University News
Ticket Sales for Rams-Bears Macomb Scrimmage Begin July 6
June 25, 2004
MACOMB, IL - - Tickets for the Saturday, Aug. 7 St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears scrimmage at Western Illinois UniversityÂ’s Hanson Field will go on sale to the public Tuesday, July 6.
Tickets are $15 each. Fans will be able to purchase tickets online by visiting www.wiuathletics.com, which will link to a secure ticket sales site. Tickets will also be available by phone or walk-in to the Western Illinois Athletic Ticket Office, located in 103 Western Hall, telephone 309/298-1190, beginning at 8 a.m. July 6. Ticket Office hours will be from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (CT). Personal checks, Visa, Discover and MasterCard will be accepted at the Athletic Ticket Office. Online and window sales will be limited to six tickets per order.
Group packages for 25 spectators will also be sold. The $1,250 package includes scrimmage tickets, a buffet brunch in the stadium and reserved parking. For information about these packages, contact Schuyler Meixner at 309/298-1861 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (CT).
The St. Louis Rams will be in Macomb, home to their ninth consecutive summer training camp, from Wednesday, July 28 through Friday, Aug. 20. Former RamsÂ’ defensive coordinator and new BearsÂ’ head coach Lovie Smith will bring the Bears to Macomb for a Thursday, Aug. 5 afternoon practice (3:45-5:30 p.m.), morning (8:10-10:30 a.m.) and afternoon (4:25-6 p.m.) practices Friday, Aug. 6 and the 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 7 morning scrimmage at Hanson Field. Practice times are tentative.
"Having a scrimmage there at the stadium on Saturday morning makes it exciting for everybody," Rams' Head Coach Mike Martz said. "It gives us a chance to look at a lot of our young players under competitive situations, and the same for the Bears.
"The most important aspect of it is after seven or eight days (of camp), you get a chance to look at your players in a different environment against other players. Normally this can be kind of dangerous because it gets highly competitive and you run the risk of losing a good player in a drill," Martz added. "However, with the Bears, Lovie (Smith, Chicago Head Coach) and I know each other so well, these practices will be tempered and controlled. The scrimmage, though, will be a lot of fun for everybody."
An expanded family entertainment venue (Rams Experience) will be open from 3-8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday during the Bears stay in Macomb. The fanfest-type venue, located adjacent to the practice fields, includes NFL-themed attractions and games, inflatables for children to play on, food vendors, souvenirs and more. A rock climbing wall will be available Thursday (Aug. 5) and a comedian will entertain fans Friday (Aug. 6).
This marks the second time for a two-team NFL scrimmage at Western. “Super Bowl XXXIV 1/2,” featuring the World Champion St. Louis Rams and AFC Champion Tennessee Titans was held in Macomb July 29, 2000.
The Rams daily practices, held on three NFL-rated fields immediately on the north end of campus behind Brophy Hall, are open free to the public. Usual practice times will be from 8:10 to 10-:30 a.m. and from 4:15 to 6 p.m.; however, practice schedules can change with short notice. Call 309/298-RAMS (7267) for daily updates. A tentative practice schedule, as well as other Rams information and links, is available online at www.wiu.edu/Rams, at the Macomb Area Convention and Visitors Bureau homepage www.makeitmacomb.com and the Rams homepage www.stlouisrams.com.
Visitors can park free in WIU's Q-Lot across from the practice fields. Bleacher seating is available; spectators may also bring lawn chairs and blankets. Alcohol is not permitted on campus.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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