Many people call themselves UCLA basketball fans. They attend every home game and know every statistic. They camp in the frigid cold overnight for a courtside seat. But when the Big Dance rolls around, many of them become the I-just-watch-games-on-TV brand of Bruin supporter.
One can hardly blame them. Travelling to support the Bruins during the NCAA tournament can be hard. Really hard.
If you manage to rearrange finals and come up with the money, there’s still the challenge of actually procuring a student ticket to postseason games.
For die-hard Bruins like fifth-year computer science student Christo Rose, it comes with the territory.
"Even if it means selling all your books back or reallocating student loans … those who are dedicated and driven will end up being there," he said.
"And if you end up coming up a little short on tuition, that’s just what happens."
Rose ““ known around campus for his curly shock of blue and yellow hair ““ can truly say he’s been a Bruin since birth. His devotion comes from his father, who attended UCLA during the Wooden years.
"I pretty much bleed blue and gold," Rose said.
Rose has been ready for the Final Four since before the season started. Confident in the team’s ability to win, he bought a plane ticket and reserved a hotel room in San Antonio way back in November.
For students whose parents aren’t quite as enthused about supporting UCLA Athletics, coming up with the funds for postseason game attendance can be a challenge.
A flight to San Antonio, even booked early, is a $250 to $300 setback. Add upwards of $300 for tickets to both days’ games, plus hotel and travel expenses, and pretty soon a four-day trip requires a four-digit budget.
"I’m in college, I’m about to graduate ““ I can’t afford that!" lamented fourth-year communication studies student Shannon Kehrig.
During the final campout of the year before the March 8 Cal game, Kehrig and her friends talked strategy on how to make a trip to March Madness a reality.
"San Antonio would be literally a full day of driving," Kehrig said.
"Seventeen hours ““ big deal!" chimed in fourth-year English student Andrew Daniels.
With the Final Four slightly out of reach, the friends hope to make it to the Regionals in Phoenix. Their plan?
"You get one hotel room and pack a bunch of people in it," Daniels said. "It feels like you’re smuggling, like a drug dealer’s life."
Chris Hazell had a better idea. "We want the alumni to charter us a plane," the fourth-year English student said.
The fans’ energy is palpable. But explaining exactly what drives them to forgo school, money and sleep for the sake of the team is hard to put into words.
"It’s a real big intangible," Rose said. "It’s that feeling you get, like after the Stanford and Cal games, of ‘How did we do it?’ There’s a rush, there’s an adrenaline behind that."
For Hazell, Daniels and Kehrig, it’s the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to follow a college team that you can call your own.
"It’s a community thing," Daniels said. "It’s really personal. You see those guys in class; you feel some sort of connection with them."
Hazell agreed. "They’re not professional athletes making millions of dollars," he said. "They’re like you."
This unbridled dedication does not go unnoticed by those on the court. Even in a packed arena, the players know when students are there and listen for their distinct yells, such as the pregame "roll call."
"Having (student) fans there is definitely a big boost for us," senior center Lorenzo Mata-Real said. "We listen for them all the time. They’re like the sixth man on the court."
Ben Howland ““ affectionately called "Coach Dad" by Daniels and his friends ““ also appreciates having true Bruins in attendance.
"I love having our students out there," he said. "That’s who this is for. Our players are students ““ that’s what it’s about."
Not according to those who distribute the tickets.
Ten percent of available tickets go to students, CTO Director Dave Lowenstein said, and only students who applied for or received a basketball season ticket package are eligible.
The number of tickets UCLA receives is not set in stone, but even the best-case scenario accounts for only a fraction of the 4,500 students eligible to enter the lottery.
"I wish there were more tickets available for students," Howland said. "(But) it’s hard because you’ve got people who pay a lot of money for season tickets, and they have a right to procure tickets for the tournament."
For real fans, nothing will deter them.
"They expect us to be there. We’ve been there since the exhibition games. We’re not just people who can throw down 500 bucks to get a ticket and show up," Daniels said. "We’ve been hard-core fans since freshman year. This is our last year, and we really want to win."
"Yeah," mused Hazell. "It would be the best."