Today marks the long-awaited home opener for the Georgetown men’s basketball team. Students with season tickets will flock to Verizon Center to cheer on the Hoyas as they face the Temple University Owls. As they make the considerable trek downtown, we bemoan the hassle that the university’s limited transportation options place on these loyal fans.
The university currently increases the frequency of Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle bus runs between campus and the Rosslyn Metro stop in the hours preceding home games. Students must then navigate crowded Metro stations and at least one line switch amid throngs of other fans. The indirect commute can add several hours to a game-day excursion, and can be difficult for students to schedule between classes and homework on weekdays.
The Georgetown University Student Association has indicated that it is developing a proposal that would respond to the inconvenience of this process by changing the structure of the GUTS service. An online survey distributed by GUSA on Sunday asked students to mark a preference for either the current system or for a decrease in the Rosslyn buses and an increase in the number of shuttles destined for Verizon Center.
We would support a potential GUSA resolution advocating direct shuttles. Given the current economic climate, the expense of Metro tickets – on top of the cost of the season-ticket package – can be a strain on ticket holders’ wallets. In recent seasons, the Georgetown Athletics Ticket Office has sold tickets for the men’s and women’s home basketball games in a combination package. Although that measure is certainly understandable – in that it benefits both teams – it can place a significant dent in individual student budgets. For this reason, the university must step up its efforts to ease student transport to games.
Of course, before the university implements an augmented shuttle policy, it will have to weigh the financial and logistical considerations that would accompany it. In past seasons, students who shelled out the fee for tickets received Metro fare as a part of the deal. If funding a bus service routed toward Verizon Center cannot be achieved in the short term, another worthy alternative could be the return of Metro tickets included in the student package
Whatever the method, we are ultimately calling for a university effort to improve access to Georgetown sporting events. Schools comparable to Georgetown – like Duke and Vanderbilt – have intimate on-campus arenas that play host to basketball games. The committee on the 2010 Georgetown University Campus Plan recently rejected a plan to construct a similar venue on campus.
The Georgetown obsession with Hoya men’s basketball won’t end anytime soon, regardless of transportation difficulties. The university should recognize this strong fan support by striving to make it as easy as possible to cheer on the dear old Blue and Gray.
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