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 :; ::. ..^ . ...".*' . 2::.k :*er .. . * .2 . x:.22 :: ;" II carry "the safe money" AMERICAN EXPRESS E - TRAVELERS CHEQUES it - You'll enjoy your trip so much more when you know that your money is completely safe. American Express Travelers Cheques give you that i "roo s 1r t I /.l yr' I