A boon for spirit

It's about time to see some much-needed money going to Bronco spirit groups. For years, Ruff Riders has boasted that it is one of the largest organizations on campus and that it is responsible for livening-up school spirit, all doing so on a shoestring budget.

Pepsi, according to a story by reporter Jeremy Herb last week, is planning to give $25,000 annually for the next several years to spirit groups such as the Ruff Riders and pep band. The money, which will total more than $100,000 until 2012, was part of the annual beverage contract that recently made Pepsi the official soft drink provider on campus.

And with these "gifts," Ruff Riders is also meeting with Associated Students to resolve the tenuous position it has in how it's governed. (Right now, it's against AS bylaws for Ruff Riders and the Athletic Department to jointly oversee the group.) Hopefully, this new money will allow Ruff Riders to operate similarly as larger chartered student organizations like The Santa Clara.

We hope this money will be put to good use, and we're confident it will. While we're not sure what -- if any -- strings are attached to the contract, Ruff Riders in particular could use funds to send more students to far-away games, particularly the West Coast Conference championship next year in Portland, Ore. Club officials say that reducing the travel costs to big games will allow more to go.

Such money would also be useful to the pep band for new instruments or equipment, if necessary, or to subsidize student ticket costs at away games. While the Office of Student Life and Athletic Department will jointly manage these funds, we hope that they give student leaders, particularly incoming Ruff Riders President Ian Frost and other spirit group presidents, much discretion in how those groups want that money to be used.

Money isn't a silver bullet to increase much-needed fan attendance at some athletic events. But it's sure a good step to get us on par with other universities' spirit groups. Let's just make sure that such a gift is spent wisely.