Belton, Texas 鈥 On Saturday, September 14, the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusader football program opened its 2019 season with a bang. The Cru defeated the Lions of Albright College by a score of 56-15. The game featured a few special celebrations of the team鈥檚 2018 season, which culminated in the program securing its second Division III National Championship.
After the Crusader Stadium gates opened, thousands of fans picked up free t-shirts, emblazoned with the words 鈥淭radition Continues.鈥 Attendees to the game wearing purple were also awarded free general admission tickets. Then, minutes before kickoff, the seniors from the 2018 team emerged from the tunnel, carrying their National Championship trophy. After the men had reached the center of the field, Coach Pete Fredenburg and Randy Mann, Vice-President for Athletics, pulled cords to unveil a new sign under the scoreboard, marking the 2018 championship.