We want more beer! We want more beer!
This chant is familiar to all those who dedicate their Saturdays to going out to support our amazing (and undefeated) 2005 football team. The season has started off just like any other; students decked out in their brightest red gear, with beers in hand, tailgating before the games.
One tradition that has undergone a recent change, however, is the new ticket system established at the beginning of the season. In past years, seeing students line up at the Kohl Center early on Wednesday afternoons was a common sight. The lines stretched out to Dayton Street and continued around to the front of the Serf, with students anxiously waiting to trade in their vouchers for student season tickets. Skipping class or taking shifts with friends was the way to ensure getting the best seat available. This year, however, the sidewalks in front of the Kohl Center are empty, and the only people present are Frisbee players and the usual afternoon sun-tanners.
With the new ticket system in place, trading in tickets now takes place the day of the game at Camp Randall Stadium, instead of wasting hours upon hours standing in line across campus. Hopes for the new ticket policy included cutting down the number of people skipping class to wait in line, and even more salient, reducing the amount students drink before the games. Before the new ticket system started, many grumbled and complained about the new policy. Common complaints were that there would be no time for tailgating before the game because everyone would have to get to the stadium early, and that getting the same seat every game would not be possible anymore. Despite the new system, the Michigan game still proved that Badger fans love their beer, no matter how early in the morning they start drinking.
So come on, people, stop complaining! This new ticket policy has proven itself efficient and effective. It saves countless hours of waiting in line at the Kohl Center, and it keeps everyone from missing class (which is probably the last thing on many Badger fans minds). And, by moving the ticket office to the stadium, everything for the game can be taken care of all at once; wake up, leave for the game, turn in your ticket, and enjoy watching the Badgers win.
Corbin Hunt, assistant athletic director for ticket operations, announced that the Wisconsin Athletic Ticket Office has sold a record of 69,290 season tickets for the 2005 season. It's obvious that nothing can really get in the way of loyal Badger fans, so why should a move with the ticket office take the cake? If the real complaint lies in the fact that it is too early to have sufficient tailgating before the games, then the question becomes not if the new ticket system is worth it, but rather how dedicated you are as a fan.
If getting up earlier to fire up the grill and crack open a drink with some friends is too much to ask for, then just don't do it. Wake up at 10:30 a.m. and walk over just in time for the opening kick-off. When it comes to game day Saturday, what really matters in the end is not how much tailgating takes place or what seat you get, but rather how many fans go to support the team. With such a strong start to the season, who would choose the opportunity to miss a game? Not the true Badger fans, and those are the ones who really matter, anyway.
Estie Kruglak ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in communication arts.