Still room for a view
If you’re one of those slow-to-act Gonzaga fan wannabes who missed out on a chance to purchase season tickets in the Bulldogs’ new 6,000-seat McCarthey Athletic Center, don’t despair. The Spokesman-Review, with the help of GU officials, has put together 10 steps you can take – some of which are even practical – to get in and watch the Zags in person:
Add your name to the season ticket waiting list by calling (509) 323-4202 or visiting www.gonzagaarena.com on the Internet. University officials say the list is currently more than 300 names long and growing, so the wait could be prolonged. On the plus side, though, is the fact that if it takes more than five years to reach the top of the list, you won’t have to pony up the Arena Building Partners Fund fees that are due to expire in 2010.
Enroll at Gonzaga. Students are allotted 1,200 tickets to each home game, and their seats are among the best the McCarthey Athletic Center has to offer. Keep in mind, however, that you might have to camp out overnight in the cold to ensure that you are among the first 1,200 in line to pick up a ticket. And tuition, books, room and board aren’t cheap.
Apply for a job at the university. Gonzaga allots up to 300 tickets for each home game to members of its faculty and staff, who must also stand in line – albeit apart from the students – to pick up their tickets.
Take a chance that not all of the tickets allotted for students, faculty and staff are picked up, and check on the availability of single-game tickets. It’s a long shot in most instances, but it might be worth checking for unclaimed tickets at www.gozags.com – especially for the Zags’ Nov. 24 home game against Idaho, which will take place with most GU students out of town on Thanksgiving Break. A notice of any unclaimed tickets still available to the general public is normally posted on the Web site at noon on the day before the game.
Drive to Seattle on Dec. 4 and watch the Bulldogs play host to the University of Massachusetts in the second-annual Battle in Seattle at KeyArena. Last year’s game against Missouri drew 12,831, but plenty of seats were still available. And unlike Missouri’s Quin Snyder, UMass coach Steve Lappas has no ties with the Seattle area. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.battleinseattle.com on the Internet or by checking at Ticketmaster outlets at local Fred Meyer locations.
Wait until Dec. 21 when the Bulldogs play Eastern Washington in Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The game sold out last year, but tickets to this year’s event are still available and can be obtained by calling 325-SEAT or visiting www.ticketswest.com on the Internet.
Make friends with a Gonzaga season ticket holder. Most purchase more than one ticket, and there is bound to be at least one occasion – an illness, perhaps – where not all of his or her tickets are going to be used. Who knows? You might even get lucky and befriend someone who just landed an extra ticket as part of a divorce settlement.
Purchase tickets from opposing West Coast Conference schools coming in to play the Zags. By contract, GU is obligated to provide visiting opponents with 64 comp tickets and up to 100 consignment seats. Santa Clara, Pepperdine and Portland traditionally use all of their consignment seats, but the rest of the teams in the league rarely do. Good luck convincing people in the San Diego ticket office that you’re a misplaced Toreros fan living in Spokane.
Save the money you would have spent on season tickets and travel with the Zags. Even though the Bulldogs draw better on the road than any other team in the West Coast Conference, tickets are usually available at all away venues. And with the Zags making mid-winter stops at such warm and scenic destinations as Los Angeles, Malibu and San Diego, don’t forget to pack the golf clubs. Just don’t expect to score the best of seats.
Volunteer to baby-sit for the GU coaching staff on game nights – as long as you can take the kids to the McCarthey Athletic Center to play. Warning: There are seven of them, all under the age of 10.
Hey, we warned you that not all of our ideas were practical.