Super fan Jackson Gibree leaves behind a legacy of Lunatics, community

Super fan Jackson Gibree leaves behind a legacy of Lunatics, community

Kim Chaudoin | 04/30/2026

When Jackson Gibree arrived at Lipscomb University in fall 2022, he was looking for community, calling and a place where he could grow.

By the end of his first semester, he had helped create something that would bring those very things to countless other students.

Gibree, a native of Cumming, Georgia, graduate with his Bachelor of Science degree in sports management this spring. He leaves behind a legacy of campus involvement, school spirit and student leadership - most visibly through the Lippy Lunatics, the student fan group he founded as a freshman in partnership with Lipscomb Athletics.

Building community through school spirit

When Gibree wanted to found the Lunatics, is was more than just a student group to support Bison athletic teams. It was about building community.

"There is something special about sports that does not just bring students together, but families, alumni, people who live in the area and faculty," said Gibree. "The students create the culture, and a culture of support around athletics is what can make a school like Lipscomb so special."

That belief became the foundation for the Lippy Lunatics, a student-led effort to energize the student section and create a stronger culture of support around Lipscomb Athletics. What began during Gibree's first semester on campus grew into one of his most meaningful Lipscomb experiences.

"I founded the Lunatics in my first semester of freshman year in 2022 in partnership with Lipscomb Athletics," he said. "It has been such a blessing to build something that adds to what is a great Lipscomb community already."

Learning leadership from the student section

As the organization grew, so did Gibree's understanding of leadership, entrepreneurship and the power of shared purpose. He said helping launch and expand the Lippy Lunatics taught him "many entrepreneurial skills about how to grow and scale a business," while also giving him the opportunity to build deep relationships with fellow students, staff and mentors.

"One of the joys about creating the Lunatics was some of the relationships that came from it," he said. "I met some of my best friends for life through this. We went through highs, lows, frustrations and celebrations together building this."

Gibree credits students Tyler Jorden and Ellie Moen with playing key roles in helping scale and grow the organization after his freshman year. He credits Landon Parrish, assistant dean of student engagement and executive director of the Lippy Lunatics Foundation, as one of the most influential mentors in the process.

"He was there for me from day one and was step by step helping me grow this thing," he said. "He was working tirelessly behind the scenes, and I could not be more thankful for him."

The Lippy Lunatics became a place where Gibree's academic interests, entrepreneurial instincts and love for Lipscomb intersected. As a sports management major, he gained practical experience in fan engagement, marketing, leadership and organizational development. As a student, he saw firsthand how a student section could become more than an energetic and supportive crowd - it could become a community.

"Overall, sporting events are something I encourage everyone to get involved in and contribute to," he said. "I am thankful for all of the people who had a helping hand in laying the framework that will hopefully continue to benefit students and Lipscomb as a whole, way beyond my time here."

Finding his place at Lipscomb

That spirit of involvement has defined Gibree's four years at Lipscomb. In addition to founding the Lippy Lunatics, he has been involved in intramurals, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and other student organizations. He served as a resident assistant for two years and worked as a men's basketball student assistant during his first two years on campus.

Gibree said he chose Lipscomb because he sensed a clear calling to be here.

"I chose Lipscomb ultimately because I felt God telling me to come here," he said. "The people here were all so kind to me when I was making my decision, and that community stood out. It was very clear from the Lord I was supposed to come here."

Four years later, he says that initial feeling was confirmed again and again through the relationships, opportunities and experiences he found on campus.

"I have loved my Lipscomb experience," Gibree said. "Lipscomb gave me the ability, trust and space from the top down to create something special, and I did. I cannot be more thankful to Lipscomb for everything it has given me."

He said the relationships he formed at Lipscomb are what made his experience most meaningful, including lifelong friendships and, soon, marriage. Gibree is getting married on May 25, to a student he met on campus.

"I met my future wife here at Lipscomb, and that alone is enough to say good things about Lipscomb," he said. "The community and relationships are what make this place special."

Gibree said that community extended to the classroom as well. He describes Lipscomb faculty and staff as attentive, caring and deeply invested in students' success.

"The professors are all good people and extremely attentive to each student," he said. "They truly care about you and are willing to help put you in the right place to succeed. I can name at least 10 professors and faculty members who have helped me in my career prep and faith substantially."

Faith, mentorship and purpose

Faith has been central to Gibree's Lipscomb experience. He said one of the defining aspects of campus life is what he calls the "Lipscomb Bubble," a community where students are surrounded by other believers and encouraged to explore their faith more deeply.

"That is what makes Lipscomb special," he said. "There is an ability here to constantly talk about and explore deeper into your faith. Lipscomb provides the outlets to do that."

He especially valued opportunities for discussion and spiritual growth through chapel experiences, including co-leading a men's breakout chapel for a semester.

"Some of the discussions that came from that were incredible," he said. "Even when leading it, I learned plenty of things from my peers in that breakout just from talking. Faith is something that gets talked about often here, and that just allows for spiritual growth."

Gibree also found meaningful mentorship through Lipscomb's Center for Vocational Discovery, particularly through Rob Touchstone, the executive director, who helped him see how entrepreneurship, work and faith can connect.

"Rob Touchstone is one of the best people I have ever met," Gibree said. "He has helped me see the integration of entrepreneurship and faith deeper than I ever have before."

Through conversations with Touchstone, Gibree said he came to better understand the creative nature of work and the ways business can be used to serve others.

"As humans, we are truly called to create, within our work roles or in a business," he said. "There is a way to spread the gospel and benefit people through business. Being able to see that integration and how it played out firsthand from Rob's stories, and his helping me work through starting my own business, has been so valuable."

Touchstone is among the people Gibree credits with most inspiring and encouraging him during his time at Lipscomb, along with Parrish and Randy Bostic, a Lipscomb faculty member and mentor who died this year.

"Landon and Rob have both encouraged and helped support me constantly," Gibree said. "As I said, the people, faculty and professors at Lipscomb truly care for everyone."
Carrying the legacy forward
After graduation, Gibree will take the next step in his sports career at Samford University, where he has accepted a role as athletics director of marketing, campus and community engagement, and fan experience. The new role is a natural continuation of the work he began at Lipscomb, building community through athletics and helping fans feel connected to something larger than themselves.

As he prepares to leave campus, Gibree hopes current and future students will continue to invest in the community that shaped him.

"Lipscomb is a great place, and I love it," he said. "Get involved however you can, but most importantly with the Lunatics and the student section. The students who are here make the environment what it is. It is up to them to continue making it something special."