March 14, 2005
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Tickets are on sale now for the first round of the 24th annual NCAA Women's Basketball Championship. Santa Clara University will take on top-ranked Stanford in the opening round on Saturday night at Fresno State University's Save Mart Center.
Fans can purchase tickets in a variety of ways. Through Santa Clara University, tickets can be purchase in person or on the phone. As of Wednesday, fans will need to purchase tickets through Fresno State University. The Save Mart Center offers options via phone, the Internet, by fax, by mail or in person.
Santa Clara's team section is labeled 110 in the Save Mart Center, and is located at mid court on the lower level, across from the team bench. Fans wishing to purchase tickets in this section will be charged a flat rate of $25. The ticket price is also only for the session that the Broncos are competing in, which includes a 5 p.m. game between Iowa State and Utah. Santa Clara and Stanford will tip off 30 minutes after the 5 p.m. contest ends.
The athletic department has put together a ticket and transportation package for SCU fans. For only $60, Santa Clara will provide bus transportation to Fresno, snacks during the trip, a ticket to the game in the Bronco section, and a commemorative WCC Champions t-shirt.
For those fans who have already purchased tickets, a bus and t-shirt option is available for $35.
The Santa Clara Athletic Ticket Office is located on the east side of the Leavey Center, at 500 El Camino Real. Ticket patron parking is available in front of the offices at El Camino Real and Accolti Way. Business hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and tickets will be available for purchase through 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Fans call also phone in ticket orders at 408-554-4660.
The bus-only option will be available until Thursday at 4 p.m. Saturday's transportation will depart from the Leavey Center parking lot at 2:30 p.m. and will arrive in Fresno prior to the first game of the evening session. It will also arrive in time for a pre-game fan function that is currently in the planning stages.
Fans who purchase tickets have until Friday at 4 p.m. to pick them up at the ticket office.
To purchase tickets as of Wednesday, please see host Fresno State's official website for information by clicking here. The website features detailed ticket pricing, which includes youth and college student discounts, however, those are only available outside the Bronco ticket block. Fresno State's information page also includes a seating chart for the Save Mart Center, directions to the facility and a link to the city of Fresno's Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Santa Clara (17-13) will be participating in the program's sixth NCAA Tournament overall and was selected as the Kansas City Region's 15th seed. Santa Clara will open the tournament against second-seeded Stanford (29-2) Santa Clara is 11-25 all-time against the Cardinal, with these two teams last meeting during the 2001-02 season. The game will air live on ESPN2 on Saturday at approximately 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
