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The Ferris State University football program will pay tribute to three individuals on Friday (April 19) evening during the Bulldogs' annual Crimson & Gold Spring Game at Top Taggart Field.
Former Ferris State University Athletics Director Perk Weisenburger, who retired in 2021, will serve as the game's honorary captain and take part in the coin toss prior to the spring game. Weisenburger hired current FSU head coach Tony Annese in 2011 and played a key role in the resurgence of Bulldog Football.
Along with Weisenburger, two other individuals who have played key roles in recent years will serve as the game's honorary coaches. Former FSU Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine and head athletic trainer, Brett Knight, will be one of the game's honorary coaches while current FSU Strength & Conditioning Coach Andrew Thiede will be the opposite side. Knight departed from FSU earlier this spring for another career opportunity while Thiede will be leaving the Bulldog program and moving out of state in May. Both have played lead roles in working with FSU's football student-athletes and were part of back-to-back NCAA Division II National Championship staffs in 2021 and 2022.
In addition to honoring the honorary coaches and captains, the Bulldogs will also honor other Ferris State championship teams from this academic year, including the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Championship men's and women's basketball teams along with the volleyball and golf conference championship squads. Various FSU student-athletes and teams will also take part in special halftime activities.
Kickoff for the spring contest is set for 5:30 p.m. (ET). Admission to the event will be free and gates will open one hour prior to kickoff.
As in years past, the annual Crimson & Gold Spring Game is also slated to be broadcast live on the Bulldog Sports Network and local flagship station Sunny 97.3 FM with Rob Bentley and Sandy Gholston on the call starting with pregame coverage at 5 p.m. It will be streamed online with both live audio and a free live video webcast courtesy of the Ferris State Television & Digital Media Production program at FerrisStateBulldogs.com. The live radio call will also be carried over the stadium public address system for the fans in attendance.
The annual spring game will provide fans with an opportunity to watch the Bulldogs for the first time since last fall in a game-like situation under head coach Tony Annese and his staff. The spring game will feature a modified scoring and timing format and provide an opportunity for many of FSU's younger players to take the field for the first time while wrapping up spring drills.
The Bulldogs will begin their 115th season of varsity competition this coming fall with their sights set on making a 10th consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II Playoffs. The Bulldogs have made five national semifinal appearances along with three trips to the national championship game and back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022 during the stretch.
Over the past three seasons of action, the Bulldogs own a 36-4 overall record and FSU has reached the NCAA Division II Playoffs nine consecutive years and counting. Ferris State has also reached the NCAA Division II National Semifinals five times in the past seven seasons of action and ranks as the country's winningest program over the past nine full seasons in D2 Football. FSU is 63-6 over the last four seasons of on-field action, including back-to-back NCAA D2 National Championships in 2021 and 2022.
Ferris State also holds the GLIAC's best mark and the best overall record of all collegiate programs in Michigan at 123-20 (.860) overall since the arrival of Annese as head coach in 2012.
MichiganUnited-statesFerris-state-universitySandy-gholstonAndrew-thiedeBrett-knightRob-bentleyTony-anneseDivision-ii-playoffsBulldog-sports-networkDivision-ii-national-semifinalsDivision-ii-midwest-regional-championshipJust 10 years after graduating from Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University, Kirbi Fagan has reached the pinnacle of publishing success by seeing the children’s novel she illustrated, “A Horse Named Sky,” appear on The New York Times Bestseller list in the Children’s Middle Grade Hardcover category.
Fagan, who graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration, has firmly established herself as one of the leading illustrators working today.
She’s created for high-profile clients like Marvel Comics, Disney, Simon and Schuster, and Penguin Books.
Since winning the nationwide Creative Outlook cover contest for college students in 2012, she’s gone on to win the Illustrator of the Future Award in 2013, the Muddy Color Rising Star Award in 2017, and the Jack Gaughan Award for Best Emerging Artist in 2017.
Despite an impressive résumé, the news about “A Horse Named Sky” still felt surreal. Fagan was on vacation and unplugged at the time, relaxing away the exhaustion of finishing the project.
“I didn’t have data service, so I didn’t know at first. My agent called and told me, ‘You’re a best seller!’” she said. “I could have never dreamed of this.”
Written by Rosanne Parry and published in Aug. 2023, “A Horse Named Sky” is the story of a young, wild horse struggling to reunite with his family after being captured for the Pony Express, told with vivid illustrations depicting the horse’s adventure throughout the Old West. At nearly 300 pages, illustrating the book was an especially demanding challenge.
*A copy of Fagan's "A Horse Named Sky" (Provided by Jackie McLane and Sandy Gholston.
“I’ve never worked on a project that long with covers,” Fagan said. “But I felt ready, and when you work longer term, you really get to know everyone working on the book. When the whole team is working together, that’s where the magic happens.”
The publisher was looking for an illustrator who liked horses, and Fagan had just completed a different personal project about wild horses.
Before starting “A Horse Named Sky,” she spent time with the animals to study their movements and facial expressions, capturing much of it in photos and videos she could refer to while illustrating the ways they walk, run, and jump.
“It was really inspiring how subtle their facial expressions are and how horses can take on other people’s emotions or feelings from their environment,” Fagan said. “They make it easy because they’re so beautiful and so inspiring.”
Fagan always envisioned herself as an artist. Growing up with Crohn’s disease, she felt isolated by a litany of treatments and surgeries that kept her out of school for long periods of time. Creativity became her way back to the world.
“Art was a lifeline for me,” she says, “Just a total escape from everything I was going through.”
Turning her creative passion into a career came naturally. With her health challenges, Fagan knew she would never be a 9-to-5 person. She wanted to make her own path. She soon found herself at KCAD, where she was instantly drawn to the Illustration program and the student work on display.
“When I saw the work on the wall, I said, ‘Wow! What’s that?’ and they explained how illustration tells stories. I just felt like that was the perfect place for me,” she said. “The technical ability I saw really drew me to KCAD because if you have that ability, you can do anything, right?”
A visit to campus from award-winning illustrator Greg Manchess early in Fagan’s time at KCAD convinced her that she had made the right decision. She called meeting him, “a very inspiring moment.”
“It showed me that people are out there making a flexible living with their art, and I can build a career out of it,” she said.
Fagan’s conviction—along with a tireless work ethic—has continued to open doors for throughout her career. Post-graduation, she attended every illustration-related event she could, whether they were local or on the other side of the country, looking to connect with and learn from more established professionals.
"If you want that face-to-face interaction with people who are farther along in their career but willing to mentor you and take you under their wing, the only place to meet them is at conventions or workshops,” she said. “I was really focused on going to a lot of them and finding my place in the industry.”
The creativity and tenacity Fagan had cultivated throughout her early life also came in handy for promoting herself at these events. In one instance, when she didn’t get a time slot with an art director she was intent on meeting, she showed up anyway and took advantage when another hopeful artist did not show.
“I stepped forward and said I didn’t have an appointment, but they said, come on in,” she said. “You could call it luck, and that’s definitely part of it, but you have to be in the room to get lucky.”
Fagan’s career began with covers for middle grade and young adult novels. She then moved on to comic covers for Marvel and Dark Horse Comics, including a coloring book created by “Fight Club” author Chuck Palahniuk. Though it was rewarding work, Fagan ultimately craved the freedom to draw her own stories.
She shifted toward children’s books and was chosen to illustrate “The Summer of the Tree Army,” a novel about the Civilian Conservation Corps written by Gloria Whelan and released in 2021.
Fagan describes the collaborative process of creating a children’s book as slower in comparison to other work she’s done, but rich with possibilities.
“When I work with an art director or editor, they give me a pitch of what they’re looking for. Sometimes, they will just trust me completely and give me control, and I will present the sketches through an e-mail. But I’ve also presented them over video, and I find that that works well,” she said. “With everyone together, I can take their feedback, adjust, and go back and forth many times.
Once a direction for the final artwork is decided, Fagan can immerse herself completely in her craft.
“That’s when I disappear and just go do my thing” she says. “Then they’ll review the work again very specifically and we may have to make more adjustments. There’s a lot of stamina required in these projects.”
Fagan has three more picture books coming out in 2025, including her first written and illustrated picture book for upper elementary audiences. The move to author/illustrator is a fresh challenge demanding new ways of thinking and working, but she’s unwavering in her belief that passion and persistence can overcome any obstacle.
To artists aspiring to follow in her footsteps, she said, “If your heart is connected to the work that you’re doing and you truly love what you’re making and how you’re making it, there’s no way other people won’t connect with it, too.”
“A Horse Named Sky” is available for purchase on Amazon as well as in local bookstores, Target and Costco. See more of Kirbi Fagan’s creativity at kirbifagan.com.
New-yorkUnited-statesKirbi-faganJackie-mclaneGloria-whelanSandy-gholstonRosanne-parryChuck-palahniukGreg-manchessMarvel-comicsCostcoDisneyThe Ferris State University football squad returns to the friendly confines of Top Taggart Field this week, hosting American International College for the first-time ever on Saturday (Oct. 28) at Top Taggart Field.
The contest will kickoff at 1 p.m. (ET). Fans are encouraged to "come early, cheer loud and wear red!".
This Saturday will serve as Area Youth Appreciation Day and all youth ages 12 and under will receive free admission at the gate by wearing a Halloween costume and free candy will also be distributed. Kids in costume can also take part in the fan tunnel welcoming the Bulldogs to the field by meeting at the Victory Bell in advance of the team entry at 12:45 p.m.
The Bulldogs enter the game with a 5-2 overall record and are 3-1 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play. It will mark FSU's first-ever matchup against the Yellow Jackets, who hail from Springfield, Mass.
Tickets for Saturday's game can be bought online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com/Tickets and fans are encouraged to purchase their digital tickets in advance to avoid the gameday lines. The Wheeler Pavilion Gameday Ticket Office will also open on Saturday starting at 11 a.m. (ET). For more information on ticket sales, please call (231) 591-2888 or visit FerrisStateBulldogs.com.
Football tickets for Saturday's game are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens (ages 65 ) and FSU faculty/staff along with $10 for students age 5-17. Ferris students with ID will be admitted free by showing their student identification cards.
Tailgating will be permitted on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. (ET) with the gates to the stadium opening 90 minutes prior to kickoff at 11:30 a.m. (ET). All tailgating must end 15 minutes before kickoff.
Parking in lots near Top Taggart Field is $10 per car or $30 per oversized vehicle (bus, motor coach, motor home, trailer, etc.) on a first-come, first-served basis. As a convenience to fans, credit cards will also be accepted at the ticket window along with the concession stand.
The FSU-AIC football game will be broadcast live locally by the Bulldog Sports Network and Sunny 97.3 FM with Rob Bentley handling the play-by-play duties and Sandy Gholston offering color commentary. The Bulldog tailgate show starts at 11 a.m. (ET) with the Johnson Automotive Pregame Show from inside the stadium beginning at 12 p.m. The contest will also be televised on FloSports and FloFootball with video coverage provided by Ferris State Television.
Sandy-gholstonRob-bentleyAmerican-international-collegeWheeler-pavilion-gameday-ticket-officeFerris-state-televisionBulldog-sports-networkFerris-state-universityTop-taggart-fieldTop-taggartArea-youth-appreciation-dayVictory-bellGreat-lakes-intercollegiate-athletic-conferenceThe nation's top-ranked Ferris State University football squad continues Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) home action against longtime counterpart Saginaw Valley State this Saturday (Oct. 7) at Top Taggart Field.
Fans are encouraged to wear black for the "Black Out" game with the Bulldogs slated to wear their black alternate uniforms for the conference contest. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. (ET).
Ferris State is currently a consensus #1 team in every Division II poll and coming in at 3-1 overall after a record-setting 78-3 triumph over Northern Michigan in the homecoming game this past week. FSU's 78 total points were the most in a single game in school history and the Bulldogs racked up 705 total yards and 497 rushing yards in the triumph.
Tickets for Saturday's game can be bought online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com/Tickets and fans are encouraged to purchase their digital tickets in advance to avoid the gameday lines. The Wheeler Pavilion Gameday Ticket Office will also open on Saturday starting at 11 a.m. (ET). For more information on ticket sales, please call (231) 591-2888 or visit FerrisStateBulldogs.com.
Football tickets for Saturday's game are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens (ages 65 ) and FSU faculty/staff along with $10 for students age 5-17. Ferris students with ID will be admitted free by showing their student identification cards.
Tailgating will be permitted on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. (ET) with the gates to the stadium opening 90 minutes prior to kickoff at 11:30 a.m. (ET). All tailgating must end 15 minutes before kickoff.
Parking in lots near Top Taggart Field is $10 per car or $30 per oversized vehicle (bus, motor coach, motor home, trailer, etc.) on a first-come, first-served basis. As a convenience to fans, credit cards will also be accepted at the ticket window along with the concession stand.
The FSU-SVSU football game will be broadcast live locally by the Bulldog Sports Network and Sunny 97.3 FM with Rob Bentley handling the play-by-play duties and Sandy Gholston offering color commentary. The Bulldog tailgate show starts at 11 a.m. (ET) with the Johnson Automotive Pregame Show from inside the stadium beginning at 12 p.m. The contest will also be televised on FloSports and FloFootball with video coverage provided by Ferris State Television.
Top-taggart-fieldMichiganUnited-statesFerris-state-universityRob-bentleySandy-gholstonWheeler-pavilion-gameday-ticket-officeBulldog-sports-networkFerris-state-televisionGreat-lakes-intercollegiate-athletic-conferenceSaginaw-valley-stateTop-taggart