PSU basketball fans deserve a ‘thanks’

Between 2006-10, I attended every Penn State basketball home game as a student. There were great pregame giveaways, in-game discounts and promotions, and fantastic halftime show entertainment. Now, seven years later, as an alumnus season ticket holder, it seems that the current athletic department has steered away from trying to make the game day experience worthwhile.

This has nothing to do with the product on the court, but rather the willingness of Penn State basketball and the athletic department to provide their small, but loyal fan base with a show of appreciation. Students get some free food pregame. Season ticket holders don’t even get a discount on concession items. For the last game, there was free hot chocolate pregame offered “while supplies last,” but a half-hour before tip-off, the one dispenser at two gates were empty. This season there have been no door giveaways and only one halftime show. No dollar dog games, no pregame meal, no incentives for season ticket holders or non-student fans.

If Sandy Barbour and Penn State basketball want to show that they care about trying to improve and if they want to bring in more fans to a cavernous, unappealing Bryce Jordan Center, they should start by giving back to the long-suffering season ticket holders who annually put money in their pockets without so much as a high-five as a thank you. Start by showing us that you care. A simple thank you goes a long way in engendering some good will.

This story was originally published January 22, 2018 at 11:58 PM with the headline "PSU basketball fans deserve a ‘thanks’."