Ticket timeout: Students wait to get voucher for first game in McGuirk Arena
Like many CMU students who walked into the new Events Center for the first time, Tim Roberts was impressed.
“It’s nice,” the Adrian junior said. “It’s a whole new feel.”
The CMU Athletics Department held a pep rally event Tuesday night at Rose Center to send off the men’s and women’s basketball teams, which hit the road this weekend to start the 2010-11 season. Roberts was one of hundreds who had the opportunity to walk through the new $22.5 million facility and take a peek at McGuirk Arena before it officially opens its doors next month.
Students stood in line, some outside in the cold for a lengthy amount of time, to get their hands on tickets for the first game on Dec. 1 when the men’s team hosts nationally-ranked Temple. A sell out is expected.
“It’s pretty cool to see this kind of enthusiasm (from) the student body for the basketball season,” said Hemlock freshman Levi Hanson. “The crowd reflects how the teams are. With this kind of enthusiasm, this kind of energy going into the season, it’ll do wonders for them.”
CMU announced on Nov. 1 that 1,500 student tickets would be available for the first game. About 900 were gobbled up Tuesday, with two more pickup dates to be announced in the next few weeks.
Because of the number of students expected to attend the Dec. 1 game, The Rowdies student section — minus the Rose name — will comprise the normal gold-painted east end of the arena, with the overflow crowd filling up the west end behind the basket and upper level of the east end.
Senior Associate Athletics Director Derek van der Merwe said the department will assess student demand as the season progresses and plans to hold events similar to Tuesday’s for future home games.
“When we look at high-demand games, this is clearly the strategy we will employ,” van der Merwe said. “There’s going to be peak games and games where there won’t be as much demand ... we want to make sure they have an opportunity to attend games.”
After picking up tickets, students were taken on tours of the Events Center and new arena with coaches and players from both teams present.
While work on the west end bleachers and concourse continue, eyes widened and faces lit up seeing Kulhavi Court for the first time.
“I like how it shades from maroon to the yellow and really highlights the student section,” said Hastings senior Dan Secord. “(CMU)’s basketball team needed a spark. We got a couple good freshmen in and, with those people and this new arena, the energy’s good.”
Scoreboard, production equipment not ready
A 30-foot-by-10 foot scoreboard and related video equipment will not be in place until mid-January, van der Merwe confirmed Tuesday.
In September, the CMU Board of Trustees approved funding of $650,000 to upgrade the video board in the arena.
“It was a late approval,” van der Merwe said. “The lead time for the scoreboard to arrive, because of the construction, is just going to take a little bit longer.”
The men are scheduled to play at least five games while the women are tabbed for four games in McGuirk Arena during that time frame.
