With the Red Wolves football season home opener just weeks away, Occasions visited with A-State Associate Athletic Director for Marketing and Fan Engagement Brad Bobo for an inside look at what’s in the playbook for fans this fall.

As the Associate Athletic Director for Marketing and Fan Engagement at Arkansas State, what is your main goal every year in this position?

There are three main reasons people often give for not coming to a game that we try to eliminate through marketing and fan engagement: 1. I didn’t know about the game. 2. I couldn’t afford it. 3. It isn’t fun. 

Number one is pretty self-explanatory, and we really take the second point (cost) seriously so that affordability is not a reason people don’t come to see the Red Wolves. This season, we have converted the upper-level east stands to all general admission seating. Now, fans can get a season ticket in those seats for $40. As for the fun part, we want people to have a good time at the game without that being tied directly to winning and losing. So, we are always looking for new ways to make the fans part of the action.

What are some favorite experiences that A-State football fans can expect to see return this fall?

Overall, it’s just the pageantry and tradition of college football. There’s nothing better than seeing the Sound of the Natural State out on the field in the pregame or at halftime. And for me, my favorite part is when the fans get the “Arkansas State,” “Red Wolves” chant going from one side of the stadium to the other. Nothing beats that when it’s organic.

One new thing that folks saw last year that’s back for 2026 is the Selfie Cam. Fans loved this at all our home games last year, because it gives each and every one of them the opportunity to be on the videoboard. There’s no more hoping the camera finds you. You can now turn your phone into the camera and see yourself on the board having a big time.

What are some new things that will be added to the fan experience when the Red Wolves kick off at home in September?

We are looking at some new, interactive ways to get the fans involved, including a spot in the game where we actually let fans decide what happens in the next timeout. Stay tuned for that. Another change folks will notice is that the lower-level east side of the stadium has flipped. This puts our student section, known as The Den, on the north end of the stands over by the waterfall. When the energy is high in the student section, it literally spreads throughout the entire stadium. I can’t wait to see that happen in their new location.

But the big thing to talk about here is everything going on Sept. 12. It’s going to be a full day of activity around here, beginning with a free concert from country star Lauren Alaina at 4 p.m., right after the Red Wolf Walk. Alaina will be playing on a stage down by the pond in Tailgate City, thanks to the St. Bernards Medical Group along with the help of the Jonesboro A&P Commission. Then, after the game, which is sponsored by St. Bernards Healthcare, there’s going to be a free post-game fireworks show.

What type of energy does Head Coach Butch Jones hope to see in the stands this season, and how do you hope to achieve that?

It’s not coach speak or a sales pitch to say that fans impact winning. It’s as simple as that. The bigger and louder the crowd is, the harder it’s going to be for a visiting team to come in here and win a game. So, hopefully, what we’ll see is the realization that we are all in this together. One hand washes the other when it comes to competing for championships.

What are some other big moments planned for fans throughout this football season?

On Sept. 26, we’ll have Band Day plus Youth Sports Day, and we’ll also welcome home players from the 1985 and 1986 teams. The 1986 squad finished as the national runner-up, so it will be great to celebrate them on the 40th anniversary of that historic run.

We’ll have the whole world watching when we play on either ESPN or ESPN 2 on Thursday, Oct. 8. That’s a four-hour commercial for Arkansas State University, Jonesboro and all of Northeast Arkansas, so hopefully everyone will come together to show the world how loud The Vault can get.

Homecoming is Oct. 24, which is full of returns to campus, reunions and tradition. On Nov. 7, we’ll honor our heroes with a military flyover right before kickoff. And on Nov. 28, we’ll have Senior Day and hopefully be playing for a championship.

How long have you been in this position, and what is your favorite part of the job?

I just hit the four-year mark in this position, but I’ve been involved with A-State Athletics since 2003. My favorite part is just getting to help make things better at my school; it’s as simple as that. I’m so proud of what’s going on across the Arkansas State campus, athletics included, and I want people to be as excited as I am.

Five straight semesters (and hopefully counting) of record enrollment and being one of eight schools in the country with a veterinary school and a medical school on campus are as exciting to me as winning games and championships. But, fortunately, we also have strung together a couple of the best overall athletic years in school history to go along with that. 

So, I just do what I can to hopefully keep the momentum moving. It really is a Golden Age at A-State, so I hope we don’t take all the great things that are happening for granted.