Texas Tech Head Coach Chris Beard Offers To Buy Tickets For The Public

Texas Tech head basketball coach Chris Beard fully understands the importance of having a home court advantage.  Therefore, he is making a grand gesture to ensure a sellout for the next home game.

Texas Tech basketball fans do not need a very long memory to recall a time when the game day atmosphere at United Spirit Arena was more like that of a mausoleum than a big time college basketball environment.  But that trend has changed in recent seasons and head coach Chris Beard is determined to keep it that way.

One week out from Texas Tech’s next home game against rival Texas, Beard took a fantastically usual tactic to try to ensure the area is full on Wednesday.

According to Twitter (so take it with a grain of salt), Beard is offering to go as far as personally buying tickets for fans.

The Texas Tech basketball program has seen a huge increase in fan support this year as the team is in the midst of its most successful season in over a decade.  This season, Texas Tech is averaging 9,379 fans per game.  That number has increased  to 13,260 thus far in Big 12 games.

Currently, Texas Tech ranks second behind only Kansas in average attendance during conference games.  That number is a significant increase from last year’s average of just over 10,000.

And considering that Texas Tech still has home games left with high interest opponents Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and TCU the attendance totals should be even more impressive by season’s end.

It is hard to fathom but just five years ago, the Red Raiders were not even able to bring the 15,097 seat U.S.A. to half capacity drawing a mere 7,853 fans per game.

But despite the uptick in attendance, Beard will not settle until every seat in the arena is filled.  He has made a conscious effort to thank the fans for their support (especially the students) at the beginning of almost every post game press conference at home.

"“I want to recognize our fans again.” Beard said following the Oklahoma State game. “Simply stated, we don’t win this game if we don’t have a home court advantage…Student attendance was big time tonight.  If we can continue to get our students to come out like this, and even better, then I think we’re going to have a chance to do something special as a program.  Thank you again to our season ticket holders, our students and anybody that might have came to watch this game on a single ticket.”"

In his time at Texas Tech, Beard has seen both ends of the attendance spectrum.  As an assistant under Bob Knight from 2001-2008, he witnessed a high point of Red Raider basketball when the new U.S.A. was one of the most difficult arenas in the nation for opponents.  However, over the next three seasons, he had a front row seat to decline of the program and the loss of fan interest under Pat Knight.

Now, as the man in charge, Beard is putting on a clinic in public relations which is only fertilizing Lubbock’s growing love affair with its basketball coach.  For example, following a December home win over Nevada, a Texas Tech fan Tweeted about Beard paying for the parking ticket the fan received during the game.

Beard knows how much of an advantage the U.S.A. can be and he is going to do whatever it takes to maximize the Red Raiders’ home court.  Of course, Beard should not have to buy too many tickets.  Having already sold out the area once, on January 13th of this year for a showdown with then No. 2 West Virginia, Red Raider fans are showing up in droves.

Next: Texas Tech Grinds Out Win Over Oklahoma State

And that love is being reciprocated by Chris Beard who is one of the most genuine and likable coaches in the nation.  It is clear that he loves Texas Tech and the community of Lubbock and as a result, the fans have once again fallen back in love with Red Raider basketball.