Akron kicked off program of paying students $5 to attend basketball gams last night against Toledo and needed 800 students to show up before they’d start paying up. It’s an interesting move since the schools can’t pay the players an extra $5 to actually play in the game.
Total attendance for last night’s game: 3,351. Again, Akron needed 800 students to walk through the gates before they’d pay.
We’re still waiting for word if that number was reached, but if we believe what the game photos show, it wasn’t exactly a great showing from the campus. Keep in mind that Toledo hit a game-winner with 1.7 on the clock. Students wouldn’t have had a reason to leave these great seats.
$5 to go to a basketball game you don’t care about or sit at home and play video games? The students have spoken.
Photos via GoZips.com:
From the $20 promise press release:
Starting with Wednesday’s contest vs. Toledo (7 p.m. ET), for every home game that the student attendance reaches 800 or more, UA students at the game will receive $5.00 on their Zip Card for attending that contest. Students attending all three home games will receive an additional $5.00 bonus, regardless how many students attend those games, for a potential total of $20.00.
“Akron students have helped our program make the JAR one of the toughest places to play in the MAC,” Dambrot said. “This Student Appreciation program is just one way for us to show our appreciation for everything they do. We need our students out, in force, at our final three home games to help us win our third MAC regular season title in the last four seasons.”
Akron then thanked the students by not canceling class today.
Akron…. -20 wind chill… Do the right thing.
— Philip Memmen (@Philip_Memmen) February 19, 2015
At least my professor has some sense to cancel class when it’s -17 out… Thanks U of Akron for letting your students freeze to death..
— queen (@_queen_alex) February 19, 2015
Akron is ridiculous who’s the idiot in charge that doesn’t think -17 is cold enough to cancel class. You should be fired @uakron
— Andrea Sherwood (@angsher_xo) February 19, 2015