The University of Wisconsin Athletic Department announced its new lottery and distribution policy Friday for men's basketball and hockey tickets, drawing mixed reactions from students.
This fall, students will no longer need to wait in massive lines in front of the Kohl Center for premium seats.
Instead, men's basketball ticket winners will be drawn from two separate lotteries based on class standing points and "loyalty" status points, where students gain an additional entry in the lottery for every year they've applied for tickets. Groups of up to six will then be allocated seats based on a cumulative point total of class standing and loyalty.
According to UW Athletic Communications, results from an independent survey showed a majority of students did not have a "high level of satisfaction" with the old distribution method.
In order to get more students at basketball games, the university will also add the option of purchasing one of 1,800 half-season packages. Students will still have the option of purchasing full-season packages, although only 1,200 of those are available.
Hockey seats will be allocated in a similar manner, but all 2,800 ticket packages will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning May 1, and tickets are only available as full-season packages.
UW junior Dan Carow, who did not win basketball tickets in last year's lottery, said he was confused by the new policy and would have liked to keep the system as it was in the past. However, Carow said he does see some benefit in the new half-season distribution.
"I'm not a fan of just going to half the games," Carow said. "[But] I guess it's a good thing to get more people involved, and getting half a season is better than losing completely."
UW freshman Chris Huszar, who lost the basketball lottery but won hockey tickets, said the long nights outside the Kohl Center are a tradition but could be improved with the new "loyalty" system.
"It's cold, that's for sure, and a lot of people miss class. The people that can't sit outside miss out and get worse seats," Huszar said. "The class standing is good and they give you credit even if you've applied, so your odds are only getting better."
With the new mathematical distribution policy, UW sophomore Trevor Martin said he will miss the camaraderie of waiting in line despite the hazards involved.
"I really liked sitting outside — it had its own fun atmosphere about it, and it gets you excited about the season," Martin said. "You make friends with the people you sit in line with — people watch out for each other."
