Few fans expected for Friday's football game, admission should be free
Central Michigan University’s football game at 1 p.m. Friday against Northern Illinois at Kelly/Shorts Stadium will be the last home game for seniors on the team.
With the game being the day after Thanksgiving, however, attendance is going to drop. Charging the same ticket prices for families, faculty and staff is not going to help, and the seniors on the team deserve a large showing of people, if at all possible.
Tickets should be greatly reduced in price, if not free.
There are several reasons why. The game now has no real significance in terms of the Mid-American Conference standings. Ohio defeated Northern Illinois 38-31 on Saturday, making the Chippewas MAC West champions. They are already set for the MAC Championship on Dec. 4 in Detroit.
The only real benefit that CMU may get out of this game is the possibility for more votes in the Associated Press Top 25 and other national polls, plus an undefeated regular-season MAC record.
Despite the insignificance of the game, and the fact that most students will be home celebrating Thanksgiving with their families, CMU is charging full price for non-students. A discount family package is available at $50 for five tickets and $10 per ticket for faculty and staff. All college students, CMU or not, are allowed entrance into the game for free.
If CMU really wants fans to come out and boost attendance numbers, tickets should be free. If money is a real concern, ticket prices should be around $5 so fans are still encouraged to come to the game.
The game also is Senior Day, a celebration of the last home game for football seniors. Among them are quarterback Dan LeFevour and wide receiver Bryan Anderson, two of of team’s greatest players in the history of the program.
Both of those players, as well as the rest of the team’s senior class, deserve a nice showing of people in their final home game. It would seem unjust for them to play in a stadium less than half full.
Furthermore, CMU is still playing an NIU team that is 7-4 overall and 5-2 in the conference. The Chippewas could always use extra fan support to complete an undefeated MAC season.
Admission was not charged at Rynearson Stadium during last year’s Black Friday game at Eastern Michigan.
Although attendance was still low for the 56-52 CMU loss, the free admission allowed everyone who wanted to see the game the chance to go.
CMU should have the same philosophy and give fans a reason to come out in chilly weather after a major holiday.
Friday marks the last home game for some of CMU history’s greatest athletes. They deserve the usual 20,000 fans Kelly/Shorts typically brings in.
And that is going to be difficult to accomplish if ticket prices do not budge.
