Carpooling and packing of hotel rooms eases costs

Monday, April 7, 2008

SAN ANTONIO — The banner under the scoreboard in the Alamodome read “The road ends here.” How appropriate for the Kansas fans who made the 12-hour, 780-mile road trip to San Antonio to see the Jayhawks in the Final Four.

Many Kansas fans took the long drive down Interstate 35 through Oklahoma and parts of Texas to get to San Antonio despite gas prices.

“Gas was definitely our biggest expense,” said Grant Buffington, St. Louis junior. Buffington was one of the winners in the Kansas Athletics student ticket lottery for the Final Four. His and all other lottery winners’ tickets cost $170.

Many fans hit the road in groups to cut down the cost. Buffington traveled with seven friends in two cars. He estimated that each car took “a little over $100” in gas to get to San Antonio. His group also saved money by staying at a friend’s house near San Antonio.

“He didn’t come to the Final Four, but he was willing to make the trip back and let us stay with him at his place,” Buffington said.

Megan Daniel, Long Beach, Calif., sophomore, said her group cut the cost of a hotel by packing a room.

“We have about eight people in one room, so it’s going to cost about $14 each for a night,” Daniel said.

Kansas benefited from having one of the shorter drives compared with other Final Four schools. UCLA fans who made their road trip were difficult to find in the crowd.

“Everyone I know flew here,” said Zoe Thompson, UCLA junior. “Nobody wants to drive 19 hours, especially with gas prices being so high.”

Expenses didn’t end with travel and hotel for fans who didn’t get Final Four tickets through the Kansas Athletics student ticket lottery . They had to purchase tickets from scalpers near the Alamodome and the River Walk.

Gonzalo Valdez, Lima, Peru junior, said his group finally got tickets from UCLA and North Carolina fans for $250 each.

“We got here a day early to try and find tickets, but we didn’t get any until 3:30 p.m. the day of the games,” Valdez said.

Valdez said he was overwhelmed when he finally walked into the arena and saw the basketball court. His road to the Final Four had finally ended.

“We walked in, and we got really hyped up because we were finally here at the Final Four,” Valdez said.

— Edited by Jessica Sain-Baird

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