Troy opened its first Trojan Tour with a pair of stops in North Alabama on Monday. Several coaches and administrators including athletic director John Hartwell made the trip to Huntsville and Birmingham to rally support and meet with fans and alumni.

“Anytime you can meet people face to face and promote out program, it’s a good thing,” Hartwell said. “We want fans, alumni and everyone to feel a part of this program because they are. We’re really excited about [Trojan Tour] and hope it grows with every stop.”

Trojan Tour will make stops in Dothan, Montgomery, Columbus, Atlanta, Greenville and Mobile before it concludes on June 28 in Navarre, Fla.

Football coach Larry Blakeney, men’s basketball coach Phil Cunningham, women’s basketball coach Chanda Rigby and head baseball coach Bobby Pierce will all participate in the week-long event.

“It’s easy to be high-energy when you’re at Troy,” Rigby told a group of supports at the tour’s first stop at the Jackson Center in Huntsville.

“It’s a great opportunity for or coaches and staff to meet fans and supporters. We want to enhance our relationship with Troy fans and also welcome new ones,” Hartwell said.

Trojan Tour will make stops in Atlanta and Columbus today before Wednesday’s trips to Dothan and Montgomery. The Dothan event will be held at Colby’s Restaurant on North Foster Street at 11:30 a.m. while Montgomery’s stop will take place at the Ally on Commerce Street at 5:30 p.m.

Admission is free for all the stops except for the Navarre and Montgomery events. A $15 per person fee will be charged for those events.

Fans will have the opportunity to meet and interact with Troy coaches and administrators as well as receive autographs and learn more about Troy Athletics.

Troy also announced last week the inaugural Troy Football 101 sponsored by the Troy Athletics Women’s League. The event is set for July 20 for women ages 12 and up.

The event will give women the opportunity to meet coaches, learn about the game and participate in the same game-day activities as the players.

Cost is $25 per person, call 670-3683 to register.