When the NIU men’s basketball team defeated DePaul on the night of January 15, they did so in front of 6,261 screaming Huskies fans.

The crowd was the biggest to ever attend a basketball game at Chick Evans Field House. The game was also highlighted by the students having to obtain “The Ticket” in advance of the game in order to accommodate seating for the approximately 3,000 students in attendance.

After that game, the NIU athletic department initiated a new ticket policy that required students to obtain a ticket at 8 a.m. on the day of any NIU men’s or women’s basketball game. The student would need a valid and current student ID.

The policy began on “Big Thursday,” January 31. That evening the women’s game drew 2,405 fans and the men’s game drew 4,140. However, since that night the attendance has dropped for both men’s games and two of the three women’s games.

Many students apparently do not yet realize that they don’t have to obtain their ticket between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. If any student decides to wait until game time to come to the game, they will be handed a ticket and admitted to the game unless the contest has already sold out.

The fieldhouse has only been sold out three times in the last two years and was less than half filled (2,544) for the last men’s game against Western Illinois. The women had 1,448 at its Saturday game.