Doc Sadler Follows Up Mass Phone Call By Visiting Every Dorm Room On Campus In Hopes Of Selling Basketball Tickets

Story by Erik Mellgren 

| Published Nov 17, 2009

All this week, students returning to their dorm rooms at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will be greeted by a rather out-of-place sight. Doc Sadler, head coach of the Nebraska men’s basketball team, has been going door-to-door in every dormitory on both East Campus and City Campus, in the hopes of selling a few more basketball season ticket packages. Earlier in October, Doc Sadler sent out a mass phone call to most of the student body to encourage students to buy basketball tickets. He decided to follow up on his phone call by visiting every student on campus to press him or her to get season tickets.

Husker basketball has always played the role of little brother to the football program at UNL. Sadler is hoping to turn that stereotype around. University housing allowed Sadler to roam the halls by removing their restriction on solicitation in the dorms to help his cause. “Doc is a real nice fellow, and he’s really proud of his team this year," said Keith Zaborowski, Associate Director of Residence Life. "He just wants a few people to actually show up and watch what he’s put together, and who am I to deny him that?”

Sadler was inspired by the football team to sell more tickets this season. “I saw that the football team hit 300 consecutive sellouts this year,” said Sadler, “and I figured we oughtta hit our own landmark consecutive sellout streak this year. I can feel it: This is the year that we sell out two home games in a row.”

Sadler’s teams have been characterized by their work ethic, and his efforts to sell tickets show that he practices what he preaches. Sadler proudly said of his efforts, “I’m sellin’ tickets door-to-door, so students can watch my team play baseline-to-baseline.”

Many students were surprised that Doc Sadler stopped by their rooms to visit. “I had no idea that we even had a basketball team,” confessed freshman Cather resident, Jack Burton, “I just assumed that the Devaney Center was another practice facility for the football team. I mean, why would we name our basketball arena after a football coach? They must be trying to keep the team a secret or something.”

Sadler says he hopes to speak with every student in the dorms by the end of the week, but his progress has been slowed since the University refuses to give him access to the course schedules of students so he can catch them when they are not in class. Sadler even has his players working hard in order to sell tickets. When not in class or at practice, players have been manning tables in the Union and outside dining halls to catch any students Sadler might miss. “Doc even has us going to Greek house meetings every Monday to make announcements,” said Ryan Anderson, a guard on the basketball team. “I just hope it works. It would be nice to play in front of a crowd for my senior season.”