`The Line' a little more expensive

A couple hundred students are almost ready for their 33 hours of fun and torture in "The Line."

They get to crowd into a stuffy Palestra, and they get to win T-shirts, hats and restaurant gift certificates.

They get to spend a night sleeping on a hard floor, and they get to spend a few hours playing basketball on the Palestra's hardwood floor.

Most importantly, however, they get to buy choice season tickets for the Penn men's basketball team's 15 home games.

But they aren't quite season tickets this year. If Penn students want want real season tickets this year, they're going to have to pay a little more.

Officially, student season ticket prices will remain the same -- $100 for chairbacks, $60 for all other seats. But Penn's Dec. 8 game against St. Joseph's, the first in the Big 5 Basketball Classic tripleheader, will cost an extra $5. That price will include the subsequent La Salle-Drexel game, but not the nationally televised Villanova-Temple game that night.

"So much for the tripleheader, huh?" said College junior Dan Simons, a season ticket holder last year. "But as long as Penn season ticket holders are able to see the Penn games in their normal seats, that's okay."

That will be the case, and those Philly Classic tickets, officially distributed through the Big 5 and not Penn, will be available for purchase in "The Line" this weekend.

Opinions from students regarding the extra cost is mixed.

"Five dollars isn't too bad," said College senior Nate Herr. "It's not bad getting two games for five bucks."

"I think it's a huge deal," said College junior Marc Kustner. "First you pay extra, and then you don't even get to see the whole tripleheader?"

Aside from the hidden $5 charge, season ticket prices were not raised, after two straight years of $10 hikes.

"The Line" takes place this weekend at the Palestra, starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday and ending at 6 p.m. on Sunday.

But "The Line" really starts earlier than that. Sometime in the next few days, the Athletic Department will post a message on its Web site (www.pennathletics.com) and on its phone line (215-898-4519) informing students when and where to go to grab a wristband claiming their spots in line. Official groups of up to four people can be formed at this time.

Last year, the announcement was made on the Thursday prior to the commencement of "The Line."

One person from each group must be at the Palestra at 9 a.m., on Saturday, while the remaining members of the group need to be there by 5 p.m. Newcomers can join "The Line," however, at any point during the weekend.

Line-goers will get a chance to watch both the Penn men's and women's basketball teams practice on Saturday afternoon.

At 6 p.m. on Saturday, a three-hour interactive program titled "Hoop Madness" will take place. Coaches and players from the Both Penn basketball teams will be there, and there will be trivia contests and give-aways. Comcast will tape footage from this event and air it Saturday and Sunday.

Sunday's entertainment for "The Line" includes a three-on-three basketball tournament.

Last year, approximately 250 people waited in "The Line," which was held in Hutchinson Gymnasium due to renovations to the Palestra. In 1999, 350 waited.

Student season tickets can also be purchased next week at the Weightman Hall ticket office. Penn sold 900 season tickets last year, and 1,000 in 1999.

Including the Big 5 Philly Classic, Penn has 15 home games this year, one of which is scheduled during winter break. Last year the Quakers had 13 home games -- four during winter break.

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