DePaul University Athletics
Season Ticket Holders Raring to Go
9/10/2019 3:30:00 PM | ATHLETICS, MEN'S BASKETBALL
Blue Demon fans swept up in wave of optimism about upcoming basketball season
CHICAGO – Marty Murphy calls it the start of his basketball season.
For DePaul Accountancy professor Dr. Mark Frigo and former DePaul track star, attorney Dale Tobias---it's like the dawn of a new day.
Seat selection for season ticketholders wrapped up Monday night amidst a palpable wave of energy and optimism. Full season tickets for the general public are now on sale. Call the DePaul Ticket Office at 773-325-7526.
"The process was great and it was fun to touch base with season ticketholders," said Murphy, DePaul's ticket director. "Lots of people are anxious to see the new recruiting class, especially Romeo Weems. They can't wait to see Paul Reed after the breakout season he had as a sophomore."
The Blue Demons were one of the big reasons why Frigo chose DePaul over three other colleges who made offers after he finished his PhD in 1980.
"I committed to DePaul because of its entrepreneurial spirit, professional orientation and being a university where many of its students were first-generation college students like myself," he said. "I identified with DePaul's mission, and still do. I am proud to say I attended the same Chicago city college (Southeast City College) as our benefactor Richard Driehaus.
"Plus, DePaul is so Chicago. Born on the South Side and growing up in the Pullman community, that was important to me. DePaul is a great place with great people. My three children (Mike, Cara, Amy) all completed their MBA degrees at DePaul, so I believe in this university as a center of excellence in business education.
"And of course, there's the legendary Blue Demons."
Frigo was swept up in the "Blue Wave" back at a time when coach Ray Meyer and "the little school under the L tracks" were becoming a national sensation.
"I became a fan in the days of Ray Meyer and Mark Aguirre," Frigo said. "The Blue Demons were so visible all over Chicago and across the nation. We were ranked No. 1 in the country back then. People want to work for a winning school.
"My first season tickets were way back in the second level of Allstate Arena known as the Rosemont Horizon in those days. Once I joined the faculty, I wanted to become part of the DePaul community. The faculty during that period was very active and supportive of the basketball program.
"My son Mike started going to games with me when he was two years old, and I would eventually take all three of the kids with me. As young professionals, they still come to games with me.
"Of course I can remember the glory days of Ray Meyer, Mark Aguirre, Terry Cummings and others."
Frigo and his family have immersed themselves in DePaul basketball, becoming part of a veritable subculture that remains loyal through thick and thin.
"The best thing about owning season tickets is the community of fellow season ticket-holders who share a passion and loyalty for the Blue Demons," Frigo said. "It goes back to the idea that DePaul is Chicago's school. Cummings grew up in the neighborhood next to mine. I wish I would've gone to DePaul out of high school.
"Having season tickets is a way to bring your family together. If you need additional seats, I can always count on other season ticketholders to help out. I've gotten to know Tyrone Corbin who was a stellar scholar and athlete. He took courses in computer programming after graduating. One of my professor friends introduced me to him and we've connected at various social events."
Frigo has been a devout practitioner of the martial arts for five decades, earning a fourth-degree black belt in Shotokan karate while also teaching at the Jiu-Jitsu Institute in Chicago. He incorporates elements of karate's self-discipline, wisdom, energy and philosophy into his classroom while looking to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust between a professor and his students.
Murphy remembered experiencing the unique teaching style as a student in Frigo's class.
Frigo has written seven books, been named the Ezerski Endowed Chair in the School of Accountancy and Management Information Systems and is the director and founder of DePaul's Center for Strategy, Execution and Valuation.
He has a message for potential season ticket-holders.
"Join the team," he started out. "Try it out, even if it means choosing a limited-games package for now. You'll come to find out the season-ticket platform will be one of your best decisions ever.
"I am very excited about this season and all the talent they brought on board. It really feels like DePaul is on the rise."
2019-20 DePaul Basketball Ticket Information
Ticket Office: 773-325-7526
Full season ticket packages including all DePaul men's basketball home games at Wintrust Arena are on sale now and start at just $180 per seat. Place a season ticket deposit today and select seats with a ticket representative after the annual Priority Seat Selection Process concludes for renewing season ticket holders. Season ticket holders enjoy significant savings, the best choice of seat locations, flexibility of attending every home game, as well as presale opportunities for other events at Wintrust Arena.
BIG EAST packs, flexible mini plans, and group ticket opportunities (parties of 15 or more) will be made available Friday, September 20. Single-game tickets for individual basketball games will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, October 1 at 10 a.m.
Important Dates for DePaul Men's Basketball Ticket Sales
•            Full Season Tickets - On Sale Now
•            Mini Plans - On Sale Friday, September 20
•            Group Ticket Packages - On Sale Friday, September 20
•            Single Game Tickets (presale) – Monday, September 30
•            Single Game Tickets (general public sale) - On Sale Tuesday, October 1
As good fortune would have it, Frigo and Tobias sit near each other behind the Blue Demon bench for every home game.
"Dale Tobias is probably the No. 1 Blue Demon fan," said Frigo who was bestowed the prestigious Via Sapientiae Award at last Thursday's Academic Convocation.
Tobias competed on DePaul's track and field team from 1983-88, was co-MVP of 1987 outdoor team and finished third in the 1987 Central Collegiate Outdoor Championships in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash.
He ran track at the same time Tyrone Corbin, Rod Strickland, Kevin Edwards, Dallas Comegys, and Terence Greene were leading the Blue Demons to four NCAA tournament appearances, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 1987.
"Those guys were my peers, and we all knew each other from hanging around in the training room and on campus." Tobias said. "It was such a small campus back then that everybody knew everybody. DePaul was more of a commuter school with a very cozy environment. If Rod saw me walking down the street today, he'd stop and say hi.
"Terry Davis came after those guys, but we've been best friends the last 25 years. I'm like his big brother."
"I bought my first season tickets after I graduated in 1988. Basketball was my No. 1 pastime, and you wanted to maintain your connection to the university. It wasn't long before David Booth, Stephen Howard, Terry Davis, Melvin Foster and Joe Daughrity were leading the way followed by guys like Tommy Kleinschmidt, Howard Nathan and Brandon Cole."
Tobias remembers a DePaul team so talented that big-name high school recruits could not crack the starting five upon arriving in Lincoln Park.
"You could tell how good our program was in those days because high school stars like Tommy Kleinschmidt, David Booth and Howard Nathan came off the bench as freshmen," Tobias said.
Tobias senses the program under coach Dave Leitao is trending back to those days with the kind of talent and depth that won't make it easy to break in as a freshman.
He believes this is the beginning of the long-awaited turnaround from what he described as the lean years.
"But even in those times, I always enjoyed watching basketball," Tobias said. "You always had hope every year that the team would make progress. I kept renewing my season tickets out of a sense of loyalty to the school, and it was my way of contributing back.
"It's easy to support a team when it's winning. The true test of your loyalty comes when they're not doing well. Long as I felt they were putting up a good fight, I stuck with them. If I ever thought they had quit---I would quit."
Like Frigo, Tobias is caught up in the promise of the upcoming season.
"This year we can go to the bench confidently for the first time in quite a while," Tobias said. "There will be guys sitting on the sideline that we can say have the talent to start. That's how deep we'll be this year.
"We have four talented returnees in Paul Reed, Jaylen Butz, Devin Gage and Jalen Coleman-Lands. Add to that core Michigan's top recruit in Romeo Weems plus Arkansas transfer Darious Hall, Kansas transfer Charlie Moore and highly recruited freshman Markese Jacobs. That Jacobs has a different type of explosiveness you can't teach.
"I've attended games with my wife Katie the last 10 years. She is a DePaul graduate who was new to the game of basketball but now loves going to games and having lunch or dinner especially when we are enduring Chicago's harsh winters."
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For DePaul Accountancy professor Dr. Mark Frigo and former DePaul track star, attorney Dale Tobias---it's like the dawn of a new day.
Seat selection for season ticketholders wrapped up Monday night amidst a palpable wave of energy and optimism. Full season tickets for the general public are now on sale. Call the DePaul Ticket Office at 773-325-7526.
"The process was great and it was fun to touch base with season ticketholders," said Murphy, DePaul's ticket director. "Lots of people are anxious to see the new recruiting class, especially Romeo Weems. They can't wait to see Paul Reed after the breakout season he had as a sophomore."
The Blue Demons were one of the big reasons why Frigo chose DePaul over three other colleges who made offers after he finished his PhD in 1980.
"I committed to DePaul because of its entrepreneurial spirit, professional orientation and being a university where many of its students were first-generation college students like myself," he said. "I identified with DePaul's mission, and still do. I am proud to say I attended the same Chicago city college (Southeast City College) as our benefactor Richard Driehaus.
"Plus, DePaul is so Chicago. Born on the South Side and growing up in the Pullman community, that was important to me. DePaul is a great place with great people. My three children (Mike, Cara, Amy) all completed their MBA degrees at DePaul, so I believe in this university as a center of excellence in business education.
"And of course, there's the legendary Blue Demons."
Frigo was swept up in the "Blue Wave" back at a time when coach Ray Meyer and "the little school under the L tracks" were becoming a national sensation.
"I became a fan in the days of Ray Meyer and Mark Aguirre," Frigo said. "The Blue Demons were so visible all over Chicago and across the nation. We were ranked No. 1 in the country back then. People want to work for a winning school.
"My first season tickets were way back in the second level of Allstate Arena known as the Rosemont Horizon in those days. Once I joined the faculty, I wanted to become part of the DePaul community. The faculty during that period was very active and supportive of the basketball program.
"My son Mike started going to games with me when he was two years old, and I would eventually take all three of the kids with me. As young professionals, they still come to games with me.
"Of course I can remember the glory days of Ray Meyer, Mark Aguirre, Terry Cummings and others."
Frigo and his family have immersed themselves in DePaul basketball, becoming part of a veritable subculture that remains loyal through thick and thin.
"The best thing about owning season tickets is the community of fellow season ticket-holders who share a passion and loyalty for the Blue Demons," Frigo said. "It goes back to the idea that DePaul is Chicago's school. Cummings grew up in the neighborhood next to mine. I wish I would've gone to DePaul out of high school.
"Having season tickets is a way to bring your family together. If you need additional seats, I can always count on other season ticketholders to help out. I've gotten to know Tyrone Corbin who was a stellar scholar and athlete. He took courses in computer programming after graduating. One of my professor friends introduced me to him and we've connected at various social events."
Frigo has been a devout practitioner of the martial arts for five decades, earning a fourth-degree black belt in Shotokan karate while also teaching at the Jiu-Jitsu Institute in Chicago. He incorporates elements of karate's self-discipline, wisdom, energy and philosophy into his classroom while looking to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust between a professor and his students.
Murphy remembered experiencing the unique teaching style as a student in Frigo's class.
Frigo has written seven books, been named the Ezerski Endowed Chair in the School of Accountancy and Management Information Systems and is the director and founder of DePaul's Center for Strategy, Execution and Valuation.
He has a message for potential season ticket-holders.
"Join the team," he started out. "Try it out, even if it means choosing a limited-games package for now. You'll come to find out the season-ticket platform will be one of your best decisions ever.
"I am very excited about this season and all the talent they brought on board. It really feels like DePaul is on the rise."
2019-20 DePaul Basketball Ticket Information
Ticket Office: 773-325-7526
Full season ticket packages including all DePaul men's basketball home games at Wintrust Arena are on sale now and start at just $180 per seat. Place a season ticket deposit today and select seats with a ticket representative after the annual Priority Seat Selection Process concludes for renewing season ticket holders. Season ticket holders enjoy significant savings, the best choice of seat locations, flexibility of attending every home game, as well as presale opportunities for other events at Wintrust Arena.
BIG EAST packs, flexible mini plans, and group ticket opportunities (parties of 15 or more) will be made available Friday, September 20. Single-game tickets for individual basketball games will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, October 1 at 10 a.m.
Important Dates for DePaul Men's Basketball Ticket Sales
•            Full Season Tickets - On Sale Now
•            Mini Plans - On Sale Friday, September 20
•            Group Ticket Packages - On Sale Friday, September 20
•            Single Game Tickets (presale) – Monday, September 30
•            Single Game Tickets (general public sale) - On Sale Tuesday, October 1
As good fortune would have it, Frigo and Tobias sit near each other behind the Blue Demon bench for every home game.
"Dale Tobias is probably the No. 1 Blue Demon fan," said Frigo who was bestowed the prestigious Via Sapientiae Award at last Thursday's Academic Convocation.
Tobias competed on DePaul's track and field team from 1983-88, was co-MVP of 1987 outdoor team and finished third in the 1987 Central Collegiate Outdoor Championships in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash.
He ran track at the same time Tyrone Corbin, Rod Strickland, Kevin Edwards, Dallas Comegys, and Terence Greene were leading the Blue Demons to four NCAA tournament appearances, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 1987.
"Those guys were my peers, and we all knew each other from hanging around in the training room and on campus." Tobias said. "It was such a small campus back then that everybody knew everybody. DePaul was more of a commuter school with a very cozy environment. If Rod saw me walking down the street today, he'd stop and say hi.
"Terry Davis came after those guys, but we've been best friends the last 25 years. I'm like his big brother."
"I bought my first season tickets after I graduated in 1988. Basketball was my No. 1 pastime, and you wanted to maintain your connection to the university. It wasn't long before David Booth, Stephen Howard, Terry Davis, Melvin Foster and Joe Daughrity were leading the way followed by guys like Tommy Kleinschmidt, Howard Nathan and Brandon Cole."
Tobias remembers a DePaul team so talented that big-name high school recruits could not crack the starting five upon arriving in Lincoln Park.
"You could tell how good our program was in those days because high school stars like Tommy Kleinschmidt, David Booth and Howard Nathan came off the bench as freshmen," Tobias said.
Tobias senses the program under coach Dave Leitao is trending back to those days with the kind of talent and depth that won't make it easy to break in as a freshman.
He believes this is the beginning of the long-awaited turnaround from what he described as the lean years.
"But even in those times, I always enjoyed watching basketball," Tobias said. "You always had hope every year that the team would make progress. I kept renewing my season tickets out of a sense of loyalty to the school, and it was my way of contributing back.
"It's easy to support a team when it's winning. The true test of your loyalty comes when they're not doing well. Long as I felt they were putting up a good fight, I stuck with them. If I ever thought they had quit---I would quit."
Like Frigo, Tobias is caught up in the promise of the upcoming season.
"This year we can go to the bench confidently for the first time in quite a while," Tobias said. "There will be guys sitting on the sideline that we can say have the talent to start. That's how deep we'll be this year.
"We have four talented returnees in Paul Reed, Jaylen Butz, Devin Gage and Jalen Coleman-Lands. Add to that core Michigan's top recruit in Romeo Weems plus Arkansas transfer Darious Hall, Kansas transfer Charlie Moore and highly recruited freshman Markese Jacobs. That Jacobs has a different type of explosiveness you can't teach.
"I've attended games with my wife Katie the last 10 years. She is a DePaul graduate who was new to the game of basketball but now loves going to games and having lunch or dinner especially when we are enduring Chicago's harsh winters."
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