MOCS KICK OFF KRYSTAL SQUARE-OFF FRIDAY IN CHATTANOOGA

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Athletics Director Steve Sloan will
be the official "Lighter of the Grill" as the Mocs help Krystal kick off the
only world hamburger-eating championship officially sanctioned by the
International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE).

A special Opening Ceremony, including the official "Lighting of the Grill"
by Sloan will ensure a grand beginning to this event of Olympic proportions.
Celebrity contestants from UTC and WGOW will be on hand to get the event
started. Chattanooga head coaches Rodney Allison, Wes Moore and John Shulman
along with SportTalk's Scott McMahen, Gary Haskew and Cowboy Joe will square
off in a celebrity eating contest.

Chattanoogans will have the first chance to prove their gustatory might
during two-minute preliminary contests held across Chattanooga over the
Labor Day weekend. The top ten from the preliminary rounds will then move on
to the Chattanooga Kick Off Qualifier Finals where they will compete in an
eight-minute event against America's number one ranked competitive eater and
2004's Krystal Square-Off World Hamburger Eating Championship Runner Up,
Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas.

Opening Ceremonies and the "Lighting of the Grill" will be Friday, Sept. 2
at noon at the University Center located on Vine Street on the UTC campus.
The first day of the two-minute preliminary rounds will begin at 12:15 and
run through 2:00 p.m.

On Saturday from 11 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., contestants may participate in the
second of three preliminary rounds at the Tennessee Aquarium pavilion. The
final prelim will be Sunday from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at BellSouth Park in front
of the ticket booth. The Chattanooga Qualifier eight-minute "Main Event"
eating contest will be held on the field at BellSouth at 1:50 p.m.

All Krystal lovers from the Chattanooga area, 18 years of age and older, are
invited to take part in this world-class event. Admission is free to the
preliminary events and the opening ceremonies. The final qualifier on Labor
Day will cost the price of admission to the Chattanooga Lookouts ballgame.

The winner of the Chattanooga Qualifier final receives a seat at the final
table for the Krystal Square-Off World Hamburger-Eating Championship. The
total cash purse at the final on Nov. 19 is $22,500 with first place awarded
$10,000 cash prize plus the champion's trophy and Krystal Square-Off
Champion's Belt. Second place will receive $5,000 and $2,500 will go to
third place. Cash payouts will be awarded to the top 15 places in the final
competition.

The Krystal Square-Off Qualifying Tour begins in Chattanooga and will move
on to Nashville, Atlanta, Memphis, Dallas, Perry, Ga., Jackson, Miss.,
Birmingham, Ala., Savannah, Ga., Jacksonville, Fla. And Knoxville. The
finals will be held Saturday, Nov. 19 at the First Tennessee Bank Pavilion.

The "Krystal" is a 2.5 inch hot, fresh, square Krystal hamburger that has
been the restaurant chain's signature offering since it's founding in 1932.
While people generally eat Krystal hamburgers three or four at a time, the
top contestants in the Krystal Square-Off will eat up to 15 times that
amount. The world record for Krystal burgers consumed in eight minutes is 69
and the two-minute record is 21.



Jeff Romero
Assistant Athletics Director/Media Relations
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
615 McCallie Ave.
Chattanooga, TN  37403
(423) 425-5292
www.GoMocs.com