Making his way slowly to Memorial Stadium with his wife Margaret, John Boydstun yelled out “anybody need free tickets?”
All tickets were free to the Bakersfield College homecoming game on Nov. 5, so at first it seemed like Boydstun’s offer was facetious. But a sign displayed on the darkened home team ticket booth revealed that all home team tickets were sold out, and Boydstun, a 1939 graduate of BC and season ticket-holder since the creation of the stadium, had extra tickets in his pocket. Other people, too, came from their seats to the home team entrance asking if anyone needed tickets.
In an attempt to fill the stands for the 50th anniversary of Memorial Stadium, Bakersfield College offered free admission to the game. Although the stadium can hold approximately 19,000 people, an approximate total of 8,000 patrons passed through the turnstile at the football game making it the largest crowd all season. According to Pat Coyle, concession manager for the game, the total was slightly lower than he expected, but he was still very pleased with the turnout.
“It is fantastic. It’s a great crowd,” he said.
BC Athletic Director Jan Stuebbe said he did not have a specific number in his head for the total attendance. His estimate however, is that the crowd was closer to 9,000 or 10,000.
“It wasn’t a disappointment, it was a great night for BC,” he said. “We were very, very pleased.”
Although once inside fans cheered and applauded, before the game some were discouraged by the unavailability of the tickets.
Howard Santillan reserved tickets for himself before the game, but when he got to the entrance nobody could tell him where will call was, so he took Boydstun up on his offer and found his tickets.
“Its kind of disorganized right now, but its really easy to get tickets,” Santillan said.
Before the game, BC alumni and fans alike gathered in the parking lot for the tailgate parties. Industrial Technology Department Chair and 1964 BC graduate Arnold Burr helped organize a tailgate party that juxtaposed historic items from BC’s history with current or recent ones. Among the items were seat cushions, helmets, and an old record with BC songs from the early ’60s. A BC football hat sat next to an old beanie topped with a large fuzzy ball.
“I think this is fantastic,” said Rick Wright, BC President from 1983-1987, referring to the 50th anniversary event. “This stadium is better than most university campus stadiums.”
Several alumni from the ’50s and ’60s agreed that the stadium used to be consistently filled. Mike Komin, who went to BC from ’71-73 and played with Stuebbe when he was quarterback for the team, talked about the change in attendance.
“I think there’s just so much going on,” he said, adding that the BC football games used to be the place people went on dates.
Ron Polk, who played as linebacker for the first BC team at Memorial Stadium in the ’50s, said that attendance now is, “bad, bad, bad. Look at it, a free game and no one comes out. Bakersfield stays home and watches the boob tube.”
Current student Michael Gutierrez, 19, used to attend games when he was a child and said it is very different now.
“I remember when I was a kid and it (stadium seats) were pretty much filled,” he said.
Regardless of the attendance, spirits at the game were high. Smiles were on the faces of everyone from campus employees and current students to football players and alumni cheerleaders.
Alumni cheerleader Michelle Winton said this was her 21st year back to cheer for homecoming. She even made it back to Bakersfield when she lived in Hawaii.
“It feels good to be back, but my skirt keeps getting shorter every year,” she said.
Will Chandler and Shalene Altamirano received the titles of king and queen. Nine couples appeared on the homecoming ballot and 452 people voted for king and queen.
BC won their Homecoming game 52-24 against Ventura.