It’s been 72 years, but college football is finally returning to Lawrence Technological University.
Saturday, Sept. 1 marks the return of the private university’s college football team, the Blue Devils. It will also be the first-time-ever that the city of Southfield will host a college football game.
LTU’s first football game in more than seven decades features the Blue Devils facing off against Oakland University’s club football team. The game kicks off at 1 p.m. at LTU Athletic Field.
"It will be a phenomenal experience for the fans, the students, and for the community," head football coach Jeff Duvendeck said in a statement. "There is going to be a lot of energy and excitement on campus, and that is what fall is all about. For our players and our team, part of the reason they chose to be here was the support they felt from the university and the Southfield community."
Given the cause for celebration, LTU and the city of Southfield are taking the opportunity to engage students and the community before the game.
Tailgating begins at 9 a.m. that Saturday. Featured entertainment includes live music, including the recently expanded LTU marching band, performances from the LTU Dance Team, and an appearance by the Blue Devils mascot, Blue.
At 10 a.m. on Saturday, LTU will conduct its Convocation ceremony, welcoming new students and their parents to the Southfield campus. The ceremony takes place at LTU’s Ridler Field House. The former governor of Michigan, former U.S. Ambassador to Canada, and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives James Blanchard will be presented with LTU’s fifth Global Citizen Award.
The LTU Blue Devils will compete as an independent team this year, before joining the Mid-States Football Association of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in 2019.
Visit LTU Athletics online to learn more about the events.
Got a development news story to share? Email MJ Galbraith here or send him a tweet @mikegalbraith.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.