CMU Mavericks Deserve Some On-the-Field Recognition

The Colorado Mesa football Mavericks play their home games at Stocker Stadium, but you would never know it by looking at their home field. There is nothing on the field that implies "Mavericks." It's time the Mavericks get some on-the-field recognition.

If  you attend a CMU football game you will see some great-looking banners hung up on the fence around the field, but ON the field there is nothing to indicate it's the Mavericks home field. There is nothing painted at the 50  yard line or in the end zones. Nothing.

I understand completely that Colorado Mesa University does not own the stadium and that area high schools play their home games there. My question is, what would it hurt to have a Mavericks' logo painted at mid-field, or colored end zones that say CMU or Mesa, or Mavericks?

Traveling around the RMAC you will find schools much smaller than CMU in towns much smaller than Grand Junction that feature football fields that actually look like big-time college football. At least one university, Black Hills State in Spearfish, South Dakota, share's it's field with the local high school team, the Spearfish Spartans.Yet, that doesn't prevent the university from displaying their team pride and colors on the field.

(Zane Mathews)

Western New Mexico University in Silver City is a smaller school in a smaller town that, while not extravagant, does have the Mustangs logo painted at mid-field, with the letters WNM painted in the end zone. It looks good and adds to the spirit of the event, and helps contribute to the home team pride. It also makes opposing teams feel like they are playing on someone else's home field, rather than a neutral field, which is exactly what Stocker Stadium feels like when teams come here to play.

Again, I ask. What would it hurt if CMU were allowed to display their school colors on the field at Stocker Stadium? No, the university does not own it, but the Mavericks ARE our home town college team which the community and the city should be supporting in anyway possible.

As far as the high schools are concerned - wouldn't it be pretty cool for the high school players that participate on the field find it to be pretty cool to be playing their games on a field that looked like it belonged to a big-time college program. Would having a Maverick painted on the field, or the letters CMU painted in the end zone detract from their experience in any way? I would highly doubt it.

Believe it or not, something as small as this could influence athletes to choose to bring their talent to CMU rather than some other school in the conference. CMU is trying to build and establish a winning football tradition,and part of that process is being able to attract top athletes. Would not having a Mavericks logo on the field cause as athlete to choose a different school? Perhaps not, but it very well could influence them positively when they come for a visit . The field is surrounded by a great facility, but seeing  the school colors displayed on the field could ultimately make the difference in creating an ultra-positive feeling in that athlete about attending college in Grand Junction.

For the Maverick players who play on the field, some on-the-field recognition could go a long ways toward creating a real sense of pride and confidence when they step on the field and see that Maverick logo a mid-field. It's another small thing that could help the CMU football program get to the next level and be like a Chadron State, a Colorado Mines, or a CSU Pueblo.

The Maverick football program is headed in the right direction under the leadership of Athletic Director Tom Spicer and Head Football Coach Russ Martin, but it's not yet where they want it to be, and where it could be. There's not just one thing that's going to get them there, but it's an accumulation of things, and getting the CMU school colors on to the field at Stocker Stadium is one of those things.