COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – High achieving students, from kindergarten through eighth grade, will be the special guests of Tennessee Tech University Athletics on Saturday, Nov. 19, when the Golden Eagle football team hosts Austin Peay in the final home game of 2011 regular season.

Tech is “Celebrating Academic Excellence” by recognizing Honor Roll students, including TTU student-athletes who achieved the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll during the 2011 spring semester.

All area K-8 Honor Roll students have been invited to the game, with free admission as the reward for making good grades.

Honor students will be invited onto the field for pregame festivities, where they will join the TTU student-athletes in welcoming the Golden Eagle football team to the field prior to kickoff.

Every student on the A and B Honor Rolls for the recent grading period will receive an invitation to take part in the event through their school. The invitation is good for schools in surrounding counties, as well. Students may exchange their “Honor Roll voucher” for a ticket at any of the ticket booths at Tucker Stadium the day of the game, or may get their tickets prior to game day at the Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center.

“Our goal is to publicly recognize excellence in academics among all our area youth,” said Mark Wilson, TTU Director of Athletics. “We’re committed to academic success within the Tech athletics program, and you can see the result in the large number of our student-athletes who are named to the athletic Director’s Honor Roll.

“This event is a chance to show kids in all our schools how important it is to work hard in the classroom and achieve academic success,” Wilson added. “By bringing these young kids together with the college student-athletes, we hope they see that learning is a lifelong process.”

All eligible participating students will be admitted to the game free, and will assemble on the field prior to the game.  Students are asked to arrive early and gather on the track beneath the scoreboard in Tucker Stadium at 1 p.m.

Honor Roll student will have the opportunity to meet and talk with TTU student-athletes on the field. A pregame P.A. announcement will recognize the students on the field as a group, and the Golden Eagle football team will greet the Honor Roll students when it takes the field.

Magic 98.5 Tailgate Park opens at 10:30 p.m. and families of the Honor Roll students are encouraged to come early to participate in other activities. The tailgate park will feature live music.

For additional information on “Celebrating Academic Excellence,” call the Athletics Department at (931) 372-3940.