Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 1992)
-SPORTS • a Sales dwindle for student football tickets Demand declines over past decade By Nick Hytrek Senior Reporter Fewer students will be yelling “Go Big Red” in the Memorial Stadium stands this season. The Nebraska tickcloffice reported earlier this week that 7,500 student football tickets have been sold this year, down from 8-,000 sold last year. This year’s decline continues the trend of dwindling student ticket sales at Nebraska, but Joe Sclig, Nebraska athletic ticket manager, said declin ing sales were not just hitting the Nebraska athletic department' “There’s been a constant decline (in sales) over the past 10 years,” Sclig said. “But I think it’s something other schools arc experiencing.” In 1983,15,400 Nebraska students purchased football tickets; Since 1988, student ticket sales at Nebraska have i dropped from 1(),7(X) to the present figure of7,500. The trend was similar at Oklahoma, where in the same five year-period sales dropped from 8,739 to 6,(XX). However, student ticket sales at Colorado have nearly doubled. Ticket sales numbered 8,7(X) in 1988 and have increased to 14,(XX) for the last three years. Sclig said it was hard to give any specific reasons why student ticket sales have dropped, but he offered some speculations. “Nowadays, I think you have more students working their way through school, and Saturday is a prime day for employment,” he said. “1 think that’s had an effect. “I also think there’s more corn pe tition for the entertainment dollar than there was a few years ago.” This year, student ticket prices were raised to S8 apiece for six home dates for a loud of S48. Last season, tickets cost $7 for seven home games, a total of S49. The last price increase oc currcd in 1984 when ticket prices increased to S7 from S6. Sclig said he thought ticket prices weren’t a factor in sales because the price had been constant throughout the decline. - Student tickets left unsold will be made available loihe general public, Sclig said. About 1,500 tickets were left for the Cornhuskers’ first two games against Utah Sept. 5 and Middle Ten nessee State Sept. 12, Sclig said enough single-game ticket requests I wwi miwurMjn had been received lo sell out the rest of the home games. Sclig said it was hard to tell if the trend had sfowed in recent years. “We’d certainly hope so," he said. “The drop the last two'years has been less, so we hope it’s slowing down.” Nebraska's season ticket sales to students have dropped from 15,400 tickets sold in 1983 to 7,500 this year. A five-year look at student ticket sales at Nebraska and two comparable Big Eight schools, Colorado and Oklahoma: I 111 i p1 1 i run— I _ * Nebraska outside hitter Debbie Brand practices in the NU Coliseum Thursday afternoon. Brand, a native of Adelaide, Australia, is one of three seniors on the Cornhuskers’ roster. Volleyball senior set to expand role By Jeff Singer Senior Reporter Three years ago, Nebraska vol leyball coach Terry Pcitit found a special brand of player when he looked oulsidc his usual Midwest ern recruiting area. What he ended up with was Australia native Debbie Brand, who became the Comhuskers’ first-ever foreign player when she signed with Nebraska in 1989. Brand, with Stephanie Thaler and Eileen Shannon, isoncol lhrec seniors on the Nebraska roster this season. She said she was prepared to be a major contributor on a team that has won 16 consecutive Big Eight Conference titles and is a national championship contender this sea son. Brand’s role for the Huskcrs in the past three years has been com ing off the bench in critical situa tions “to try to get the team going and come in if somebody’s not hitting well,” she said. Pettit said Brand was ready to expand that role this season. “The difference between this year and other years is she wants to be on the court and is more men tally prepared,” Pettit said. ‘‘She’s See BRAND on 8 Track teams to make another run at success TRACK & - -f3 FIELD SUMMER - RECAP By Tim Pearson Staff Reporter After being ranked among the nation’s best last year, the Nebraska men’s and women’s track and field . teams arc pointing toward the same kind of success this season. The women’s team again brought home the Big Eight championships in both the indoor and outdoor competi tions for the 13th straight year. They also finished third outdoors at the NCAA Championships at Austin, Texas, in June. The Comhuskers were also named dual meet champions for the second straight year by T rack and Field News. Coach Gary Pepin was encouraged by the women’s performance, and he said he was looking for continued success this year. “Our women had a tremendous year last year,.” he said, “We will have a good team, but it wifi be difficult to beat last year’s performance.” Pepin is also look ing for one or two more recruits for the women’s team. “We had a good recruiting year, but not very many in terms of num - ber,” he said. The men’s team, which finished second outdoors at the Big Eight Championships last year, were led by inv, a a inuoor champion Kevin Coleman in the shot pul. The men finished sixth in thcTr&ck and Field News dual meet rankings. This year’s men’s team, Pepin said, is young. He said he expected standouts to include Coleman in the shot put and Travis Grant in the sprints. “We had a good recruiting year,’’ Pepin said. “We’ve got quality and depth.” / ~ _ Pepin said he believed Coleman could win another national champi onship. “Pcrlormanec-wisc, Kevin will do better, but you can’t tell how the competition will do,” Pepin said. “He could do just as good as last year or better, but he suU might gel soeond.” Nebraska wa>> represented at the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, by two f lormcr Huskcrs, Ximcna Kcslrcpoand Mcrlcnc Ottcy. Rcslrcpo, represent ing Colombia, took the bronze medal in the 400-mclcr dash, and Ottcy representing Jamaica, did the same in the 2(K)-mclcr dash. Two members of the current team won at the U.S. Junior Meet: sopho more Robert Thomas in the long jum[ and sprinter Kathy Travis in the 100 meter dash. Both will compete at the World Junior Meet in Seoul, Soutl Korea, in September. Pepin, entering his 13lh season ai Nebraska, said the- Huskcrs needed tc keep recruiting athletes in all events to continue their success. “The keys to our success are good athletes and balance,” he said. “All events arc important to us, not jusi one.” tiiiskers ,_ plagued by minor injuries By Tony West Staff Reporter_ _ More and more, the Nebraska foot I ball team is looking like a list of walk ing wounded. The Huskers, who practiced for two hours on the grass Thursday, were plagued by minor injuries to key play ers. Second-string freshman quarter back Tommy Frazier practiced with a twisted ankle. Quarterbacks Brook Berringer and Joel Cornwell, who are tied with Frazier on the depth chart, also practiced with sore arms. Coach Tom Osborne said he was concerned that he may go into the season with only one experienced quarterback, senior Mike Grant. “Last year our top three quarter backs graduated,” he said. “That’s a lot of knowledge that just goes out the window. We’re just starting over and you can’t give them the experience on the blackboard.” A toe injury forced sophomore I back Calvin Jones to miss the scrim mage, as well as senior split end Tyrone Hughes, who was out with an ankle injury. Junior Ernie Bcler also missed the scrimmage with a twisted ankle, and offensive tackle Zach Wiegert was forced to miss with a pulled ham string. Osborne said the injuries could deplete the Huskers for their last scrim mage of the year, which will be Satur day afternoon at Memorial Stadium. “All we can do now is wait and see how players come out of these inju ries,” Osborne said. Do you think Mike (irant should be Nebraska's starting quarterback? Does the Nebraska volleyball team have a chance at the national title this season? Will the Cornhusker mens’ basket ball team make it to a third > straight NCAA Tournament? Write to the Daily Nebraskan sports section to air your views, i Just write to: Sports Editor, Daily Nebraskan 34 Nebraska Union 1400 R St. Lincoln, NE 68588 - All letters must be signed. Please include your year in school and social security number. We look forward to hearing I from you. _