FOR RELEASE JUNE 1, 2004, 1 p.m. PDT

Read-2-Lead Classic Media Contact:
Carl Agers, Tager Group
(408) 997-1922
E-mail Carl Agers

San José State Kicks Off 2004 Home Football Schedule
with Read-2-Lead Classic

Repeat of last year's sell-out expected as Morgan State University
Visits San José State University to create the Classic Experience

SAN JOSÉ, Calif. – June 1, 2004 –San José State University today announced details of the Read-2-Lead Classic, the Spartans’ fall home opener for the 2004 football season. The school aims to top last year’s tremendously successful event, which drew a record crowd.

On Saturday September 18th, the Morgan State University Bears of Baltimore, Md., will visit Spartan Stadium for the Read-2-Lead Classic. Game day festivities include a multicultural festival and spectacular half-time and post-game performances by the nationally acclaimed Magnificent Marching Machine of Morgan State. Tickets for the game will go on sale to the general public July 10th at all Ticketmaster outlets. Information on advance sales for groups is at www.read-2-lead.org.

The Read-2-Lead Classic marks the first meeting of these two college teams with a history of fielding future National Football League players. Two of the best-known Spartan football alumni are former San Francisco 49er quarterback Jeff Garcia and former 49er head coach Bill Walsh. The Morgan State University Bears have launched several NFL careers, including Bay Area resident and four-time Pro Bowler Raymond Chester.

The Read-2-Lead Classic promises to transcend the football field and become an enduring force for education and entertainment in the community. The Read-2-Lead Classic, presented by Comcast, will punctuate a series of events including a golf tournament, drumline rally, greek show, gala, and the Read-a-Lot Summit at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library.

The title of the Classic highlights the Read-2-Lead program developed by San José State's head football coach Dr. Fitzgerald Hill. Read-2-Lead leverages the appeal of collegiate athletics to promote literacy and leadership. Under the program, SJSU student-athletes visit local youth, mentoring them in reading and promoting aspirations of higher education. The Africana Center at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library will partner with the Read-2-Lead program to engage youth this summer to read California author Ernest Hill's Satisfied with Nothin' and then host the Read-a-Lot Summit during the week of the Classic.

"We cannot expect academic excellence to begin when students reach our campus," said Coach Hill, who holds a doctorate in education. "It begins at an early age. The mission of the Read-2-Lead Classic is to promote the benefits of reading and education throughout the community. We believe that a strong athletics platform is the perfect tool for outreach to young people. Just as Silicon Valley is a world leader in technology and innovation it also can and should be a leader in information literacy and lifelong learning. Reading is paramount to success in school, in athletics, in careers and in quality of life.”

Thousands of visitors are expected travel to the San José area to participate in the Read-2-Lead Classic experience, including alumni from historically black colleges and universities as well as others who appreciate the varied activities that accompany a Classic.

About the Read-2-Lead Program

Read-2-Lead is a part of the non-profit San José State University Foundation, which manages externally funded programs affiliated with the University. Read-2-Lead leverages the appeal of collegiate athletics to promote literacy and leadership. The literacy and mentoring program uses the influence of Spartan football student-athletes to improve reading habits and promote higher education among youth. Football head coach Dr. Fitzgerald Hill developed the Read-2-Lead program. This summer's program will focus on reading Satisfied with Nothin' by California author Ernest Hill, and culminate in a Read-a-Lot Summit during the Read-2-Lead Classic week of activities.

About San José State University

Founded in 1857, San José State is the oldest public institution of higher education on the West Coast. From its beginnings as a normal school to train teachers for the developing frontier, SJSU has matured into a metropolitan university offering more than 134 bachelor's and master's degrees with 110 concentrations. Its mission is to enrich the lives of its students, to transmit knowledge to its students along with the necessary skills for applying it in the service of our society, and to expand the base of knowledge through research and scholarship.

About Morgan State University

Morgan State University was founded as the Centenary Biblical Institute in 1876 and became Morgan College in 1890. It was designated as Maryland's Public Urban University by the state legislature in 1988. Morgan State has been a part of the state's public higher education system since 1939. While Morgan State is a historically black institution, it has served students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Currently it enrolls approximately 6,000 students in baccalaureate through doctorate programs.

About the Morgan State University Magnificent Marching Machine

The Morgan State University Magnificent Marching Machine has amazed audiences around the country and the world with its performances. The marching band has been enjoyed by audiences from its hometown of Baltimore to California to as far away as Bermuda. In addition to Morgan State football games, the band has performed at NFL games, NFL championship games, presidential inaugurations and NCAA playoffs. It has been featured on local and regional television and has even been featured in a major motion picture, Chris Rock's Head of State. The Magnificent Marching Machine's director is Melvin N. Miles, Jr.

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