Athletic ticket manager Joe Carr says there are more than 1,000 tickets remaining out of the original 2,500 tickets set aside for students for the Dec. 31 Ball State, Indiana University game.
Carr said he was surprised that more students hadn't requested tickets as of Tuesday afternoon, and surprised he should be.
Ball State has not played host to the in-state rival since 1973, in a game the Cardinals lost 87-62. Times have changed, however, and students should have a new reason to cheer Ball State on to victory over the Hoosiers.
If you aren't sure about whether to attend the game, consider the following:
After Ball State was defeated by Indiana last season at Assembly Hall, IU head coach Mike Davis made some attention-getting statements.
"I know all you guys thought Ball State would come here and beat us," he said. "But I think we are a very good basketball team.
"It blew my mind that people picked Ball State over us," Davis said. "I couldn't believe it. It's really like a slap in the face to say Ball State would come here and beat us."
Davis later went on to say, even more disrespectfully, that he thought it "was funny" that Ball State was favored.
Comments like that should be taken seriously by every Ball State student. Whether it's academically or athletically, Ball State has always struggled to step out of IU's shadow.
This season, with the best player in the Mid-American Conference, a team that has already received votes in the ESPN/USA Today and AP polls, and an undiscovered sensation from Kennedy King Community College, Ball State can play with IU.
Ball State senior Rob Robbins put it best regarding the New Year's Eve game set to tip off at 6 p.m.
"It's become a state rivalry. It used to be that Indiana would play Ball State and you knew who was going to win. Over the past couple of years we have proven we can play with them."
Now it's time for students to prove they want to see a win. Get your ticket and start the new year off right.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
