Show some spirit

Portland State has a robust athletic program, especially for a school located in the middle of a city. Our teams practice hard, and they play even harder. Unfortunately, those who should be our team’s biggest fans are scarce on game day.

A lot of students wear PSU athletic garb on a day-to-day basis, yet despite the large number of students wearing our colors, it is difficult to tell when game day is around PSU.

Some even feel that sports altogether is a complete waste of university funds and that there are no reasons for having an athletic program at all.

Our programs include, but are not limited to, basketball, volleyball and football. But one would be hard pressed to find a PSU tailgate party and aside from a few Viking helmets seen here and there, sports are not quite a priority for students. Football home games at PGE Park have a less-than-remarkable fan turnout. Not to say that sports need to be a main focus of students, but we do have teams that we can call ours—something to stand behind that expresses pride in Portland State.

Why should we care? PSU is a very active and vibrant campus with multiple student groups ranging from Greek life, political groups, and even a fermentation club. PSU is not a lethargic campus by any stretch, and in addition to all the student groups on campus, there are also 22 recreational clubs not related to the university’s athletic program.

This is a particularly athletic campus and with 28,000 students it’s surprising there is so little interest in the athletic programs. A part of it could be that PSU students aren’t aware of the benefits that can come from having a healthy athletic program.

Yes indeed, the full spectrum of benefits of the program are sometimes not taken into account. Students should consider the function beyond just playing sports.

According to Torre Chisholm, the director of athletics at PSU, our sports programs bring in revenue from ticket sales, corporate sponsors, and special events. That money is then used to support the school in several different ways.

One way is that the money is used to support scholarships for students. That’s right, you are supporting education when you buy a ticket to a PSU game. Other revenue from the athletic program is used to pay coach salaries and some is used to support administrative functions of the department.

Chisholm also stated that the PSU student body is often unable to attend sporting events, hosted by either the athletic program or recreation clubs, as many students are non-traditional. Work, families, and class are all major factors in a student’s life, and many simply do not have extra time.

Additionally, Chisholm believes the student body is becoming increasingly more excited about athletics. Game attendance is up, and so are the royalties from the licensing.

It is getting better, too. This year, the athletic department began efforts to boost game attendance and student involvement with the freshman class by hosting “Freshman Frenzy” at the first PSU game. Students enjoyed a tailgate party in addition to games and prizes.

Buses were also provided to shuttle students to the game, which was located in Hillsboro rather than at PGE Park, which is currently under construction.

The healthy growth of the PSU athletic program can only mean good things for students, and efforts being taken now are a good step in building support among students for their own teams.

The Athletics Department has begun a vigorous social media campaign that is active in attempting to get students informed and involved.

So while PSU students may sometimes be too busy to attend a game, and others just aren’t sports fans, the reality is that athletics here at PSU are growing, and the excitement for them is growing as well. With that growth comes increased money for scholarships. So keep it up, PSU. ?