Students eagerly logged onto Fanbase at 11:30 a.m. last Wednesday to secure an in-demand ticket to the annual Bowdoin-Colby hockey game. Browsers buffered and students simmered for nearly ten minutes before many students found that no more tickets were available. The general public, however, had access to tickets a week prior.

The Bowdoin-Colby hockey game remains one of our most beloved campus traditions, and we believe that the current student body should have access to the hockey tickets first, so that we all have the option to partake in the tradition if we so please. If students have access to the tickets first, the general public allotment may be adjusted to accommodate as many students as possible.

Since the first Bowdoin-Colby game in 1922, rivalry between the two teams has fueled our most highly anticipated sports match of the year. The traditions associated with this game have evolved, with students throwing frozen turkeys in the ’60s, tennis balls in the ’80s and grilled cheese, fish and nuts in the ’90s onto the ice as a sign of support. In recent years, students have chanted “Mules are sterile” and have looked forward to sightings like former President Clayton Rose riding the Zamboni during intermission.

These traditions, then and now, are some of the strongest affirmations of Bowdoin pride. From first years to graduating seniors, athletes to NARPs, this tradition serves as a source of cross-campus connection, one that should be available to all students who wish to participate.

While the statistics on ticket sales for the 2025 Bowdoin-Colby hockey game have yet to be released, last year, over 1,900 students, community members and alumni gathered for the tradition. Yet, only about 700 of those tickets were allotted to students. Allotting more tickets for students and allowing us to reserve tickets first can satisfy student engagement and excitement about partaking in this beloved tradition.

As written in the email announcing the release of student tickets, sent just 18 minutes before they went live, “these tickets typically go in a matter of minutes.” Clearly, students are interested in and excited about attending the Bowdoin-Colby hockey game, but not every student interested is able to acquire a ticket with the current allocation between students and the general public.

For first years, the Bowdoin-Colby hockey game is a fabled winter tradition to look forward to. However, despite the great interest in longstanding campus traditions and growing their sense of community, many first years were unable to get tickets. How will core traditions be passed down if students can’t experience the roar of the Bowdoin crowd cheering for their Polar Bears?

For seniors, this represents their last chance to attend a Bowdoin-Colby hockey game as a student. And yet, some seniors may graduate without having been to a single game, and not for lack of trying.

An email sent out yesterday announced the availability of a “select number” of tickets available on a first-come, first-serve basis on the day of the game. What exactly that number will be has not been specified, potentially meaning that students who still cannot get a ticket will have to wait in the general public line in hopes for a spot once the game begins, if one even exists.

While it is admirable that the College hopes to bring together town and gown with Bowdoin-Colby hockey, this tradition is first and foremost a student event. Seeing the faces of young kids light up and the smile lines of alumni crinkle in joy as Bowdoin’s student-athletes sweep across the ice is heartening: Our connection to Brunswick is part of what makes Bowdoin special. However, Bowdoin athletics should prioritize student engagement by allocating more seats to students.

This editorial represents the majority opinion of the Editorial Board, which is composed of Julia Dickinson, Catalina Escobedo, Kaya Patel, Claire Shim, Kristen Kinzler and Vaughn Vial.