Column by Austin Cannon

I know that Drake isn’t very well-known for its sports, but here are 10 reasons why you should give them a chance.

1. You get in free.

That’s right. If you have a valid Drake ID, you automatically get in to all Drake sporting events for free, even Relays. The argument of “I don’t want to spend the money” is invalid. Hate to break it to you, but you already spent it on your tuition. If you like sports, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be taking advantage of this.

2. It’s Division I.

Yes, I realize we aren’t a Big 12 or SEC school, but it’s not like we’re Longview Community College either. Our athletes are recruited on the premise that they can compete on a Division I playing field. And they do, usually well. I think some people lose sight of that because we’re such a small school.

3. Try something new.

Never been to a volleyball game? Pick a night when you aren’t busy and go to one.  Best-case scenario, you love it and you attend all the games for the rest of the season. Worst-case scenario, you hate it and you lose two hours of your life that you will never get back. Sorry.

4. Everybody loves an audience.

As an athlete, you want people to come to your games or events. You feel like you have more to play for when the stands are full. You want to have home field/court advantage. What good is a home game when the crowd isn’t big or loud enough to disrupt the other team?

5. It’s fun. 

Even if you aren’t the biggest sports fan, you can still have fun. Drake does a good job with entertaining halftime contests and giveaways (also known as: T-shirts galore). At the very least, you’ll still get to hang out with your friends for a couple hours.

6. Drake athletes work hard.

These are people who sacrifice time, money and emotion so they can play college sports. And besides scholarships, they don’t get paid for it. Heck, the football team isn’t even on scholarship. The least you can do is go out to a couple games and show a little support.

7. You might see something special.

You never know what you might see. Maybe you go to a basketball game and our point guard goes off and scores 50 points. You go to a football game and Andy Rice throws eight touchdown passes. Maybe we upset a highly ranked opponent.

You wouldn’t want to admit that you missed something like that, would you?

8. You’ll meet Porterhouse.

Porterhouse and his stroller (Mobile Porterhouse Unit) are a staple at many Drake sporting events. If you’re one of the 10 or so Drake students who has yet to get your picture taken with him, this is your best chance.

He’s a licensed therapy dog, so he is friendly and loves to be petted.

To see him at his best, go to basketball games. Him leading the team out of the locker room while chasing a basketball is as good as it gets.

9. Join Spike’s Army. 

Pay $10 to join and get a T-shirt and dog tags. The more sporting events you go to, the more points you’ll earn. Earn enough points, and you’ll maybe win some prizes. Sweet deal. Join for the T-shirt, stay for the prizes.

10. It’s part of being a college student

You’re in college. Going to games is part of the experience. A little school spirit never hurt anyone. Go to the games, cheer on the Bulldogs and have fun. You won’t regret it.

Cannon is a sophomore news-internet major and can be reached at [email protected]