By James Hoyt
KU Statehouse Wire Service
TOPEKA – Approximately 30 people gathered in front of Wescoe Hall at the University of Kansas Monday afternoon to protest the scheduling of Saturday’s basketball game. They also established a Facebook page to protest.
Protestors want a change in game time. The KU vs. Iowa State matchup is set for 3 p.m. Saturday, the same time the Kansas Democratic presidential caucuses are scheduled to begin. The Republican caucus vote is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., which demonstrators also found inconvenient.
Protest organizer Daniel Walker, a University senior from Overland Park, said the game’s schedule will adversely affect KU athletic department employees and others who wish to participate in the Democratic and Republican caucuses.
“KU is a public institution that has a moral obligation to making sure that its students and its faculty can attend things like these important events,” Walker said.
ESPN is in charge of scheduling and said it could not change the game’s time.
“Working with the Big 12 Conference, we set the time for ESPN’s national telecast of Iowa State at Kansas, per the normal scheduling process. Due to other live national game commitments on ESPN Saturday, we are unable to move the telecast time,” an ESPN spokesperson said.
Assistant Athletic Director Jim Marchiony said in a statement Monday that he recommends that students vote.
“We support every Kansan’s right to be involved in the political process and regret the conflict with the game time. We will encourage any KU student who has responsibilities at Saturday’s game, and who wants to go to the caucus, to go to the caucus,” Marchiony said.
Curtis Hall, Douglas County Democratic Party chair, expressed concern that fans who would otherwise go to the caucuses might choose to go to the game instead. He also noted that game time traffic could pose an issue for caucus-goers.
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self doesn’t plan on voting in the caucuses. He said neither the game nor the caucuses would be affected negatively by the scheduling conflict.
– Edited by Leah Sitz