The Line is coming this weekend, and Penn Athletics administrators are promising that this year's edition will be the most exciting one yet.
"I think this will be bigger and better than any of the ones we've done recently," said Dan Flynn, director of Marketing, Promotions and Community Affairs for the Penn Athletic Department.
The official start of the school's basketball season, The Line is the main source of student ticket sales.
Sometime between this morning and Thursday evening, an announcement will appear on www.pennathletics.com, telling students to go to a now-secret location on campus.
The earlier students arrive at this secret location, the earlier they will be able to select their seats for men's basketball games.
Penn has upped the prices of season tickets this season for students.
Last year, chairback seats went for $100, while all other student seating went for $60. This year, however, season tickets in the chairbacks cost $105, while all other locations are $70.
Flynn indicated that while season ticket packages are more expensive this year, they are a better value. Included in this year's package is a ticket to Penn's game at Temple on Wednesday, Dec. 8, where Penn will provide complimentary transportation.
Another perk of this year's season ticket package is first access to the limited number of tickets for the Dec. 4 Big 5 Classic doubleheader, in which Penn will take on La Salle. This ticket is also good for the Temple-Villanova game, played just after the Quakers game.
Student tickets to the doubleheader are just $8, a relative bargain compared to the $40 that the general public will pay. However, Penn has only about 400 student tickets to this doubleheader, meaning that it is highly unlikely that many will be available for those not participating in The Line.
In order to claim their spot in selecting season tickets, however, Penn fans must spend Friday night sleeping out in the Palestra.
There, participants will be treated to a variety of activities.
Quakers fans will have a chance to cheer on the volleyball team against Harvard on Friday at 7 p.m. Participants will also be treated to a pizza party.
The highlight of the evening, however, promises to happen at the stroke of midnight on Oct. 15. That's the first time that the NCAA allows basketball teams to practice as a full team.
Both the men's and women's hoops teams will scrimmage on the Palestra floor in a traditional "midnight madness" celebration.
The next day, participants in The Line will attend the football game against Columbia and then another volleyball game, this one against Dartmouth. Following the game, students will receive their tickets and be released.
This year's event will be unique, as it occurs during Homecoming.
"Tying it into Homecoming, we thought it would be a real festive, fun event that gave students a good experience," Flynn said.
Flynn indicated that he is not worried that the Homecoming events will detract from participants in The Line.
He said that historically, expectations for the upcoming season mostly determine the number of participants.
When expectations were high before the 2002-03 season, close to 700 people camped out at the Palestra. Last year, when not as much excitement surrounded the team, about 250 participants came out.
The origin of The Line dates back to 1969, when basketball fans would make a mad dash to the Franklin Field ticket office on the day that season tickets became available. By Penn's 1979 Final Four season, students were camping out for five days outside the ticket office. In the last 10 years, the event has morphed into the more controlled event we see today.
