Staff Editorial: Students pay too much for Relays

The Penn Relays begin today. While there will be plenty of action for the next few days, the highest profile events, the NCAA championships and competitions featuring Olympic athletes, occur on Saturday. Penn students get in for free on Thursday and Friday, but on Saturday they must pay $18 for general admission. This is unfortunate, as it discourages many Penn students from attending one of the most celebrated athletic contests in the country. Because of this, the Athletic Department should consider offering Penn students tickets at a significantly discounted rate.

By charging students the regular rate of admission on Saturday, Penn is basically forcing students to pay twice. Student activities fees go to the Athletic Department and help pay the costs of maintenance and upkeep of Franklin Field, as well as the costs associated with holding the relays.

There is a genuine interest in the Penn Relays among the student body. However, for many students, that interest is mitigated by the price of admission to Saturday's events. The Penn Relays bring people to campus from all over the country and all over the world but sometimes has trouble bringing in Penn students from a few blocks away. The idea of Penn students watching the races on television as they occur down the street is discouraging.

One would think that the Athletic Department, and the University in general, has a vested interest in getting more Penn students to show up. For one thing, with Franklin Field's seating capacity at about 52,000, they are certainly not hurting for space; every year, there are thousands of empty seats. For the last six years, Saturday's activities have drawn an average of 45,000 spectators.

Also, offering a discounted rate to Penn students could be a smart move financially for the Athletic Department. Getting a greater number of Penn students to attend could easily lead to more money in ticket sales overall.

Charging students has changed the tone of the Penn Relays from being a Penn event to simply an event that Penn hosts. Changing the current policy would be a wise move. It is time to put Penn back into the Penn Relays.

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