Topic: Marshall to host annual Herd Rally to gear up for Thundering Herd sports season

[Big City]

Marshall University is kicking off football season with its annual Herd Rally in downtown Huntington yet again.
The university is coming together with Kindred Communications as part of its 9th Street Live Celebration for the pep rally this Friday.

Marshall?s Branding and Events Director Mallory Jarrell said the Herd Rally not only kicks off football season but the full scope of fall sports.

We will have the Marching Thunder there performing, our cheerleaders and dance team, and we will have appearances by our fall sports athletes and coaches,? said Jarrell.

She said they will all be on stage to talk about their upcoming seasons, and players will be greeting fans alongside Marshall?s mascot Marco the Bison himself.

The other teams besides the football team expected to be at the event include Marshalls swimming and diving team, mens and womens basketball teams, mens and womens soccer, volleyball and cheerleaders.

Jarrell said its also a kick off to the new school year ahead.

Its always an exciting time on a college campus to see all of the students come back and to see things pick back up and come alive again, she said.

Jarrell said this years rally will be bigger and better than ever. She said the Marching Thunder has grown in size this year, which should make it extra exciting to see them march in.

In the typical fashion, event organizers expect to see several thousand people show up again this year.

Its exciting and this is a fun way to celebrate that with all of our new students and our faculty and staff and just all of the Marshall community coming together, said Jarrell.

The rally will begin Friday at 7 p.m. on Ninth Street between Third and Fourth avenues. It will kick off with the band the Madhouse followed by Marshalls sport announcement programming.