Blue Wahoos Owners Quint, Rishy Studer Presented Special Keepsakes By UWF Football 

Team owners Quint and Rishy Studer received special keepsakes from the University of West Florida for the role the Pensacola Blue Wahoos have played in the Argos’ football success.

The Studers were presented a replica of the Argos’ 2019 NCAA Division II football national championship trophy during a ceremony Tuesday led by UWF president Martha Saunders, athletic director Dave Scott, and head football coach Pete Shinnick.

In addition, Quint Studer was provided a national championship ring. Rishy Studer was given a commemorative pendant during the event inside the Blue Wahoos clubhouse.

The locker area is used by the UWF team during home games. In 2019, UWF won all five home games at Blue Wahoos Stadium, which led into an at-large bid into the NCAA D-2 playoffs.

“The City of Pensacola and the Blue Wahoos have just done a fantastic job supporting us and putting us in the right place for the 2019 national championship run to go undefeated at home and propelled us to the playoffs,” Shinnick said during the ceremony.

The Argos swept their way on the road to become the first football team in NCAA history – at any level – to win a national championship in just four years after the program was launched.

Since Argos’ inaugural 2016 season, they have used Blue Wahoos Stadium as their home field. They have attracted crowds as large as 6,000-plus for games. Many of their greatest wins have been in the bayfront venue.

“It’s interesting, when we trying to get this stadium built, we said it would be multi-use and (teams) can play football here,” Quint Studer said. “So many people said, ‘Ah, they will never play a football game here, (Quint Studer) is just saying that.’

“We didn’t think college football, but we certainly thought Friday night high school football, youth football and so on. So we did build (stadium) with that in mind. UWF has just been an extra bonus for this community and it’s a rallying cry.”

Studer remembered being at Major League Baseball’s winter meetings several years ago when a renown stadium builder approached him.

“He said, ‘I just want you to know, you guys have the best Division II football stadium in the country. We are actually going to learn from you because we find people like the boardwalk (concourse around the seats). “I think they like the activity and most college stadiums don’t have that type of boardwalk,” Studer said.

Once baseball season is completed, the Blue Wahoos have led conversion of the field into a football setup, complete with bleacher seating in the outfield, which becomes a football sideline. In addition the infield areas have been sodded to further enhance the football experience.

“Just great vision when this (stadium) was set up to be able to host football at some point in time,” Shinnick said. “When I saw this, being interviewed for this job seven years ago, I felt this would be the most unique small college, venue in the country and really it has lived up to it.”

Many of the Blue Wahoos front office staff assists in helping with football games, led by the Blue Wahoos creative services team operating the video boards, sound system and graphics. It helps greatly enhance UWF’s home game experience.

“We work well together,” Studer said. “I think that’s the other thing for the stadium. The fact we have all the employees who take off their Blue Wahoos jerseys and put a UWF jersey on means we can provide the fans with a great experience.”

UWF representatives have traveled throughout the community in past months to thank supporters, sponsors and donors for their contributions in the Argos amazing football success.

After UWF’s 2020 season was wiped out by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, along with all NCAA Division II and Division III football, the Argos are set to resume anew with spring practice in March or April.

It is expected that all levels of collegiate football will have 2021 seasons.