Will Ruff is not interested. He’s not interested in a team that went 2-10 last season, and he’s not interested in paying $115 for Syracuse football season tickets.

Ruff, a junior history major, had season tickets his freshman year and would stay in the Carrier Dome until the end of a game – win or lose. Now Ruff said it’s not worth the money, especially with a season-opening loss.

Last season, approximately 3,000 student season tickets were sold for football games. Officials from the Syracuse athletic department said they had not sold that many tickets yet, but expect to reach that number within the next few home games as students continue to buy tickets.

This year, the package of football and basketball season tickets costs $275 (football costs $115 by itself, and basketball costs $160). A single-game student ticket costs $18.

In an attempt to kick start interest and ticket sales, SU athletics is giving away tickets to students to encourage game attendance. Students received free tickets in their dorm mailboxes, for the opening game against Akron, this Saturday.

Scott Sidwell, senior associate athletics director for development, said the athletic department does these types of promotions from time to time to help get students to come out to games, and then hopefully decide they would like to buy season tickets.

Sidwell said the number of season ticket purchasers stays pretty consistent from year to year.

‘We always want to encourage the students and community to come out and watch the football games,’ Sidwell said.

Last season, Syracuse opened its season at the Carrier Dome with a loss to Washington, 42-12, in front of 40,329 fans.

Despite the athletic department’s high hopes for student turnout at this year’s slate of games, the student reaction about attending games is mixed.

Freshman international relations major Elton Wong plans to attend Syracuse’s home-opener against Akron, but only because he received the free ticket in his dorm mailbox. Wong is not a season-ticket holder.

‘If the team had a better record last year and had a chance (to go to a bowl game), I’d be more interested,’ Wong said. ‘I’ll go to show my school sprit and get the experience of going as a freshman, but I’m really not interested in the team.’

Matt Ventolo, a junior civil engineering major, has faith in the 2008 Syracuse squad. Ventolo feels that since it is head coach Greg Robinson’s fourth season at the helm, the team has potential.

‘I didn’t want to give up my season tickets and SU go above .500 this year,’ Ventolo said. ‘Robinson has recruited everyone on that team, he has a new coaching staff and a returning starting quarterback. If that doesn’t equal success, I don’t know what will.’

For most returning Syracuse students who had the chance to watch SU play last year, season tickets do not seem as appealing. Sophomore management major Katie McCusker bought football and basketball season tickets last year; but this year, she only purchased basketball season tickets.

‘(Football season tickets) are such a waste of money,’ McCusker said. ‘I can’t stand to watch them lose. If they were winning, it would be so much more fun to be in the student section. I went to two games last year and left both early.’

Syracuse won only one game last year in front of its home crowd – a 20-12 win against Buffalo.

Silvia Milanova also had season tickets her freshman and sophomore years, but decided not to purchase them this season. Milanova, a junior, does not plan to attend the Orange’s game against Akron because she doesn’t want to spend the money on an individual game ticket.

Milanova said she might attend Syracuse’s game against Penn State on Sept. 13 because she has friends coming up to see the game.

‘Freshman year, I bought season tickets because I wanted to sit in the student section and get the feel for going to a Division I sports school,’ Milanova said. ‘This year, they are probably going to lose so I don’t want to waste my money.’

mkgalant@syr.edu

Published on September 4, 2008 at 12:00 pm