Press Release

August 21, 2023 | By Cole Hatcher

Admission to Ohio Wesleyan’s Sept. 9 football game will be free for Bishop Backer Fall Community Day. The day’s celebration will include a free pre-game tailgate with Delaware police officers and firefighters and OWU Public Safety officers. (Photo by Mark Schmitter ’12)

Fall Community Day

Enjoy a Free Battling Bishop Football Game, Tailgate Sept. 9 at Ohio Wesleyan’s Selby Stadium

Delaware police officers and firefighters and Ohio Wesleyan Public Safety officers, including Christopher Mickens (center), will be on hand Sept. 9 to serve food during a free community tailgate. (Photo by David Shakarashvili ’24)

DELAWARE, Ohio – Everyone is invited to a free pre-game tailgate and Ohio Wesleyan University football game during the Sept. 9 Bishop Backer Fall Community Day at Selby Stadium, 45 S. Henry St., Delaware.

The tailgate will begin at 11 a.m. with Delaware police officers and firefighters and Ohio Wesleyan Public Safety officers grilling up free hotdogs and hamburgers for the community. (Gluten-free and vegetarian options will be available.)

At noon, the Battling Bishops football team will take on the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons in OWU’s first home game of the 2023-2024 season.

As part of the Fall Community Day festivities, Ohio Wesleyan will set up cornhole and other yard games for guests to enjoy. The police department’s Safety Pup and OWU’s Battling Bishop mascots also will be on hand for the celebration, along with the university’s Marching Bishops.

Admission is free, but the event will raise funds through raffles to support the Unity Community Center, 50A Ross St. Delaware. The center is dedicated to “fostering unity in the community through service, hands-on support, social action, and education.”

Fundraisers will include a 50/50 raffle and prize drawings for a TV/sound system and other prizes. Tickets will be $1 each, six for $5, or 15 for $10. The raffles are open to those 18 and older, and the winners, who must be present, will be announced at the start of the football game’s fourth quarter. Downtown Delaware’s Ciao Cafe, Mystic Moon Beauty & Gifts, and Opa Grill and Tavern are providing financial support for the community tailgate.

During the regular season, admission for ticketed OWU athletics events is $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens, non-OWU students, and children 12 and over. Admission is free for Ohio Wesleyan students with a valid university ID. All-sports season passes also are available for $50 per pass through the OWU Athletics Department. Call (740) 368-3726 or visit battlingbishops.com for more information, including the Ohio Wesleyan’s complete fall athletics schedule.

About the Bishop Backers

The Bishop Backers is an organization of community advocates interested in sharing information about the breadth of athletics, arts, and educational opportunities available at Ohio Wesleyan. Learn more at owu.edu/BishopBackers.

About Ohio Wesleyan

Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives” and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “Best Colleges” lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.