Over 3,400 students have signed up for the Big Ten Championship Game fan buses and free tickets provided by the Northwestern Athletic Department, according to a press release.

Those 3,400 students comprise nearly 45% of the University’s undergraduate enrollment.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for Coach Fitzgerald and our football program, but also for our entire University community,” Athletic Director Jim Phillips said in the press release. “We are eternally grateful to the donor who stepped forward to generously support this trip for our students. Athletics provides a gathering place for Wildcats from all over the world, whether on campus, at a bowl game, or next month at Lucas Oil Stadium.”

The number includes members of the Northwestern University Marching Band, Athletics spokesperson Paul Kennedy said. 50 buses have been secured so far, he said, but the University is still figuring out how many they need.

An email from the Athletic Department was sent out just after 5:30 p.m. Monday with a form for people to sign up to claim the free tickets and busing for the Dec. 1 conference championships game, which is slated to start at 8:17 p.m. The email form closed at 10 a.m. Wednesday morning. The game itself will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

In an interview with The Daily, University President Morton Schapiro said he had heard there was a big student response to the initiative.

“The first thing was, ok we will subsidized the tickets, cut the price in half,” Schapiro said, “and then it was some donor came forward.”

Schapiro said the donor, who he nor the Athletic Department would not name, will be paying for all the tickets. Schapiro also clarified that there will be several meals provided on the bus.

In addition to the game itself, the University will be holding a pep rally before the game.

Schapiro said he has already reached out to several of Northwestern’s more recognizable alums about who is going to host the pep rallies.

As part of the pep rally, Schapiro said there will be monitors broadcasting the Northwestern vs. Indiana men’s basketball game from Bloomington that starts at 5 p.m. After the conclusion of the game, the men’s basketball team will make the hour-or-so ride from Assembly Hall to Lucas Oil Stadium to watch the second half of the game, a University spokesperson confirmed.

The Wildcats do not know who their opponent in the game will be yet. Michigan currently leads the East Division, but still has to play second place Ohio State, who is just one game behind the Wolverines in the standings.

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