Nashville songwriter Conner Smith will be joined by fellow rising country music superstar Micah Fletcher on Aug. 29 to kick off Mercer University’s Ford Football Concert Series.
The Ford Football Concert Series, which will celebrate its eighth season in the fall, gives Mercer football faithful the opportunity to enjoy live music from a variety of national recording artists and local talent at Toby Town, the designated tailgating area on Black Field, which is located adjacent to Five Star Stadium. Admission to all musical performances is free.
Jones County product and country-rap phenom Demun Jones will take the stage prior to Mercer’s matchup with Presbyterian on Sept. 5, while The Stews will have headliner honors on Sept. 12 when the Bears open up defense of their back-to-back Southern Conference titles against Furman. Dani Rucker, a cinematic, folk-leaning artist, will take on opening-act duties ahead of Jones, and Macon native JB Strauss is scheduled to rock Black Field as the opener for The Stews.
Atlanta-based pop-rock artist Penelope Road will kick off pregame festivities as part of Mercer’s Family Weekend contest against Western Carolina, with Mothafunka, a student band that opened Mercer’s annual Bearstock event in 2025, taking on opener responsibilities. Macon product Cam Smith will open pregame festivities at Black Field on Oct. 31, with Southern rock group Bottomland headlining the pregame performances ahead of Mercer’s tilt with The Citadel.
The Restless Natives, a Macon-based modern tribute band to the Allman Brothers, will put the wraps on the Ford Football Concert Series on Nov. 21 when Mercer squares off with Southern Conference rival East Tennessee State.
Reserved-seat season tickets for the 2026 home football schedule have already gone on sale and can be purchased for as little as $75 by visiting MercerBears.com/Tickets.
