Involve students in basketball games by offering more and better tickets

The U of A has a lot to learn. How many times have we (students) sat there and wished that we could be closer, cheering on our Wildcats? Instead of getting courtside seats to see the Cats play, we watch from vantage points throughout McKale.

Students at other colleges with top programs (UCLA, Cal, Oregon, Duke, UNC, Michigan, etc.) don't become third-class citizens.

Just imagine how different McKale would feel if most of the lower floor/lodge were reserved for students. No longer would we have to cheer from our groups; we could be heard as ONE. When was the last time this ever happened in McKale: students packing courtside, before the game, the unrelenting chanting /screaming/jumping during the entire game, and the "victory rush" of the court at the end.

Let's be realistic for a sec. Taking away floor seats from the privileged and giving them to students - we're talking a brilliant plan and Chapter 11 for the U of A. The U of A should muster some courage and reserve more than 17 percent of the 14,459 seats for students. Student sections should be concentrated near the floor on all sides of the court. For once, something on this campus should be geared for the students (and I am not referring to that potential hole in the ground, the IIF).

Students are frustrated with fighting for one of the 1,300 "student" ticket pairs. The Athletic Department's plan of saving tickets for "before the game sales" is a great idea, but it's too late to bribe the students. That's the problem with running a "for-profit" research institution. Balancing the needs of the students with the needs of running a profitable Athletic Department, the students get the short end of the stick. I'm sure that the CATS wished they had students cheering on the floor. We have to think about what's going on and who this system is benefiting. We have to ask ourselves this one question: Who is this University for? It's the Students, Stupid!

Of course, what should I know ... I'm only a student ...

By Christopher Gee (letter)
Arizona Daily Wildcat
March 12, 1997