The Butler Bulldogs were set to play Providence in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament on March 12th, and a group of lucky Butler students were told the previous night that their tickets to the game were ready to be picked up. The next morning, on gameday, those tickets were null and void.
Dawg Pound, the Butler student section, had generously purchased a number of tickets to the game for students to claim if they wished to travel to New York to cheer on their team. One of those students was sophomore Erin Siechen.
Siechen is a member of the Dawg Pound exec team and a New York native. Although being a Duke fan before arriving at Butler, she very quickly found herself attached to the Bulldogs.
“I knew I wanted to go to a school with a good pharmacy program and basketball program, and after visiting Butler, it clicked,” she stated. “And I haven’t missed a game since, and I don’t plan on missing any.”
Since freshman year, she has volunteered in the basketball office once a week just because she loves the sport and the team. So, naturally, she wanted to be more involved in Dawg Pound beyond attending every home game. As a member of the exec team, she took on many roles, including control of the Instagram account, and became a mainstay for the club.
It comes as no surprise that she claimed tickets to the Big East Tourney in her home state for herself and some family. They had already made arrangements at a hotel in New York City, ready to stick it out for the long haul.
With her bags packed and ready to leave on gameday, Siechen received the news that the tournament had been cancelled due to the spread of the coronavirus.
“I was very disappointed. I went home for spring break, and New York City was going to be the one fun thing I got to do,” she said. “I wanted to see all the seniors play one last time.”
Siechen was also planning on supporting Butler at the NCAA Tournament. Dawg Pound had its sights set on purchasing tickets to the first round of the tournament for Butler students and providing travel, as long as the game was within a 10-hour radius of campus.
Lindsay Martin, Director of Athletic Marketing & Licensing at Butler, is also the advisor for Dawg Pound. She ensured that the club received its full refund from the Big East for the tickets it purchased for students. After the NCAA Tournament was also cancelled, Martin was left with a season ended and excess funds unspent.
“Those funds will now roll over to next year’s Dawg Pound budget, and Athletics will work with the new exec team to determine how best to spend it,” she said.
Dawg Pound will meet one more time this school year (virtually, of course) to discuss how to come back strong next semester to serve Butler sports fans once again. And you can be sure to see Erin Siechen leading the way.
