Props to the University of Miami for doing away with a lame and greed-driven policy.
CanesFest will now be open to the public on August 17th, from 4:00-7:00pm ET, where in the past it had become an event that only season ticket holders and Hurricane Club members could attend.
“We listen to our fans and we always appreciate feedback,” said UM director of communications Chris Yandle. “We wanted to make sure we included all our fans.”
Again, kudos to UM for making the switch and easing up, but this one really was a no-brainer.
The program has been struggling for over half a decade, the Miami Heat are the go-to franchise in town (especially with so much star power and back-to-back titles) and while Al Golden is doing a tremendous job rebuilding, the wins have come in the weight room, on the practice field and with recruiting, but not on game day.
UM needs to do things to build – and capitalize – on hype, not put up a ton of red tape to stifle it. Create a groundswell this off-season, welcome the fans with open arms and do things to entice them to buy season tickets – don’t strong-arm folks into doing so (which is already the case as single-game tickets are not available for Florida on September 7th, meaning fans must buy tickets for the season to earn a seat at the biggest home game of the year.)
To the fans, please show up to CanesFest in record numbers. The players deserve it and The U needs a reminder that this fan base is amped up and will take full advantage of opportunities like this.
Again, CanesFest will take place at the BankUnited Center on Saturday August 17th from 4:00-7:00pm. Fans can meet coaches and players and get autographs, while playing games and engaging in other fun activities.