Butler Athletics Feeling Financial Burden of Bandwagon Upgrade

Indianapolis, IN - What was once an unprecedented run in the NCAA tournament has become a financial albatross that threatens to bankrupt the Butler athletic department.

In March of 2010 the Butler men's basketball team made a historic run as a #5 Seed in the NCAA to make it to the title game vs Duke. According to Butler athletic director Barry Collier ,"the demand to get on the Butler bandwagon was unprecedented. We had so many people trying to get on board we just couldn't keep up. We had to turn people away."

The following year after Matt Howard's buzzer beater downed Old Dominion in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament the Butter Athletic Department made a bold decision to invest in a luxury bandwagon to accommodate the millions of national fans and the massive inflow of Hoosier faithful. "We knew some of the national fans would be just temporary but we really believed we had become the states premier basketball program" Said Collier. "I know countless former IU fans that had switched their allegiance to us and told me they were now Butler fans for life. We really trusted their loyalty, but we were wrong and that's what hurts the most."

The betrayal that burned Collier started in the summer of 2011. As high school legend Cody Zeller descended upon Bloomington he led Hoosier fans like the pied piper right off the Butler bandwagon. With the prospect of IU having a better season than Butler, fans that were so dedicated riding the Butler bandwagon throughout the 2011 run to the finals started abandoning ship. Many were vocal and loyal fans during the month long run some even reserved luxury boxes aboard the massive wagon for the 2012 season. Now calls from Collier and his staff for payment on advanced seating have gone unanswered.

The financial burden has been enormous as Butler is saddled with maintaining their Luxury wagon as it sits practically empty.  Collier provided more insight into the situation. "We're looking for creative ways to use it to generate revenue. We made some fast money at the crossroads tourney versus Purdue. We charged IU fans to jump on board for the day to help us defeat them. We are also looking at leasing it Super Bowl week to the New York Giants to hold new fans that might be rooting for the 'other' Manning or to those Colts fans that dislike the Pats or feel emasculated by Tom Brady."

Coach Brad Stevens is still holding out hope the fans will return when he commented. "You're only four wins in March from being America's favorite team. We've done it before and we can do it again, it's the Butler way."