The Mercer Maniacs hosted a paint up event last Saturday, August 30, in support of the football team before their home opener against Presbyterian College.
The club, founded in 2012 as Hoffman's Hooligans, painted up willing participants during the tailgate on Black Field. Participants could opt for anything from a reserved look, with orange and black sleeves supporting the team, to an extraordinary one, complete with a full-torso blackout and highlighted decoration on top. Shortly before kickoff, the group filed into Five Star Stadium and stood between the student section and the opponent's sideline.
The Hooligans began originally as a informal, raucous student group in support of men's basketball team. The group helped the stadium to break numerous conference attendance records, including an attendance of over 4,000 fans at a home game in January 2014. The organization quickly blossomed into a full-on student organization, complete with funding from SGA and eventually QuadWorks. From there, the group grew as it maintained an emphasis on incorporating students' suggestions like allowing women to paint up beginning in 2015.
Today, the group is open to new members both experienced and inexperienced, and regularly hosts giveaways and prizes at sporting events such as tailgates and home games. More information about the group can be found on their social media.
Jacob Hossler '28 is an English and Law and Public Policy double major at Mercer University. While not serving as the Sports Editor at The Cluster, he enjoys running, writing and photography.
