Football is part of American culture and, to most, it’s a huge deal. So why isn’t Kent State football as big of a deal? The student attendance at local sporting events is pretty low compared to other schools in Ohio. Kent State isn’t as big as Ohio State University, but don’t the players deserve the same kind of support? Here are some reasons why students might not go to sporting events regularly:
The football stadium is too far away.
Dix Stadium is a two mile walk from campus (even from Eastway, which is the edge of campus). The weather is so unpredictable in the fall that I personally would not want to make that walk. It’s either so hot that you feel like you’re melting, or it’s freezing cold with gross drizzling rain.
Photo by Alex Ledet
You have to pay to park at the stadium for a game.
The university sends an email to the people who have stadium parking passes, asking them to move their cars to campus. They then charge anyone who wants to park at the stadium for the game $5.
Their track record isn’t that great.
Yeah, so they haven’t had too many good seasons lately. But maybe if we went and showed them some support they might respond positively! Who knows? It’s worth a try!
Photo by Alex Ledet
Seating is limited in the MACC and the baseball stadium.
Okay, I’ve noticed this. I’ve gone to baseball and basketball games and felt claustrophobic. My knees were literally touching the back of the person in front of me and it was very uncomfortable. The student section isn’t meant to hold that many people…yet they want us to go to the games?
Photo by Alex Ledet
So what about the other sports?
Our women’s volleyball team kicked ass this past season! Did I go show my support? No. Do I regret it? YES. What about the baseball team? Their season is starting but from what I hear, they are pretty good too. Not to mention our gymnastics team, which won the MAC title last year.
Maybe I got too wrapped up in whatever I was binge watching on Netflix. As a student, all of the university games are FREE, so you can’t even pull the “I’m a broke college student” card. And, as an added bonus, if you have a meal plan you can use it at the MACC and Dix Stadium. Hit some friends up and get them to swipe for you (99% sure they sell Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwiches at the MACC).