ut4e iutlcjqt#an!uatlv, SPorRdsSihNSEAY Sports desk: 647-3336 SECTION B I ......... .... . I *Basketball ticket pnces raisedagain Crisler won't move students closer, but will charge them $4 more for three fewer games HOCKEY TICKET INFO By Mark Francescutti Daily Sports Editor College students have already paid for books, clothes and that trip to Meijer that begins with a search for toilet paper and ends with $140 worth of stuff. But now, two more expenses are on the horizon - basketball and hockey tickets. Hockey tickets go on sale at the Michigan Ticket Office for $195 today through Wednes- day only. Students who wish to purchase bas- ketball tickets may do so by filling out an application at the ticket office or online at www.mgoblue.com. The cost - $104 - - is four dollars more than last season. While hockey adds five more games, including the Ice Breaker Tournament and Michigan State, the surprise rate hike this year comes from the basketball package, which offers three fewer games. After struggling to a 15-14 overall record (6-10 Big Ten), and losing four players includ- ing star freshmen Jamal Crawford (entered the NBA draft) and Kevin Gaines (dismissed from team), Michigan Athletic Director Bill Martin still motioned to raise basketball ticket prices across the board. In a letter to season ticket holders, Martin described the move as necessary based on the $3 million dollar budget deficit of last year, and the addition of two new varsity sports (women's water polo and men's soccer). "With the increasing scholarship costs, expenses have escalated due to the addition of new sports, infrastructure maintenance and inflation,' Martin said. The climb in basketball prices is the first in eight years, but comes at a time when the Wolverines are suffering from off-the court frustrations added with a non-conference schedule that is particularly devoid of a "big game." Wake Forest, which won the NIT, but did not make the NCAA tournament, is the lone bright spot on the non-conference home slate. Martin justifies the hike by calling upon the cost of tickets from around the Big Ten, where Michigan ranks ninth in ticket prices. The Wolverines, however, also rank ninth in Big Ten attendance, and student ticket sales are a strong factor in the low numbers. Michi- gan barely crept over 1,000 student tickets sold in 1999, after dropping to a low of 712 in 1998. Michigan averaged almost 4,000 sold throughout the first six years in the 1990s. One of the prime concerns with student seating is where it is located in Crisler Arena. Instead of on the floor like most top programs - including the eight Big Ten schools ahead of Michigan in attendance - students at Crisler sit in only one section behind the scor- ers table. The rest of the students sit further back, all the way to the upper bowl of the arena. Thoughts of moving the students down to the floor, a move heavily encouraged by coach Brian Ellerbe, haven't produced any action as of yet. The stalls are likely due to the change in Athletic Director from Tom Goss to See TICKETS, Page 3B iNON NG /Daily Michigan student hockey tickets are on sale only today through Wednesday at a price of $195. The package covers 23 games, including Michigan State, Notre Dame and the Ice Breaker Tournament. Frozen Four regulars New Hampshire and North Dakota will be at the Ice Breaker, which Yost Ice Arena hosts. Men's basketball student applications ($104 for 11 games) are due Sept. 24. More ticket info: Page 3B. For two clubs, an innovative *new status AD Martin hopes rowing, lacrosse will now garner more attention By Jon Schwartz Daily Sports Writer Last year, money was so tight for the men's rowing club that it could not even afford its own boats for the national championships. But this past Friday, the athletic department announced a major change in the makeup of two club sports, a change that should keep such things from happening again. Effective immediately, Athletic Director Bill Martin has implemented a new tier for sports competition, the "club-var- sity" level. The new classification falls between the two original tiers of club and varsity sports and is intended to elevate several *sports that officials said deserve extra recognition. Starting this year, the men's rowing and lacrosse teams are the inaugural club-varsity teams, their selection based on the rwo teams' success on the national level. Greg Hartsuff, coach of the men's rowing team, had been among those lobbying for the change for several years. :"One of our goals for the change of status has been achieved with Bill Martin's blessing," he said. To the casual observer, there will be few noticeable differ- ences between this season's team and those of past years. Despite the new title, the competition will be the same and 'the competitions should play out the same for the most part. SeeCLUB-VARSITY, Page 3B N , re.r , .; .CEP ' , 4 @' tr y , ; .C DAVID KVAZ/Daily "The A-Train" Anthony Thomas (32) led the Wolverines to a crushing victory over Rice Saturday in Michigan Stadium. ILocomotion ELLIE WHITE/Daily *Senior Joanna Fielder and her Michigan teammates celebrat- ed three wins on the way to an All Sport Challenge victory. Sp-dikeirs can dig All Sport trophy By David Horn )aily Sports Writer Cupcake diet over for 'M' after 38-7 win By Stephanie Offen Daily Sports Editor It looked like a highlight reel for the Wolverines. Diving catches, recording-setting scores, hard hits and quick cuts around the defense - Saturday's 38-7 victory over Rice had everything except for anticipation. For the second straight week, the Wolverines faced a team that they were supposed to beat. The only question was by how much. And Michigan answered that question early on. The game was decided in three plays and two minutes. 109,778 fans must have shaken Rice quarterback Corey Evans, because the first time he touched the ball, he fumbled. And that play defined the difference between the two teams in the first quarter. While the Owls couldn't hold onto the ball, every time Michigan had possession it scored, setting a team record for points scored in a quarter. The Wolverines recovered the initial fumble on Rice's 18-yard line and two plays later they had taken the lead. The second of two nine-yard rushes by run- ning back Anthony Thomas put Michigan in the endzone and on top 7-0. And it only took the Wolverines another two min- utes and three plays for their second score of the afternoon. To prove the dominance of all aspects of its offense, Michigan showed off its talented receiv- ing core to take the 14-0 lead. Marquise Walker, who finished the game with two touchdowns on four receptions, converted on an overthrown pass by quarterback John Navarre for the second score and a two-touchdown lead. "We just tell (Navarre) to throw the ball in the area," Walker said. "Most times its accurate." But when it wasn't. the highlight reel kent rolling. DAVID KATZ/Daily Senior safety DeWayne Patmon (15) halts Corey Evans on fourth down and one in the second quarter on Saturday. Thomas runrnizg like M' needs kim n o ,,.: . . The Michigan volleyball team exorcised the demons of seven-straight near misses at their own tournament on Satur- day, by handily winning the All Sport Challenge after a 3-0 victory over South Carolina (15-11, 15-10, 15-12) at Cliff Keen Arena. The team's other two matches were also victories - 3-0 against Northern Illinois and New Mexico. "Tonight was a good test for us," Michigan coach Mark Iosen said. "South Carolina really stepped up their game from last night and played a lot better." The match against South Carolina was the closest of the weekend for the host Wolverines. The Gamecocks were not allowed a lead in either of the first two games but managed to stay within striking distance throughout. In the third game, the 25th ranked Wolverines - who looked significantly sharper than their unranked opponent in the nreviois two - seemed at first to have left their intensity E ach carry for Thomas, each touched the ball, forward with a head of steam that resembled, well, a Train.' Michigan Stadium a Anthony time he he blasted There was no soft running in his game. No excessive juking, no tripping over feet - others', or his own - as he charged through the line. It was pure locomotive, pure Train. And it was thrilling to watch. Maybe this is the real Thomas after all. He had to take on some unfair tasks last season, serving as Michigan's only legitimate tail- back. Responsibility for the running game was solely Thomas', a bur- den he was never really given full tailbacks, each one of them trusted with the ball. Thomas has actually had the opportunity to unsnap his helmet and watch from the side- lines for a few plays. Physically, it's led to a rejuve- nated Thomas, one who can now afford to treat every carry as his last, since he has reinforcements available. "He was attacking them more," fellow ball carrier Chris Perry said, impressed with his mentor's performance on Saturday. And every time Thomas attacked, he bowled over whatever crowds have seen a few different CHRIS Dt ipRnR' AnthonyLS A..l Thomases Dupe s over the I I