NORFOLK, Va. – On Thanksgiving Day, nearly all of you will sit down with family and break bread. My daughter, her boyfriend and I will be eating turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.
Like us, your belly will feel like it's going to pop. You'll perhaps take a nap, spend time more with your family, and eat again. On Friday, you'll spend more time with family, do some Black Friday shopping, and then overeat once again.
If you're like me, you love your family, but by Saturday morning, you'll be looking for a break and for something to do outside the house.
Many of you will head out to a movie, a traditional thing on Thanksgiving weekend.
But I have a better idea.
Old Dominion's football team hosts Georgia State at 2 p.m. at S.B. Ballard Stadium, and not only will you see a competitive and meaningful college football game, but you can do so for about the cost of a movie – just $15 per ticket.
ODU is on the cusp of going to a third bowl game. The Monarchs advanced their record to 5-6 with a 20-17 victory at Georgia Southern last week.
If the Monarchs beat Georgia State, they will become bowl eligible. That makes this a very big game.
Let me put that in perspective. Virtually all prognosticators thought this team was going to finish last in the Sun Belt Conference East Division. Coaches picked the Monarchs dead last among the Sun Belt's 14 teams during media days.
ODU head football coach Ricky Rahne has urged fans turn out Saturday.
And there was good reason to think ODU was headed for a long season. Only 10 starters remained from last season's 3-9 team and among the 116 players on the roster, exactly half – 58 – were newcomers.
ODU has just nine seniors and did not have a quarterback who had thrown a pass in an FBS game.
The Monarchs were favored to win only once in their first 11 games. And yet they notched their first victories over Appalachian State and Georgia Southern and came within an eyelash of upsetting Wake Forest and James Madison.
This team out-performed expectations by a lot, and did so the old fashioned way – the Monarchs have outworked and outhustled most of their opponents.
Games right after the Thanksgiving traditionally don't draw well. Virginia vs. Virginia Tech hasn't sold out in a while. And with students gone, ODU traditionally has a lot of open seats in the student sections.
It's time, head coach Ricky Rahne said, for ODU to break that tradition.
"What I hope winning this game does is give us a great crowd," he said minutes after beating Georgia Southern.
"Thanksgiving is on Thursday and our game is on Saturday. By Friday night, everyone is kind of sick of their extended family anyway, right?
"So come out and watch us play. It gives you a chance to get away for a few hours, or buy tickets for your family, too. Let's get everybody there. Let's get everyone in the 757 there and make this the best home atmosphere that we've had in a long time."
There are several ways to get discounted tickets, enough so that no one should pay full price.
First, we have a Black Friday sale that allows you to purchase two tickets for the price of one. That means you'll pay $15 per ticket.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE $15 TICKETS
Secondly, season ticket holders have the option of obtaining a free ticket for each ticket they have purchased. That means thousands of free tickets are out there for the asking. Reach out to your season-ticket holder friends, or make friends with season-ticket holders, and ask for some free tickets.
Finally, if you are one of the more than 20,000 high school students who have applied for admission to ODU, check your email. You should have received an offer for a free ticket to this game, plus as many tickets extra that you want for $10 apiece.
If you haven't been to ODU, the campus will surprise you. The campus is beautiful with several new buildings that have recently opened for STEM-H students – those in science, technology, engineering, math and health sciences. The Student Rec Center, Webb Center, and Broderick Dining Hall were all built to make life more comfortable for students.
If you haven't been to an ODU football game in a while, perhaps you've forgotten what a nice venue in which the Monarchs play – Kornblau Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium. It's truly one of the best stadiums among Group of Five schools.
Shawn Asbury and Jason Henderson combine for a tackle in Saturday's 20-17 win at Ga. Southern
The weather is supposed to be good, with temperatures around 54 degrees at game time. Parking is free and the tailgating hearty. We also have entertainment, food and a beer truck on Kaufman Mall, which is steps behind the south end zone.
"Come out to the game," Rahne said at his Monday press conference. "The tickets are cheap and there are a lot of ways to get them.
"Let's just pack that place up and try to get as many people out as we humanly can. That would be a great sign of what Hampton Roads football and 757 football are all about.
"It also would be a great appreciation for our seniors who given so much to our program."
And who deserve an appreciative crowd at their final home game.
Contact Minium at hminium@odu.edu or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
Minium: Ricky Rahne Wants a Big Crowd When ODU Hosts Ga. State, and Monarchs Deserve a Big Turnout
