GREEN BAY (WLUK) — For one day next spring, UW-Green Bay will have its own football team.
UWGB is partnering with the Green Bay Blizzard indoor football team to collaborate on a new alternate identity. The Blizzard will suit up as the Frozen Phoenix during their April 18 game at the Resch Center.
“This is not only the first-ever football game [for UWGB], but the first-ever alter-ego night for the Blizzard. The Blizzard will become the Frozen Phoenix… and actually have uniforms and helmets with the Frozen Phoenix emblem,” said UWGB Athletic Director Josh Moon during a news conference at the Kress Center Tuesday.
The university’s cheerleaders and pep band will be in attendance to make the atmosphere feel like a UWGB game. Other special features include:
- Post-game auction of the game-worn Frozen Phoenix jerseys
- Frozen Phoenix snow globe giveaway
- Exclusive Frozen Phoenix football merch
- “Snow” inside the Resch Center after every Blizzard score
- Frozen Phoenix football game ball
- Frozen pizza giveaway
- UWGB student section and alumni mixer
“Community is what we are all about, and this is no different. The feel for the event on the 18th will feel like Green Bay, UWGB, but make no mistake — it will be a great football game,” said Kathy Treankler, who co-owns the Blizzard with her husband, Larry.
And as for the age-old question: Why doesn’t UW-Green Bay have a football team? Chancellor Michael Alexander offered some history.
“When I got to UW-Green Bay, I was told about why we don’t have football,” he said. “When the university got started, we do know that the Green Bay Packers were instrumental in making sure that the new university, the youngest university in the state, was going to be placed in Green Bay. And Vince Lombardi was very active in those discussions.”
“And at the time, which seems now a bit surreal, the Packers were worried that if we started a university and we had a college football team, that there wouldn’t be enough support for football. That people would not go to a game on Saturday and on Sunday, and perhaps that would be a risk to the Packers”.
Blizzard officials gave a shout out to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, who have hosted many successful alternate-ego nights, for inspiring this idea.
Source: Green Bay Blizzard brings football to UWGB with new ‘Frozen Phoenix’ alternate identity