Memphis football should be better this season. Justin Fuente is a well-respected coach, and appears to have the Tigers' arrow finally pointed upward. And, by God, those fans deserve it after suffering through a 12-48 record in the past five seasons following the glory days of five bowl appearances in six seasons from 2003-08.
And what says reward more than Bret Michaels?
The Tigers announced Tuesday plans for the Tailgate Concert Series, presented by Horseshoe Casino Tunica.
Let's let athletics director Tom Bowen tell us all about it.
"The Tailgate Concert Series is another example of our commitment to provide one of the best game day environments in college football for our fans," Director of Athletics Tom Bowen said in a statement. "Our marketing team is constantly working on opportunities to enhance the fan experience and we believe this is going to be a big hit with Tiger Nation."
Local favorites Kevin and Bethany Paige will kick off the season before the Austin Peay game on Aug. 30, followed by Pat Green for the Middle Tennessee game on Sept. 20, Thompson Square for the Houston game on Oct. 11, and then the grand finale of Bret Michaels leading into the Tulsa game on Halloween night.
In case you've waited your entire life to see your hair metal hero's career summarized in a college football press release, here you go:
Finally, Bret Michaels will rock the Homecoming crowd when he rolls into Memphis for the Tigers' nationally-televised, Friday night game against Tulsa on Oct. 31. Michaels, who gained stardom as the lead vocalist of the band Poison in the 1980s and 90s, has enjoyed a successful solo career as a singer-songwriter, actor, director, screenwriter, producer and reality television personality.