New York, NY -- Unlike many of our rivals, NYU's sporting events draw crowds in the dozens, not in the hundreds or thousands. It was interesting to note, however, that attendance at the men's hockey game rose this weekend after brawls broke out in the team's games the weekend before, resulting in the arrest of the team captain.
Students seem to know very little about NYU's sports teams. Many students know about the NYU football team, which is highlighted on T-shirts sold by the bookstore and student vendors, despite the fact that we have no such team. If as many students supported NYU's real teams as they support the fake squad, we actually might start filling the stands at home games.
Despite their relative anonymity, NYU's sports teams have been performing quite well this year. The women's volleyball team has had an outstanding season, mounting a 29-3 record and breaking into the top 10 among Division III teams nationally. The men's soccer team served up its 10th shutout of the year on Sunday, and the women's tennis team took third in a recent invitational tournament.
While it is unlikely that higher attendance at sports games will make NYU spontaneously develop a more cohesive university community, students may be surprised to find out how entertaining our sports teams can be. They play hard, they win and they deserve some support from the student body.
We sincerely hope that NYU's other teams do not have to start brawls at their games to get some fan support. It probably wouldn't go over very well at a volleyball game.