As Eddie Tyus walked into the Student Recreation and Fitness Center Tuesday, he already knew what he would be doing tonight.
"I was going to the Tigers game Wednesday whether or not they were giving away tickets," said Tyus, a junior physical education major at The U of M.
Tuesday morning the athletic department announced that for the second time in a week, basketball coach John Calipari and his family had purchased 400 tickets to give to students for tonight's NIT quarterfinal game against Vanderbilt. This is Calipari's second student ticket purchase in under a week.
Thursday, the Tiger basketball coach purchased 400 tickets for students to attend Saturday's second round NIT game against Virginia Tech.
"Turnout started kind of slow last week," said Shante Young, a student financial assistant who works in the bursar's office where students can pick up the free tickets. "It picked up though."
Young said all of the 400 student tickets were gone by the end of the day.
In addition to Calipari's purchase for tonight's game, U of M booster Dr. T.C. Hilger called into coach Calipari's radio show Monday night and pledged to purchase another 100 tickets to give to students.
"I read in the paper where coach Cal had purchased some student tickets," Hilger said. "It just struck me. Why not help?"
Hilger, who is on active duty in the U.S. military, is currently working outside of Memphis, but he still follows the Tigers closely.
"I follow the team on nationally broadcast games and on Yahoo sports online," he said. "These guys have really come together as a team through the efforts of the coaching staff," Hilger said. "They've bought into playing John Calipari team basketball."
Hilger attended The U of M from 1961 - 1964 and his daughter, Amy de Jongh Curry, earned her B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at The University and is an associate professor in the Joint Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering.
Steve Stroud, assistant athletic director for annual giving, said Hilger called this morning to make good on his pledge.
"We've had a lot of fans and donors getting very excited about this game," Stroud said. "A lot of fans who haven't made it to the first NIT games are coming by to get tickets."
Student Eddie Tyus thinks the purchase of student tickets by coach Calipari sends an important message to people on campus.
"It lets people know that he cares about everybody here at The University," he said. "He also knows that Vandy is going to bring everybody, so that might have played a part in his decision."
Tickets for tonight's game will be available on a first-come basis at the bursar's office at 8:30 a.m. this morning. One reserved seat of the 500 available tickets will be given to each student with a University ID.
Buses will be at Richardson Towers at 8 p.m. tonight to take students to the 9 p.m. tip-off at FedExForum.
Shante Young in the bursar's office said this shows a lot of support from coach Calipari and Dr. Hilger for Tiger basketball.
"People will be lined up," she said. "It will be a very busy morning."
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