THE MICHIGAN DAILY
HOST WESTERN TODAY:
THROUGH THE
BULL'S EYE
by Bill Bullard
Business Decisions
Rule Athletic Policy
- ;Athletic Director H. O. (Fritz) Crisler is running a million-and-
a-half dollar business. Thus the decision of the Board in Control
to charge students $1 admission for each home basketball game next
season is scarcely surprising.
It was a business decision, pure and simple. The board needs
the money to cover increasing costs and the commitment it has made
to build a new fieldhouse. The fact that students are again being
asked to shell out their money for something they have traditionally
received for free apparently was not considered important enough
to override the business considerations involved.
It is a sad comment on athletics at the University when students
must be treated like paying customers to see "their" teams. Time
was when payment of tuition, and the approximately $10 of it allocated
A'Eto the athletic department, was looked on as guaranteeing students
free admission to University sports events. Now it has reached the
point where students only have the privilege of being first in line to
pay their money, a reduced price though it may be.
It is obvious that making students pay more money to the
athletic department is a regretable expedient at best. At wors it
" ,may be a bad business decision.
The new policy is going to hit indivdual students for $11 each
if they attend all the home games next fall. On the other hand, it
can only raise a miximum of $68,200 for the athletic department
if all 6200 student seats are sold for all 11 games.
This is not an amount to be sneered at. But other factors may
operate to cut down this figure to a sum that is insignificant in
relation to the athletic department's total needs.
For example, over 14,500 coupons were sold for $12 each last
fall, allowing admission to all home football games and priority
seating at all basketball games. But now the athletic coupon for
football will have no connection with the sale of basketball tickets.
It is difficult at the present time to predict the number of
coupons that will be sold next fall. But it seems likely that coupon
sales will decline since many students bought the coupon last fall
both for the football tickets and the priority seating at basketball
games.
With two straight losing football seasons behind us despite the
optimistic signs for next fall, student enthusiasm for football is
not exactly at an all-time high. Students who can't afford or don't
wish to double their expenditures to see Wolverine sports contests,
might decide to pass up football and just see a few basketball games.
About 13,000 students last fall didn't buy an athletic coupon and
this total may increase.
If the Detroit television stations continue to broadcast the
Saturday afternoon games, many fans might decide to watch the
Wolverines on the tube instead of in person. Some did this last season
when they couldn't get tickets and some even arrived and left Yost
Field- House when they couldn't get adequate seats.
In the worst circumstances, the board probably can't help making
money off the deal. But if there is a 2,000 drop in coupon purchases,
meaning a loss of $24,000, it won't take much of a drop in capacity
attendance in basketball to cut the board's increased revenue down to
a low amount.
The manner in which the board handled the announcement
showed that it wanted to avoid adverse student reaction. Crisler said
yesterday that the board made a "tentative" decision on the new
policy at its meeting last month. The delay in announcing the
decision he said was to allow board members time to make sure that
this was the course of action they wanted to take.
What this means is that the board wanted to announce the
decision Just before exams so that student criticism would be
kept at a minimum. A year ago the board did the same thing
when it announced the beginning of athletic coupon sales for $12
a week before exams started in the spring.
The board conducts its meetings in secret, no members of the
press or public being allowed. By this device the board seems to be
trying to silence any, debate or discussion on any proposed new policy
by persons outside of the board. It also is succeeding in a policy of
stifling criticism after the decision has been made by waiting until
students are concentrating on studying for exams to announce the
new policy.
However, this will probably not have much of an effect on
ticket and coupon sales besides the vague feeling many students will
have that they have been taken advantage of. But, as mentioned
before,- other factors may be at work to make this attempt by the
1 board to gain revenue a flop. If this proves to be a bad business
decision, then perhaps student opinion will be sought more avidly
by the board in the future.
Benedict Praises Hustle
By TOM WEINBERG
4>
Exactly a month ago, the Mich-
igan baseball team returned from
its trip to Arizona with tired arms,
eight losses, and statistics that
would shame the Mets.
At that time, coach Moby Bene-
dict sat in his office, glanced out
at the pouring rain and said,
"We'll really have to go some if
we want to put up a respectable
showing in the Big Ten."
They've really gone some.
After the Wolverines had wal-
loped Illinois in Saturday's second
game and stretched their league-
leading string in the Big Ten to
six games, Benedict reevaluated
and said that the team was
hustling more than any team he's
been associated with at Michigan,
and that includes the world cham-
pions of 1962.
Explanation
Benedict cites the pitching sol-
idarity, the recently discovered
batting punch and the ability to
come up with the big plays as the
explanation for the surge that now
includes six wins in the last seven
gamesdand 'a record of 12-11, com-
pared to the 4-8 mark just a
month ago.
With the perfect 6-0 'record in
the Big Ten, the Wolverines have
posted a contrasting 6-11 total
against non-conference competi-
tion. The non-conference record
is the one at stake this afternoon
at 3:30 at Ferry Field as Western
Michigan comes in to accept a
rematch.
The Broncos dumped Michigan
and its ace pitcher, southpaw
Clyde Barnhart, 3-0 at Kalama-
zoo three days ago. Benedict
hasn't decided who will get the
nod in the game today, but has
two veteran righthanders, Wayne
Slusher and Jim Bobel, on his
mind.
The two senior hurlers, both key
pitchers on the staff during the
1962 championship season aren't
the only pitchers Benedict could
use today. Junior righty Paul
Schuldt, who threw a two-hit
shutout his last time out at Notre
Dame, is also under consideration.
B ig Ten Standings
W L Pet. GB
Michigan 6 0 1.000 -
Minnesota 5 1 .833 1
Michigan state 5 1 .833 1
Purdue 3 3 .500 3
Indiana 3 3 .500, 3
Ohio State 3 3 .500'3
Wisconsin 3 3 .500 3
Iowa 1 5 .167 5
Northwestern 1 5 .167 5
Illinois 0 6 .000 6
TEAMMATES SWARM around Michigan's ace pitcher Clyde
Barnhart after he retired the last man in Friday's 4-3 win over
Purdue. The Wolverines have won six straight conference games
and are on top of the Big Ten. Congratulating Barnhart are first-
baseman Chan Simonds (3), secondbaseman Tom Laslo (5) and
pitcher Marlin Pemberton.
This Week in Sports
TUESDAY
TENNIS-Michigan State, Varsity Courts, 2:3u p.m.
BASEBALL-Western Michigan, Ferry Field, 3:30 p.m.
FRIDAY
TENNIS-Michigan vs. Iowa and Illinois at East Lansing
BASEBALL-Michigan vs. Minnesota at Minneapolis
SATURDAY
TENNIS-Michigan vs. Iowa and Illinois at East Lansing
BASEBALL-Michigan vs. Iowa at Iowa City
TRACK-Chicago Track Club, Ferry Field, 1 p.m.
GOLF-Iowa and Purdue, Blue Course, 8 a.m.
BIKESAL
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