The San Antonio Rampage started their 10th anniversary season Saturday, Oct. 8 with a home game victory over the Chicago Wolves, 3-2 in a shootout. The Rampage are part of the American Hockey League (AHL), the professional minor league of the National Hockey League, NHL. These might have been minor league teams, but the locals brought major league energy to cheer on their Rampage. T-Bone, the Rampage mascot, kept the 9,062 Rampage fans at AT&T Center rowdy by leading them in cheers and making noise with his cowbell.
If you have never been to a live professional hockey game, every hockey play has the fluid transition of a basketball fast break, which allows players to hit each other with the force of a small car crash.
The home crowd cheered for every goal and every big hit in the game.
“It’s a pretty high pace sport. It’s gritty and in your face, and I think it’s a sport that TV doesn’t really do it justice,” said Bracken Kearns, 2nd year player and center for the San Antonio Rampage. “I love playing here. The fans are great.”
Spurs Sports and Entertainment, SS&E, is the company that manages several other professional sports teams in San Antonio. Along with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage, SS&E runs the San Antonio Spurs (NBA) the San Antonio Silver Stars (WNBA) and the Austin Toros (NBA Developmental League). Three years ago, SS&E started the SpursU initiative, a program that has deals exclusively for San Antonio college students.
“The prices are $10 for Spurs games and Rampage games,” UTSA student and SS&E marketing intern Eric Becerra said. “It’s a good way to get college students involved in these events.”
Christopher Davis, also a UTSA student and marketing intern for SS&E added, “By showing your college ID at the Box office two hours before the game starts, a student can claim two tickets per ID for seats that aren’t taken by any fans yet. We are looking to expand the program to other SS&E teams but for now it’s for just the Spurs and Rampage.”
The AT&T Center also has more promotions during the games. For example, Friday is one-dollar beer and fountain drinks night. Other promotions include “Sunday Funday” games and “all you can eat” rampage games.
SpursU has several ways that students can keep up their promotions. Students can text the word “college” to “50927” to get immediate availability updates to their mobile phones.
SpursU also has a twitter account, @SpursU, along with a Facebook page that also provide availability updates for the home games. “Building off the momentum of the Rampage game, and when the Spurs season takes off this program is really going to take off,” said Baccera.
The Rampage will host the Oklahoma City Barons on Friday Oct. 14 at 7 pm.
