2008 Woodie Awards
Editorial: Athletics cheats students with ticket policy
Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: Editorial/Opinion
01/31/08 - In athletics, cheating is considered a mortal sin. But that's just what the athletic department is doing to students with its ticket policy.
Every year students turn out to basketball games regardless of the team's record, support players on and off the court, and shell out a $275 fee for athletics. In return the students are rewarded with the cheapest, worst seats in the Ryan Center.
Although it's been a standing policy for a few years, athletics has decided to enforce and promote a policy that puts students behind the baskets and in the upper reaches of the 300-level.
We're beside ourselves. We thought the idea of encouraging students to attend basketball games was to build community and school spirit, not slight students by putting them in seats with views obscured by the basket and separated by the public.
In an interview, Deputy Director of Athletics Gregg Burke offered an illogical explanation, saying students prefer these seats to sideline 200-level seats.
That statement breaks a fundamental law of logic. If these end zone seats are truly the best in the house, then why does athletics charge the least - $8 each- for these seats in the 300 level. Also, why not put students in the 200-level seats and sell the end zone seats to members of the public just wishing they could sit behind the basket. Finally, why is the press - arguably the people that require the best view - put on the sidelines and not behind the hoops?
Of course, the idea that members of the public line up to snap up tickets in the 300-level at the end of the court is ludicrous.
Some might argue, "You get what you pay for." But let's not forget that each and every full-time student pays a $275 athletic fee each semester, bringing in more than $6.2 million a year for the department. Granted, not all of that is dedicated to covering basketball expenses, but one would think it would entitle students to a decent seat.
We wonder how this fits into the university's new marketing strategy. In January, URI hired a coordinator of marketing and promotions with the explicit goal of increasing student attendance. These officials should now be red-faced over a policy that serves the interests of the public before students.
Indeed, nothing will woo students more than pocketing their mandatory fees, putting them in the cheap seats and then selling the good seats to folks who only started attending games after the team's season took off.
Every year students turn out to basketball games regardless of the team's record, support players on and off the court, and shell out a $275 fee for athletics. In return the students are rewarded with the cheapest, worst seats in the Ryan Center.
Although it's been a standing policy for a few years, athletics has decided to enforce and promote a policy that puts students behind the baskets and in the upper reaches of the 300-level.
We're beside ourselves. We thought the idea of encouraging students to attend basketball games was to build community and school spirit, not slight students by putting them in seats with views obscured by the basket and separated by the public.
In an interview, Deputy Director of Athletics Gregg Burke offered an illogical explanation, saying students prefer these seats to sideline 200-level seats.
That statement breaks a fundamental law of logic. If these end zone seats are truly the best in the house, then why does athletics charge the least - $8 each- for these seats in the 300 level. Also, why not put students in the 200-level seats and sell the end zone seats to members of the public just wishing they could sit behind the basket. Finally, why is the press - arguably the people that require the best view - put on the sidelines and not behind the hoops?
Of course, the idea that members of the public line up to snap up tickets in the 300-level at the end of the court is ludicrous.
Some might argue, "You get what you pay for." But let's not forget that each and every full-time student pays a $275 athletic fee each semester, bringing in more than $6.2 million a year for the department. Granted, not all of that is dedicated to covering basketball expenses, but one would think it would entitle students to a decent seat.
We wonder how this fits into the university's new marketing strategy. In January, URI hired a coordinator of marketing and promotions with the explicit goal of increasing student attendance. These officials should now be red-faced over a policy that serves the interests of the public before students.
Indeed, nothing will woo students more than pocketing their mandatory fees, putting them in the cheap seats and then selling the good seats to folks who only started attending games after the team's season took off.