Put down your beer and cheer...please?

Since coming to Eastern, it is obvious to me there is a lack of student support for athletics.

Why wouldn't you want to go to a college basketball game, football game or any other sport for that matter? Students get into all home games for free.

Students at other universities wait in line for hours to buy a ticket to a game, and at some schools, a ticket to the big game is a treasured trophy.

Despite Eastern's athletic accomplishments, we are not the best.

But we are good.

Why wouldn't college students take advantage of the opportunity to root for their school on the field?

I was at the Eastern and UT-Martin women's game this past week, and I counted 225 people. There weren't even 50 students. I've seen more people at a high school basketball game between two teams that aren't even in the same region.

Both the men and women's basketball teams have a chance of winning their conference. What else could college students do on a Thursday night? Instead of going to a bar and getting drunk, why not come out and support the Colonels?

One missed night of drunken debauchery can be held off to see your talented peers play.

When athletes see more people in the stands filled with people who care enough to come out and support them, they play better. This is certainly true for all sports; no matter what, these are Division I college athletes that are competing.

Eastern has many athletic programs that have outstanding student athletes. Most of them go unnoticed because if the lack of fan support.

If Eastern athletics could get the support the University of Notre Dame gets, these programs would exceed expectations.

I have another favorite college team, but Eastern is my second. Attending the first game and homecoming game doesn't qualify as a true fan. I attend every game that I can, to see what an actual college basketball or football game looks like. There is a huge difference from watching it at home compared to watching a game in person. 

These students don't know what they are missing. Most students would do anything to see a game with this level of talent. 

Both of these Colonel basketball teams have a chance of going to NCAA tournament. But that chance might all ride on the support from Eastern- wouldn't that be a shame.