Truman nominated for video game cover
People can vote on EA Sports’ Web site for their favorite mascot.
Published Feb. 29, 2008
MU’s mascot, Truman the Tiger, is in the running for the cover of the EA Sports “NCAA Football 09” video game, which is set to debut in July 2008.
College football and gaming fans can vote on the EA Sports Web site for the Division I college team mascot that will be featured on the cover of the game’s package.
Athletics spokesman Chad Moller said in an e-mail that this is an opportunity for Truman to advertise as the face of MU.
“That would be an unbelievable amount of exposure for the university, and there is not much better than free publicity like that,” Moller said.
EA Sports Campus Representative Steven Farrow, who markets EA Sports games to MU students, said he supports Truman for the cover.
Farrow, who plays host to EA Sports tournaments on Monday nights in Brady Commons, used his connections with the gaming company to disclose Truman’s standings in the contest.
“As of last week, Truman was in the top 10, but I have not checked with my boss lately,” he said. “If we keep up our current pace of voting every day we have a good chance to get Truman on the cover.”
Fans can vote once daily on the EA Sports Web site. According to the site, the contest celebrates the debut of the NCAA football game on Nintendo Wii.
“NCAA Football 08” is available on PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360.
With a deadline of March 14, supporters are logging onto the Web site daily to cast their votes.
“I have voted for Truman every single day,” sophomore Shane Hoffman said. “I’m even in the Facebook group.”
Hoffman and almost 3,000 other Facebook.com users have joined “Vote for TRUMAN to be on NCAA Football 09 cover!!!”
On the group, users share schemes for making sure another mascot does not win, particularly the University of Kansas Jayhawk.
“Naturally, I would not be OK with the stupid Jayhawk,” freshman Mike Solakian said. “Nonexistent animals should not be allowed on the cover. I wouldn’t be happy if the Nebraska or Texas mascots won either, or anyone from the Big 12, for that matter. It’s a pride thing.”
Solakian and Hoffman said they play “NCAA Football 08” regularly.
“The graphics of Faurot Field are so similar to real life,” Hoffman said. “They have the Jones dorm and the power plants in the background. All the rocks are there.”
Moller said though EA Sports did not have to contact MU for permission to enter Truman in the contest, he anticipates working with EA Sports if Truman wins.
“We have not been contacted yet,” he said. “I assume that EA Sports will contact the winning school to set up any logistics after the contest is done.”