St. Joe’s men’s basketball student season tickets will no longer require a request form to sign up, except for Villanova University and LaSalle University games, according to Jasmine Cannady, associate athletics director for marketing and fan experience.
For the other home games, St. Joe’s students can just bring their student ID to the 54th Street doors of Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena and enter the game.
Cannady also discourages students from selling their ticket to the Villanova and LaSalle games.
“We will make sure students are not selling their ticket,” Cannady said. “Students will receive an email ticket and then you will have to show your student ID. If you don’t show student ID, you won’t be allowed in. If the student ID does not look like you, you will also not be allowed in.”
Justin Pauciello ’20 said only needing a St. Joe’s student ID makes it easier since the games are now free.
“If I’m not doing anything on a Wednesday or Thursday I may as well go to a game if there’s one going on,” Pauciello said. “Before, I definitely would not go to see a bad team play.”
Will Rietzke ’20 said he also thinks free student tickets will make him attend more games.
“Now it is easier to go to games, and without a cost,” Rietzke said. “I will definitely be showing up to some games this year.”
Pauciello explained how he thinks free student tickets are long overdue, “especially given how poor the team has done the last three years.”
“I like that they made it free,” Pauciello said. “It’s not cheap to go here to begin with and they do not invest a ton of money in facilities or programs for regular students who are not student-athletes, so I think it’s a good gesture.”
Pauciello said he might go to a few games but that it will depend on the team’s on-court performance.
Rietzke explained the amount of basketball games he attends is based on the team’s performance as well due to how the team has struggled to clinch an NCAA tournament bid since 2016.
“Coming to St. Joe’s, the team was coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance,” Rietzke said. “Having to pay for a poor product was not ideal and I think the poor turnout at games last year showed that.”
Cannady did not want to give an answer when The Hawk asked her if the men’s basketball tickets will remain free beyond this year, because she did not definitively know yet. She said she would conduct a survey after the season to gauge the response to the new process.
Paucillo thinks St. Joe’s should keep free student tickets long term beyond this year because it will enhance attendance and because most schools in the area follow this same gesture.
“We already pay St. Joe’s enough over the year so the least they can do is make it free to see a basketball game at a school we pay tuition towards,” Paucillo said. “St. Joe’s always wondered why attendance was so low at games, and I think the lack of free student tickets is exactly why.”
