Harvard-Westlake basketball games are always packed, with students signing up early in the raffle and scrambling to find tickets to watch famous rivalry games against Sierra Canyon and Notre Dame. While that level of enthusiasm is an impressive show of school spirit, it has also created issues of fairness and access. Many students who want to attend big games are shut out because of the gym’s limited capacity. Meanwhile, only few people show up to support other Harvard-Westlake teams, even those competing for championships. The school would benefit from implementing a point-based ticket system similar to the University of North Carolina (UNC), rewarding students who always support a variety of school sports, no matter how popular they are.
Under the UNC point system, students can earn points by attending games for different sports, which later give them priority access to high-demand tickets. If the school applies this policy, they can reward students for showing up for the school as a whole rather than only coming to a select few games. Basketball games should not become events for a small group of students who only show up for the biggest games. Instead, ticket access should be given for students who show genuine support year round.
The current imbalance in student attendance is obvious. The gym is packed for basketball games, while stands for sports like field hockey and track are half-empty despite high-level competition. These athletes practice just as hard, represent the school with pride and compete at high levels, but they rarely get the same student support in the crowd. A point-based system would encourage students to show up for everyone, creating a more unified culture rather than a culture centered around a single sport.
Some may argue that this system is unnecessary or too complicated, but demand for tickets already exceeds capacity. Basketball games are packed because the games are exciting, but the issue of limited seats requires a fair method of distribution. Unlike the current system of lottery based distribution, a new system like UNC’s rewards continual support. A simple digital check-in process at the games to award points for watching would make ticket distribution accessible for all students.
However, a downside to a point-based ticket system is that it could encourage students to show ingenuine support just to earn points. Some students might go to games briefly, show little interest and leave early once their attendance is counted for points. But, even partial attendance still brings more students into gyms and stands, increasing support and energy for athletes who usually play in front of small crowds. Over time, larger exposure to different sports can transform casual or point-driven attendance into meaningful support, pushing students beyond their usual sport preferences.
While athletes at the school give significant time and energy to representing the school, student support often focuses on a few big events despite all teams being deserving of community attendance. If the school adopted a UNC-style point system, this would reward loyalty, increase attendance across all sports and create a more balanced and fair ticketing process.
