A 13-year old Upperman Middle School Student celebrating the unveiling of Tucker Stadium this weekend, after his artwork took home honors.
Xavier Belliveau won the Tennessee Tech Gold Rush t-shirt design contest with a sketch celebrating the university’s football stadium transition.
Tennessee Tech Athletics Media Relations Coordinator Thomas Corhern said the annual tradition highlights one of the school’s primary colors and allows fans to show their support in the stands. Corhern said this year marked the first time the university opened the design process to the public to select a fan-favorite look for the season.
“He sketched out a design of an Awesome Eagle tearing down the light stands on top of the stadium kind of to celebrate the tearing down of the old one and the rising of the new one, trying to celebrate the new stadium and get fans excited for this first game of the season,” Corhern said.
Corhern said the winner has deep family ties to the university through his father and sister who are both currently enrolled as students. Corhern said the original hand-drawn sketch was modernized and digitized to align with the current branding of the Awesome Eagle mascot.
“His dad was serving in the military and has come back to school, so both those family members are Tennessee Tech students at the time,” Corhern said. “They love Tennessee Tech, they wanted to be a part of it, and for Xavier to come up with this design celebrating his family’s connection to the university as well as their love of Tennessee Tech football, it was a great fit.”
Corhern said the Gold Rush event is a staple for both the football and basketball programs that creates a distinct visual environment. Corhern said the university provides the shirts as free gear to help fans fill the stadium with a sea of gold.
“It’s an annual tradition, fans love it, they come all dressed out in their gold gear, and it creates a visible image in the stands of—it’s like a white-out game or a black-out game or whatever color you want to come up with for the universities, but it’s an awesome visual to see the stands filled with seas of gold,” Corhern said.
Corhern said the upcoming game represents several milestones, including the first contest in the new Tucker Stadium and the debut game as a member of the Southern Conference. Corhern said the middle schooler was awestruck by the victory and the notoriety surrounding his artwork.
“I think when he sees it tomorrow of all the fans wearing it, I know the student section’s going to get the first dibs at the shirt, but it’s still going to be seeing that design out there in the stands,” Corhern said. “I think he’s going to be excited, he’s going to love it.”
Corhern said students can pick up the shirts at Gate 6 while supplies last, and additional shirts will be distributed by the cheer and dance squads or handed out following a post-game drone show.
