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The Minnesota Daily

Serving the UMN community since 1900

The Minnesota Daily

Serving the UMN community since 1900

The Minnesota Daily

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Ticket policy adds to Big Ten greed

In what is apparently another example of the Big Ten corporatizing amateur athletics, the conference has adjusted its ticket pricing in such a way that some students are being forced to forgo supporting their team.

Students are still able to get discounted passes to the Big Ten tournament, but the cheaper rates are only good as long as their home school’s team is still playing.

So if the Gophers lose in the first round of the conference’s tournament, students would be stuck paying the full price for tickets thereafter. Full-price passes to the tournament can total between $200 and $375, depending on where the seats are.

Many students who follow their college’s sports take great pride in being able to support teams all the way through, and some even make a trip out of it.

However, the Barnyard, the official student section for the men’s basketball team, can’t afford to do so this year after the ticket policy change.

“We look at [the ticket prices] as a little obnoxious for students to spend that much money plus hotels and whatnot,” one group member told the Minnesota Daily last week.

The Big Ten is beginning to treat its student-athletes more like professional athletes, with talk of paying them, easing rules that keep their amateur status and offering health insurance.

We hope the conference doesn’t begin treating student fans like working professionals, too. We urge the conference to rethink its choice to make showing school spirit more expensive.

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