Trustees send students to tourney free

(Davidson College press release) No loans. No laundry. No cost to attend the “Sweet 16.” At Davidson College students have just learned that they’ll be able to watch their Wildcats play 3rd-seed Wisconsin in person in Detroit Friday night for free – thanks to the college trustees.

Davidson’s Board of Trustees announced Wednesday afternoon that its members are contributing money to cover costs for any student who wants to attend the “Sweet 16″ matchup. The new gift will cover the cost of tickets for Friday night’s Session 1 Davidson-Wisconsin game, as well as tickets for Sunday’s Session 2 contest; bus transportation between Davidson and Detroit (11 hours each way); and two nights of lodging at a Detroit area hotel.

The total cost of the endeavor is not yet known; it will depend on how many students sign up for the trip.

“Given the extraordinary nature of the success of the men¹s basketball team,” President Tom Ross ‘72 said in an e-mail message to the college community. “Davidson’s Trustees have graciously offered to pay the expenses of those students who are able to attend the game in Detroit on Friday night. We know that at Davidson, academics come first,” Ross continued, noting that Friday’s classes at Davidson would go on as planned. “Students, please consider going to the game ONLY if this is, academically, the right decision for you.”