NCAA tourney too expensive for students

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Fewer Purdue Basketball fans than expected are planning trips to Spokane, Washington to watch the Boilers in action in the NCAA Tournament.

Fans can get tickets for $65 at the Purdue Athletic Ticket Office, but many students said they won't be making the trip to Washington.

Flights to Spokane, Washington are over $700. That much money could pay for a semester of books for most students, which is why many are going to be watching the Boilers play Siena from the comfort of their couches.

"I wouldn't be able to afford to go. That's why I'm going to just be watching it on TV," Purdue Junior Drew Kirk said. "There is no way students would be able to go, especially with the economy being so poor and the timing of everything."

"Even if times were better, people would probably be hesitant to spend $700 to fly out and probably have to get a hotel and tickets to a game. You are probably looking at $1,500 trip," Purdue student Ben Wiles said. "People could probably spend two weeks in Mexico or something."

Purdue students are on spring break this week which could be why most chose to spend their money to go south instead of following the basketball team to Washington.

"Probably spring break is a big one for the students. For other people it is probably just the economy being so poor. It is a far way to travel for a basketball game, especially when you can just watch it on TV," Kirk said.

"Timing that is spring break. A lot of students are out of town," Wiles said. "Plus with injuries on the team, people are probably worried about the outcome of the tournament I would imagine."

Last season, the Purdue Men's Basketball team was in Portland, Oregon for the NCAA tournament. The Purdue Athletic Ticket Office sold 380 tickets to the first game.

For Purdue's game against Siena, athletic ticket office has sold just over 300. Tickets are still on sale throughout the day tomorrow.

The Boilers face Siena on Friday at 2:30 p.m. You can watch the game on WLFI.