How Can Ticket Sales Possibly Be Up?

This morning’s Lubbock Avalanche-Journal had a very interesting story that indicates ticket sales for this upcoming football season are on pace to set an all-time record at Texas Tech University.

How can that be?

When former head coach Mike Leach was fired in December, just days before the Red Raiders were to play in the Alamo Bowl, for mistreating a student-athlete with a brain concussion, the university began to hear from thousands upon thousands of season ticket holders (maybe a quarter-million or more!) who attend the games in the 54,000-seat stadium.

This massive horde of loyal Red Raider fans made it obvious that they were not going to attend any football games if Leach was not the coach. And, to make matters even more troubling, several thousand indicated that their annual check ($10 to $25) for the school’s scholarship fund would no longer be sent.

How do I know all of this? I read it on the internet where the hundreds of thousands of Leach supporters gathered to back their coach and throw grenades at the university and its administration.

Now comes word from the school’s athletic department that with the opening kickoff more than three months away season ticket sales have surpassed 27,500. That number is higher than last year’s total sales and not too far away from the record 30,000 sold in 2008. (Here is the article: http://lubbockonline.com/local-news/2010-05-24/despite-leach-outcry-football-season-ticket-sales-pace-break-records )

What happened to the pirate horde that descended upon Texas Tech in the first quarter of 2010 and said they were done with the university?

My guess is that they were nothing but clanging cymbals and didn’t really support the university and its athletic and educational programs in the first place.