Mercer football is headed to the playoffs for the second consecutive year. The top 10 ranked Bears will face the Furman Paladins at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, in Five Star Stadium. Here are three things to know before you go.
Bears are playoff bound
For the first time since restarting football in 2013, Mercer claimed a share of the SoCon title after beating Virginia Military Institute on Nov. 9, giving the Bears an automatic bid to the Football Championship Series playoffs. A win over Furman, last year’s conference champion, would give the Bears the SoCon title outright and could improve Mercer’s standing in the playoffs.
“This is the biggest game Mercer football has ever had. We have the chance to win the Southern Conference title outright against Furman and make school history,” football head coach Mike Jacobs said.
Mercer football ranks in top 10
For the fourth time this year, the Bears have appeared in the top 10 of both the Stats Perform Top 25 and the American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches Poll, coming in at No. 8 and No. 9, respectively. The Division I Football Championship Committee ranks Mercer No. 8. This week’s opponent, Furman, is unranked, and no SoCon team ranks higher in any of the polls. The Bears are 9-2 overall and 6-1 in the SoCon, with losses to Samford and Alabama.
Conner Smith to headline Ford Football Concert Series
The Mercer football game day experience starts when gates open at 10 a.m. on Black Field. At 11 a.m., the Fall Line Beer Garden opens, followed by Dr Pepper Fansville and inflatables at noon. Also at noon, the Ford Football Concert Series kicks off with Zach John King, who describes his music as having a “genre-bending sound of country, Americana and indie rock.” King first connected with fans on TikTok and has since garnered 5 million streams across five singles since October 2023. Earlier this year, he released his first EP, “Wannabe Cowboy,” featuring the song “The Way I See You.”
Music will break at 12:30 p.m. for the Bear Walk as the football team — led by Toby and Tot, the Mercer University Marching Band and cheerleaders — makes its way to Five Star Stadium. The concert resumes at 12:45 p.m. with country musician Conner Smith, who broke out on TikTok with his song “I Hate Alabama.” Signed to Big Machine’s The Valory Music Co. Imprint, Smith has had two gold-certified singles — “Take it Slow” and “Creek Will Rise.” “Creek Will Rise” also climbed to No. 12 on Billboard’s U.S. Country Airplay chart and made it onto the Hot 100.
Mercer vs. Western Carolina
When: 3 p.m. Nov. 23
Where: Five Star Stadium
Tickets: $5-$25, buy online at mercerbears.tixr.com
On TV: ESPN+
On Radio: Mercer Sports Network — 100.9 The Creek FM or sportsmic.com
Feature photo: The Mercer University Marching Band performs before the Bear Walk on Nov. 2, 2024. Photo by Christopher Ian Smith
