COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech football fans are invited to come out and bring a friend to the annual Gathering of Eagles picnic and scrimmage, scheduled for Saturday, August 21 inside Tucker Stadium.

The event will begin at 12:30 p.m. with free food and drinks, football posters and schedule cards for every fan.

Coach Watson Brown’s Golden Eagle football team will kick off its final fall scrimmage at 1 p.m.  Following the scrimmage, members of the Tech football team will sign posters and meet with fans.

Fans can enjoy hot dogs, chips, cookies and soft drinks during the event, as the team gears up for its season opener at Arkansas on September 4.

“From a fan’s perspective, this event should be a lot of fun,” Brown said. “It gives the fans a chance to come out and have some good food, watch some football, and get to know the player.

“From the coach’s perspective, the final scrimmage will give our team a good opportunity to evaluate where we stand at that point during camp, and where we need to get to before our first game,” he said. “It will also give the coaching staff a chance to look at some film and fill in some open spots on the depth chart.”

The team enters its fourth season under Brown’s direction, and promises to bring plenty of action into the 2010 season. An exhilarating group of tailbacks will be one group to watch at the scrimmage and all throughout the season. That group is led by senior Henry Sailes, juniors Tremaine Hudson and Dontey Gay, and sophomores Zach Ziegler, Demetrous Garrett and Ronquez Beech, all giving Tech’s ground game a combination of power and lightning-fast speed.

While the Golden Eagle offense is loaded with firepower, the Tech defense is geared up to shut its opponents down. Among the standouts on defense will be seniors Charlie Seivers, Justin Hilliard and Dedrick Miley up front, and Dustin Dillehay and Caleb Mitchell in the secondary.

“The Gathering of Eagles is a great event to kick off the fall,” TTU Director of Athletics Mark Wilson said. “It has been growing every year, and everybody enjoys it, from the student-athletes and the fans, to the coaching staff, and everybody who helps put on the event.”

The Golden Eagles will host five home football games during the 2010 season. After the home opener against Lane College on Thursday, Sept. 16, Tech will welcome four consecutive Ohio Valley Conference opponents with visits from UT Martin (Sept. 30), Eastern Illinois (Oct. 16), Eastern Kentucky (Nov. 13) and Jacksonville State (Nov. 20).

 For season ticket information, contact the Tennessee Tech Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center or call 931-372-3940. Tickets are also on sale online at TTUsports.com.