July 18, 2003

Columbia, Mo. - Anticipation is high for the 2003 football season at the University of Missouri. The Tigers have been picked among the nation's top 25 teams in various pre-season publications, and many prognosticators believe this will be the year that Mizzou Head Coach Gary Pinkel and his troops make a big statement.

Tiger fans have also jumped on board to show their excitement. According to Director of Marketing and Promotions Frank Cuervo, public season ticket sales are up by nearly 1,000 tickets when compared to this time last year. Cuervo believes that Mizzou is on pace to record its highest sales total since the 2000 season, when Mizzou had sales of nearly 34,000 season tickets.

"We're pleased that our fans have responded so well to the excitement and positive publicity that has surrounded the team during the off-season," said Cuervo. "What's even more encouraging to me is that our public sales campaign is still to come, these numbers reflect the general level of excitement out there on the streets," he said.

Cuervo said that a comprehensive marketing campaign will soon be launched that will include television, radio and print ads around the state of Missouri. One TV spot will feature standout sophomore quarterback Brad Smith.

Season tickets are available by calling the Mizzou Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-CAT-PAWS (884-PAWS in Columbia), or are available for purchase online by visiting the official website of the Mizzou Athletic Department, www.mutigers.com.