate kicks off at 8:30 a.m. with the 24th annual Chucky Mullins Courage Award Ceremony. The breakfast and announcement of this year’s recipient will take place at the Jackson Avenue Center (the old Wal-Mart building), and tickets are available by visiting the OleMissSports.com ticket site or calling 888-REB-TKTS.
Some of the world’s top track & field athletes will be on display Saturday at the Ole Miss Invitational, which starts at 9 a.m. and includes an exciting primetime lineup at 6 p.m. Also that day, the Rebel volleyball team will hold its spring tournament beginning at 9:30 a.m., and the soccer team will stage its alumni match at noon.
Pre-game festivities for the BancorpSouth Grove Bowl get underway at 10 a.m. with tailgating and children’s games in The Grove. A commemorative poster and BancorpSouth Grove Bowl t-shirts can be purchased as well as catfish, barbecue and chicken tenders.
The BancorpSouth Grove Bowl, which supports the M-Club’s J.W. “Wobble” Davidson Scholarship Fund, features Hugh Freeze’s Rebels in action at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in the culmination of spring football drills. CSS is televising the event live.
Stadium gates open at noon, and kickoff is set for 1 p.m. While admission is free, please be mindful of prohibited items, including coolers. A full list is available at OleMissFB.com.
Free parking for Saturday’s football game is available in the lot on the west side of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Lots adjacent to the Indoor Practice Facility are closed for construction, and fans are encouraged to park in the nearby South lot at the intersection of Highway 6 and Old Taylor Road.
ADA spaces are available in the South Lot, and the athletics department is offering a shuttle service for those individuals to and from The Grove and the football and baseball stadiums beginning at 9:30 a.m. and continuing until fans have left the baseball stadium.
The M-Club’s J.W. “Wobble” Davidson Scholarship Fund awards scholarships to the children of former Ole Miss letterwinners.
Davidson, a three-sport star at Ole Miss and assistant football coach for 22 seasons under John Vaught, died in 1998 at the age 79. As an assistant in 1945-68, he helped coach the Rebels to 16 bowl games and six Southeastern Conference championships. He also spent 11 years as head men’s tennis coach and was adviser to the M-Club for 23 years.
The M-Club Alumni Chapter is an honor organization for men and women who have earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sanctioned sport sponsored at Ole Miss and have participated in a formal induction ceremony. Visit www.olemisssports.com/m-club for more information.
BANCORPSOUTH GROVE BOWL WEEK SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10
Rebels’ Choice Awards – 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, APRIL 12
Matt Insell Introduction – 11 a.m.
Women’s Tennis vs. Missouri – 3 p.m.
Baseball vs. Alabama – 6:30 p.m.
Free Concert in The Grove: Grace Potter/Jerrod Niemann – 8:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, APRIL 13
Chucky Mullins Award Ceremony – 8:30 a.m.
Ole Miss Track & Field Invitational – 9 a.m. (Primetime at 6 p.m.)
Volleyball Spring Tournament – 9:30 a.m.
Soccer Alumni Match – Noon
BancorpSouth Grove Bowl – 1 p.m.
Baseball vs. Alabama – 4 p.m.
SUNDAY, APRIL 14
Women’s Tennis vs. Texas A&M – 1 p.m.
Baseball vs. Alabama – 1:30 p.m.