DeKALB | College students are known to have tight budgets, and trips to a bowl game usually don’t fit into one.

But with the holiday season approaching, the hottest gift for NIU students may be football tickets, hotel rooms and airfare.

Tickets

Tickets can be purchased through NIU’s athletic department Web site at niuhuskies.com by clicking the “Bowl Central” link on the right side of the page, by calling 752-6800, or in person at the Convocation Center.

Fans can purchase upper bowl level seats for $23 or field/plaza level seats for $35. Every transaction has a flat $5 handling fee and a $1.50 convenience charge per ticket.

While these tickets can be shipped, Todd Garzarelli, marketing director for NIU athletics, suggests buyers choose the will-call option.

“We’re trying to do a lot of will-call because of the turnaround time. We don’t want to lose anyone’s tickets in the mail,” Garzarelli said. “There will be a will-call pick-up at the Sheraton hotel. From Friday to game time, an official business center will be set up in the lobby.”

Tickets can also be bought from the Poinsettia Bowl’s Web site at poinsettiabowl.net. But NIU has 10,000 tickets allotted by the Poinsettia Bowl Committee to sell through its athletic department. Tickets purchased directly from the bowl’s Web site will not be taken from NIU’s allotment of 10,000.

How to get there

Fans can choose two main methods of reaching San Diego — airplanes or automobiles.

NIU has officially chosen Anthony Travel to put together packages for Huskie fans. Charter flights through the travel agency are not yet available, but should be within the next 48 hours, according to the travel agency’s Web site.

The Student Association is also working with the athletic department with the hope to have reduced student fares.

“We’re hoping to have everything finalized by Thursday or Friday at the latest,” Garzarelli said.

Non-charter flights are a possibility, but airfare is more expensive than normal due to the Poinsettia Bowl being close to Christmas.

For example, a non-stop round trip fare from American Airlines leaving from O’Hare on Dec. 18 and returning on Dec. 20 costs $411.

Fans can also choose to make the 2,020-mile drive from DeKalb to San Diego. Mapquest.com estimates the drive to take more than 29 hours.

Driving may not be much cheaper than flying. According to gasbuddy.com the national average for gas is $2.26. If a car gets 25 miles per gallon, it would take about 81 gallons of gasoline for a one-way trip. That adds up to about $183 dollars in gas for one way, or $366 for a round trip.

This also assumes fans drive straight to the game and don’t stay at hotels along the way, and does not include the cost of food and drinks for the trip.

Where to stay

NIU will use the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina as its official hotel. It’s located by San Diego Bay and is a little more than six miles from the bowl’s location at Qualcomm Stadium.

Anthony Travel is offering rooms for $149 per night, plus tax, through its Web site, anthonytravel.com. There’s a two-night minimum stay for fans who book their hotel through Anthony

Travel.

Another option for fans is to go through sportours.us.v This company is offering king and double bed rooms at the Sheraton for $148 per night, plus tax.

Other hotels can be found for cheaper prices online, but they may be farther away from the Qualcomm Stadium, and will not be the official NIU headquarters.