Durham, NC -
Click play to view a slideshow from the 2012 Employee Kickoff

From free food to face painting to football, thousands of Duke faculty, staff and their families came together Sept. 1 to cheer on the Blue Devils football team as part of the annual Employee Kickoff Celebration.

In all, 9,330 tickets were claimed by Duke employees for the football home opener, which saw the Blue Devils run away with a win against Florida International University, 46-26. The employees in attendance pushed the crowd at Wallace Wade Stadium to 31,117, marking the tenth home crowd of 30,000 or more fans in the 28 home games since David Cutcliffe became head coach in 2008. In the 47 homes games prior to Cutcliffe's arrival, Duke posted just four crowds of 30,000 or more spectators.

"The employee tailgate has become a annual tradition at Duke," said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for administration. "The program is tremendous opportunity for us to gather as a community and to express our sincere appreciation for all the great contributions that are made in support of the Duke mission."

The game marked the first time the Blue Devils hosted an honorary employee captain. After a search in August, Malinda Whitson was selected to represent faculty and staff. She spent the hours prior to kickoff touring Duke football facilities and watched part of the game from the sidelines. Whitson also brought her 12-year old son, Drew, who is a Duke football fan.

"We were both made to feel so important. It's an experience we'll never forget," said Whitson, regional development director with University Development. "It was a lot of fun being out on the field to see and hear the crowd and be a part of the excitement."

Keep Cheering for the Blue Devils

Duke faculty and staff who want to keep on cheering the Blue Devils can purchase deeply discounted tickets for the remainder of home games with the 2012-13 Employee Athletic Pass, presented by the Duke Credit Union. The pass costs $88 per reserved seating ticket to football games, a savings of $137 per ticket for seating between the north end zone and 35-yard line (sections seven to 10). In addition to tickets to home football games, the pass also offers discounted tickets for women's basketball home games at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

For more information about ticket plans, call the Duke Athletics' ticket office at (919) 681-2583, visit GoDuke.com or email duketix@duaa.duke.edu.