UW to revamp basketball ticket policy

By Matthew Dolbey

Campus Editor

The University of Wisconsin Athletic Department sent an e-mail to students Thursday, asking for their input on how the department should alter its UW men’s basketball ticket policy.

This is the first season in recent memory where student season tickets have sold out for men’s basketball.

The e-mail includes a link to an online survey asking students to weigh in on what they feel is the best way to hand out the season tickets and assign seating locations.

The survey asks students to rank the importance of class standing, past ticket purchase history and when ticket orders are received, among other things. All of these may be used in the future to determine how students receive their season tickets.

Steve Malchow, UW Athletic Department spokesman, said the department is working with UW’s student government, the Associated Students of Madison, to find an appropriate solution to ticket appropriation.

“We thought we would ask the customers, students, what they think would be a more equitable and fair way to sell tickets,” Malchow said, adding this is a fair process. “We want to head off any potential problems.”

Malchow said the Athletic Department found the current ticket distribution could pose a problem in the future. Currently, student season-ticket vouchers are traded in for seats on a first-come, first-serve basis. Additionally, many students have given their student identification cards to a few individuals who stay in line at the ticket window for weeks at a time to secure the best seats.

There is a set limit to how many tickets one student may turn in, but some have used multiple IDs to turn in a large quantity of students.

Sean Lynch, a UW senior and season-ticket holder, said UW already has problems with the trade-in policy.

“I think it’s horrible,” Lynch said, adding that he believes the ticket program lacks coordination, organization or planning. Lynch went on to say the Athletic Department must make some change to the current system “The university has to take some sort of responsibility.”

Lynch said it is upsetting some groups of ticket holders show up “31 days before ticket turn-in” to wait in line at the Kohl Center. He said it puts him and his small group of friends at a disadvantage to have to compete with the larger groups that can rotate voucher-holding campers.

“I spent two full days in line. I know that was not good for my schooling.”

Lynch said he knew the ticket policy has been different at other universities, and is glad to see UW taking the initiative to resolve the problem because of the high demand to do so.

Lynch said he believes the best seats should not be based on GPA or ticket history. He also feels students should not be able to turn in large amounts of tickets at one time, and “should definitely be based on seniority.”

The online survey provides students with a space to offer any further suggestions the Athletic Department should consider for ticket appropriation or the seating policy.

“In fact, we encourage students to give feedback,” Malchow said.