For the second time in three years, the athletic department has changed its procedure for facilitating student transportation to and from the Verizon Center. The university will once again offer shuttle buses to the Rosslyn Metro stop, but will no longer provide students with Metro cards.

The principle reason for the change, according to Sports Information Director Mex Carey, is cost. The number of students with season tickets has approached 3,500 and providing each with round trip Metro cards would be prohibitively expensive.

Even if the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority were to give the university a significant discount, 3,500 students spending $2.50 per game, 15 times a season would cost over $130,000 – and that is before the price of the shuttles is factored in.

Having so many season ticket holders, Carey said, “is a good problem to have, but with that good problem come other financial decisions that have to be made.”

The previous system, Carey said, was “part of a transition to help increase student participation.” The number of student season ticket holders has nearly doubled since the 2005-06 season, when Georgetown provided buses from campus straight to then-MCI Center. Since that season, overall average attendance has increased by more than 2,000 fans.

Bridget Geraghty (COL ’09), president of Hoya Blue, said that her organization has expressed its concern to the athletic department that the new policy may decrease student attendance, especially to midweek games against lesser opponents. She said that dialogue with the administration has been “good and productive.”

Geraghty added that Hoya Blue is working with other student organizations and even outside donors to potentially make a change for second semester.

“We are certainly open to any suggestions,” she said.

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