The Ball State men’s volleyball team needs to get some return on its investment.
The team has a storied, decorated history, which can be seen hanging on banners in the rafters at Worthen Arena. It helped pioneer men’s volleyball in the country, and the Ball State program was founded by Don Shondell, who is the father of women’s volleyball head coach Steve Shondell.
It also doesn’t charge non-students for admission.
The men’s volleyball program, through no fault of its own, burns money. The three coaches on the staff last year were paid a rough total of $122,000 in salary in 2013-14, according to The Star Press’s Ball State employee salary search feature. Then there are scholarships, all the equipment, money it takes to get to road games, hotel fees, food to feed players, it goes on.
Charging non-students for admission wouldn’t fully reimburse the school, not by a longshot. But it would help.
There are only 28 Division I men’s volleyball programs in the country, Ball State being one of them. The sport is still trying to "grow the game," and it’s completely understandable why they wouldn’t charge for admission. People are more willing to come if they don’t have to pay. But I believe Ball State is different.
I covered the men’s volleyball team in the spring of 2014 for the Daily News and met several hardcore Ball State men’s volleyball fans, along with some of the parents of players. These were some seriously passionate people who never miss a match. Muncie is volleyball heaven for volleyball fans because of the history Ball State has.
Men’s volleyball is still a niche sport around the country, which works in Ball State’s favor. It means the Cardinals have a dedicated and loyal fan base who will come to all its matches. I’d argue that the people who support the men’s volleyball team are big enough fans that they wouldn’t mind paying for single-game or season tickets, thus allowing for the team to make some money.
Let’s be honest, men’s volleyball isn’t like football or basketball. People in Muncie go to Ball State basketball and football games not just to support Ball State, but because they’re just fans of the sport as well. You’re not going to find anybody who suddenly decides to go to a men’s volleyball game on whim then is scared away by admission fee.
The fans who enjoy the sport enough to come out to the games are big enough fans that they’d probably be fine paying for tickets.
Considering how much money athletics siphons in general from the student body, it might make it a little easier on everyone if there was money coming in from the men’s volleyball program.
Thursday night, Ball State and IPFW played a nail-biting 3-2 game that fell in IPFW’s favor. I couldn’t be there, but I followed the live stats and listened to the radio call. It was entertaining, fun and exciting.
And I probably would have paid to be there.
- David Polaski, dmpolaski@bsu.edu
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