In the house

Goss makes good on promise of student tickets

Everyone wants to be part of the victory march. Everyone wants to be a part of the winning team. The success of the Michigan football team last year led, rather predictably, to increased season ticket requests this year. Faced with a tempting situation, Athletic Director Tom Goss recognized the need to put students first for season tickets. Goss and the Athletic Department are to be commended for resisting the lure of higher profit margins and keeping the promise Goss made last year to fill the season ticket requests of every student who applies.

It is only fair to grant the ticket requests of current students before new University alumni requests. Alumni had the opportunity to obtain full-season tickets when they attended the University - present students should receive the same courtesy. Alumni already had their opportunity to experience football Saturdays, to shout and cheer and enjoy the team that represents them to the nation. Alumni should recognize the obvious mistake of having to split season tickets for students by granting full tickets to alumni. It makes no sense to impose a system in which the University football faithful cannot actively support their team until after they graduate. Students should not come second simply because they do not pay as much for tickets - they are paying quite a bit in tuition.

It is current students who remain standing to support their team the entire game, who paint their bodies maize and blue to show their spirit, who remain even during crushing defeats. It is true that not all students demonstrate such rabid school spirit and that alumni also proclaim to bleed maize and blue, but it is the student section that is most noted for its raucous support for the team.

Of course, the University does have a responsibility to maintain good relations with its alumni, but not at the cost of student relations. Such an extreme occurence as that which happened this year is not likely to be a recurring event, as national championships are generally few and far between. But in the event that this season's lackluster beginning is a fluke, and if ticket demands continue to skyrocket, the Athletic Department may be forced to take permanent steps to satisfy both students and alumni. But until that day arrives, Goss and his successors should continue their newly discovered dedication to student interests. They should ensure that last year's first-year students are the only class in University history to be snubbed by the Athletic Department for full-season football tickets. It is unfortunate that a significant part of the student body was denied the opportunity to watch their team romp undefeated in every game to a national championship. Hopefully the Athletic Department learned from and will not repeat this mistake. The student body should be there to watch, cheer and groan as their team plays to victory or defeat.

Goss referred to the financial cost of meeting student ticket demands this year as "a significant hit." The Department is forced to turn away season ticket requests every year and is in no dire financial straits. The Department is already milking money for tickets from its own student body - a practice shunned by many schools nationwide. With the new expansion of Michigan Stadium, the Athletic Department was able to sell more tickets than ever.

09-15-98