THIS YEAR has been an exciting journey for the University's men's basketball team. The team and its fans were first pampered by the unveiling of the cutting-edge John Paul Jones Arena. And to cap off the surprisingly successful regular season, the team received a bid to the NCAA tournament. Then the University decided to get cheap on all of us.
The NCAA provided a scant 550 tickets to the University (some of which are for the players and their families) and only a measly 30 of which the University allocated for students through the lottery system. As for the rest of the tickets, they go to Virginia Athletic Foundation donors -- not just any donors, but the exceptionally wealthy ones in the Orange & Blue Club level and above (those who have contributed more than $2500). The best donors, however, might not be the best fans. While the University doesn't get that many tickets from the NCAA, the students are arguably the most spirited fans. To deprive them of tickets that they deserve the most after supporting the team through the entire season is insultingly unfair.
Think about the effect that high level donors have on the game. Sure, they might provide a polite applause after Sean Singletary makes a basket or two, but would they scream to the point of abusing their vocal cords? At all the games I've seen the team play, the fans were always boisterous and, with the help of the Hoo Crew, yelled chants and insults tailored for the opponent team.
The last thing the team needs in such an important game this year is a pack of wine and cheese fans who will barely intimidate the opponent with comments like "indubitably" and "quite."
While the real die-hard fans can purchase tickets to the game, they come at a hefty price. The cheapest tickets offered on tickco.com went for $83. To some, this might not be too expensive, but taking into consideration travel costs, the trip is a bit too pricey. Yet because of the popularity of NCAA tournament tickets, finding relatively inexpensive tickets, or tickets at all, for that matter, is difficult without access to tickets set aside for students.
Plus, if the donors are really willing to travel all the way to the game venues to support our team, paying $83 dollars is not too much more than the thousands of dollars they've spent supporting Virginia athletics. Perhaps deep down inside their blue-blooded hearts they might realize they're depriving a student of the chance to get an affordable ticket.
Also bearing the suffering from the lack of tickets was the Hoo Crew, which was designed to harness school spirit and transform it into a weapon of mass distraction, undoubtedly providing a great source of reliable support for the team. So despite their season long loyalty to the men's basketball team, members of the Hoo Crew were also denied entry into the year's most important games.
This year's tournament bid also marked a milestone in the men's basketball program in rebuilding a formidable ACC contender. Great teams, however, aren't necessarily defined only by great players; having a memorable fan base also counts. Duke's Cameron Crazies are recognized nationally for their dedication, intensity and flare. At Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke's home court, they boast an amazing 675-141 all-time record. Perhaps our team's own success at home is a testament to the importance of fans given only one loss at the John Paul Jones Arena this season. Records like those might suggest the edge fans provide against opponents -- and edge blunted by our own University at this year's NCAA tournament.
It's true that the NCAA could also have provided more tickets to the teams. After all, 550 tickets for each team in the Nationwide Arena, a stadium which seats 19,500 basketball fans, is not very many. Undoubtedly, there's considerable money to be made in selling seats to the public, and maybe the NCAA is just trying to provide a neutral environment for both teams. In any case, the real fans are not the rich ones who graduated 10 or 20 years ago. Students attending the school right now possess the most immediate connection to the school and its men's basketball team.
The most spirited and dedicated fans, not the wealthiest ones, should "indubitably" have had the opportunity to ride along with the men's basketball team on its journey.
Charles Lee's column appears Mondays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at clee@cavalierdaily.com.
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