FGCU sports: Ninth annual Eagle Revolution another big hit at end of first day of classes

For the ninth straight year, Florida Gulf Coast University ended its first day of classes with a bang. 

Some 3,800 students, fans, coaches, athletes and administrators poured into Alico Arena for the annual Eagle Revolution, an introduction to and celebration of FGCU's top-notch teams, early Monday evening. 

"Whenever Eagle Revolution comes around it signals that another new year has fully started -- although we obviously had women's soccer (1-1) with a great start, playing like they did against (No. 4) South Carolina (a 2-1 penalty kicks loss in Columbia on Sunday)," said FGCU athletic director Ken Kavanagh. 

The athletes love the hour-long party. They show up early and cut up on the floor before the festivities tip. Senior All-Atlantic Sun guard Brandon Goodwin bounded about like a school boy. 

"It's another way for us to interact with fans before the season and just get everybody pumped for every sporting event that's going to be coming up -- basketball, soccer, volleyball, all the other sports. Just a good chance to get together before it all kicks off."

Attendees munched on free food donated by 10 sponsors, then settled in for the main course, a pep-rally style introduction by the 14 coaches of their 15 teams that won a record 10 conference titles last year, contests for prizes and silly skits by athletes and cheerleaders. 

"It all comes from the heart, especially when you've been here from the start and have watched it grow," FGCU baseball coach Dave Tollett said. "Those kids (fans) mean a lot. They really help what we do here. I mean, baseball, we're 25-7 (at home last season), men's basketball, we're 16-3, women's basketball, we're 17-1, men's soccer was 6-1, women's soccer was 9-3, women's tennis was 11-2, swimming and diving was 7-1 and volleyball was 14-1. 

"These kids are a big part of what we do."

As has become the norm, MDOT and Big Mama of B103.9 provided the music and ramped up the excitement. 

The Eagle Revolution again kicked off at 6 with a VIP Dirty Bird gathering an hour before the real deal began. The Dirty Birds comprise the school's official student fan club and a registration drive as well as the swag give-outs highlighted that. Even before Monday night's event, more than 2,100 Dirty Birds were on the rolls.  

"We have already seen our Dirty Bird membership increase 11 percent from this time last year, and that's a testament to our teams' successes," said Denise Da Silveria, FGCU's Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Sales who came up with this event soon after joining the department. "The Eagles enter 2017-18 with a lot of momentum and Eagle Revolution is a great way to kick the year off."

The first Eagle Revolution drew maybe 500 into the south end stands of Alico Arena. More than 3,000 crammed in for the 2013 event following the men's basketball run to the Sweet 16 and it has taken off from there. 

"Denise has done a phenomenal job working with our coaches and others on campus to make this now one of the highlights of the Week of Welcome," Kavanagh said. "Initially when she first came up with this idea seven years ago, we had to convince people here to even put the event on their calendars and now it's one that's grown to such proportions.

"What it's grown to in recent years has truly been a credit to Denise and the hard work she's done with her staff and others on campus."

FGCU celebrates start of semester with seventh annual Eagle Revolution

As usual, the best speakers were Tollett and women's basketball coach Karl Smesko, neither of whom exactly love public speaking. 

"It's nice to have old friends back on campus and having a chance to see everybody starting the school year and our athletic seasons," Smesko said. 

Eagle Revolution is particularly fun for the newcomers. 

"They do look forward to it because it is exciting, it's the first day of school," Tollett said. "Everything's a new beginning, a new chance. 

"Especially the freshmen and the newbies, the junior college kids, it's  really cool for them to see the excitement of the school they chose."