Drake to play under the lights

An Iowa-based company will light up Drake Stadium on September 11th for the Bulldogs’ football game against William Penn, the first night game at the stadium since 1960. Musco Lighting has been involved in events across the country for several years spokesman Ron Johnson says the company will provide the lights free of charge as he says they try to support all the sports in Iowa they can and says they’re very interested in any sports in Iowa. Johnson says another reason the company was interested in the project is because the first football game played under the lights in the United States was held at Drake Stadium in 1928. He says when they do an NBC or ABC game it costs about 50-thousand dollars, but says this game will cost about 30-thousand. Drake coach Rob Ash says the lights should help draw a larger crowd because it will help them avoid that day’s Iowa-Iowa State game which will kickoff at 11 that morning.Ash says that’s one of the most visible games in the whole state and he says being able to dodge that game is important. He says this will be the first of several night games in the future. The scheduled renovation of Drake Stadium will include the installation of lights. He says they’d like to play as many night games as they can because of the atmosphere and he says you can get around the games of the major colleges. He says UNI has shown they can draw better at night in division 1-AA.