Arizona State's response to success is lower ticket prices

Arizona State University is doing something college football fans might find surprising. Administrators there are bucking conventional wisdom by significantly lowering football ticket prices after the Sun Devils' successful season.

Arizona State posted an 8-6 record and finished third in the Pacific-10 Conference. They also took heavily favored Kansas State University to the wire before losing, 34-27, in the Holiday Bowl.

"By cutting our prices, we have responded to the market and to what people have given us in terms of feedback," said Gene Smith, Arizona State athletics director. "We hope that these price levels can translate to additional season ticket holders."

Every ticket category available to the general public was reduced, with 51 percent of the total seats in Sun Devil Stadium reduced between 16 and 38 percent.

In addition to lowering prices overall, the Sun Devils also have created additional pricing structures and added "Koetter's Korner," an area named after head coach Dirk Koetter, with only 434 seats that will sell for only $5 and go on sale the Monday before each home game.

Tickets at Sun Devil Stadium will now range from the rare $5 spot in the "Korner" to $155 for a season ticket along the lower sideline.

NACWAA announces State Farm matchup

The ninth annual State Farm Women's Volleyball Classic will be played August 22-23 at the University of Hawaii, Manoa.

The National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators announced that the University of Florida, Kansas State University and the University of Southern California will join Hawaii in the four-team event.

Southern California notched its NCAA-record fifth Division I women's volleyball championship in December. The Trojans have made 12 consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament and 20 overall.

Kansas State, ranked 21st at the end of 2002, has five of its starters returning and lost only two seniors.

Florida, ranked No. 4 at the end of 2002, is returning an experienced team, including two all-Americans, seniors Aury Cruz and Benavia Jenkins.

Hawaii, ranked third at the end of 2002, is returning five starters, including three all-Americans who are all seniors, Lily Kahumoku, Kim Willoughby and Lauren Duggins.

Blindness doesn't stop color commentator

Ryan Kuro, a junior broadcasting major at Western Illinois University, helped launch student-radio broadcasts for the Leathernecks men's basketball team last month.

What made that step amazing is that Kuro has been blind since birth.

"I can do anything I set my mind to," Kuro said. "Anything anyone else can do, I can do, too, if I put my mind to it."

First, Kuro and other broadcasting students had to convince Western Illinois to add student radio broadcasts. "I talked to Athletics Director Tim Van Alstine, and he said it was something he wanted." he said. "Then I went to President Al Goldfarb and pitched the idea to him. Right now, to my knowledge, we are the only school in the state that does ball games on radio and television with separate crews."

To compensate for his blindness, Kuro walks the court (or field) several times per season, becoming reacquainted with every part of it. Kuro converts media guides and game notes into braille with the help of several different software programs and machines. But it is Kuro's attitude that makes his preparation complete.

"Life is fun. Yes, life is hard. Everyone has challenges. Some people are short, some people are blind, some people are in wheelchairs, some people have personal things they have to deal with," Kuro said.

"No one is going to destroy my determination."

Number crunching

Looking back

Sportsmanship on court

From the March 2, 1988, NCAA News:

Several Big Ten Conference coaches have voiced concern about fights in college basketball games, saying suspending players could help curb violence in the game.

Purdue University head men's coach Gene Keady said coaches, rather than officials, should bear the responsibility of increased fighting in college games. He suggested a two-game suspension for players involved in fights.

"So much of the fighting occurs as a retaliation thing," Keady said. "I just believe it is my responsibility if there is a fight to make sure that the players understand that I won't tolerate it."

Ohio State University head men's coach Gary Williams said the increased fighting is a dangerous trend.

"I think the players see fights on the pro game filter down to our game," he said. "Maybe one way of stopping it is a suspension of the players involved."

Williams agreed that coaches, rather than officials, are the ones who can prevent fights.

"I think as a coach it is my responsibility," he said. "Officials, if they start to call it too closely, are going to be criticized for doing it that way."

Michigan State University coach Jud Heathcote said once someone swings, "it's time for a one- or two-game suspension." He said coaches must caution players not to get carried away in physical contests.

"It's something we're going to have to look at more closely. Instead of fewer fights, we're getting more," he said. "If you leave the bench, it's a technical. We thought it would alleviate bench clearing, yet it hasn't stopped it."

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, head coach Clem Haskins offered a dissenting view, insisting the fights fans have seen on recent national television games may not signal a trend.

"The fighting in basketball isn't anything to be concerned about," said Haskins. "In the heat of battle, things like that happen and emotions run high. I don't see anything serious happening there."

(Excerpted from an article by United Press International writer Rand Minkoff. The NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee during its April 1988 meeting agreed to eject players involved in a fight. Players involved in a second fight in the same season would be ejected from that game and withheld from the next game. A third altercation would result in expulsion for the season.)