08241
March 27, 2008
A ‘Sweet 16’ deal
Davidson College trustees to cover students’ costs for attending NCAA tournament
DAVIDSON, NC — Students at Presbyterian-related Davidson College here are getting a free ride to the Big Dance.
The school’s board of trustees announced Wednesday (March 26) that its members are contributing money to cover expenses for any student who wants to attend the NCAA men’s basketball tournament “Sweet 16” matchup between Davidson and Wisconsin on Friday night (March 28).
Covered will be the cost of tickets to the Midwest Regional semifinal game in Detroit at 7:10 p.m. ET, as well as Sunday’s matchup between the winners of Friday’s game, according to a press release issued by the school.
Bus transportation between Davidson and Detroit, which are 11 hours apart, is also included along with two nights lodging at a Detroit-area hotel. The total cost of the endeavor is not yet known. The final price tag will depend on how many students sign up for the trip, the press release said.
Tenth-seeded Davidson (28-6) knocked off seventh-seeded Gonzaga and second-seeded Georgetown, sending the Wildcats to an improbable spot in the round of 16 against the No. 3 seed Wisconsin Badgers.
Davidson, which was founded in 1837 by ministers of Concord Presbytery, hadn’t won an NCAA tournament game since coach Lefty Driesell led them to two regional finals in the 1960s. At the time Davidson was considered one of the top basketball programs in the country.
Of the teams playing in this year’s Sweet 16, Davidson (1,700 full-time undergraduates) has the smallest enrollment, but is riding the nation’s longest-winning streak at 24 games. The liberal arts school also has one of the nation’s best shooters in sophomore Stephen Curry.
“Given the extraordinary nature of the success of the men’s basketball team, Davidson’s trustees have graciously offered to pay the expenses of those students who are able to attend the game in Detroit on Friday night…,” Davidson President Tom Ross said in an e-mail message to the college community.
“We know that at Davidson academics come first. Students please consider going to the game only if this is academically the right decision for you,” Ross continued, noting that Friday’s classes at the college would go on as planned.
Davidson pride has been apparent almost everywhere in Davidson, a well-to-do town of about 9,000 people 20 miles north of Charlotte, NC, according to The Associated Press. Folks drove around town with flags on their cars. Storefronts on the old-fashioned Main Street had congratulatory messages. The ice cream shop had a "Sweet 16" sundae special for $3.16.
That was after Davidson made a triumphant return to campus Sunday night (March 23), hours after Curry scored 25 of his 30 points in the second half and the Wildcats overcame a 17-point deficit to stun Georgetown 74-70.
Students unable to attend Friday’s game in Detroit are invited to watch the contest on large-screen televisions in the Alvarez College Union. Hundreds of students, faculty, staff and community members have turned out to watch previous tournament broadcasts, the press release said.
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