[media-credit name=’AJ Maclean’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Following the suspension of the men’s basketball student ticket distribution due to a computer glitch discovered in the online applications, the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department announced it will retry the lottery.

The department will hold a survey to decide the final outcome of the new lottery results. The decision to utilize a one-question survey, to be conducted via e-mail later this week, was discussed in a town-hall-style meeting of students and officials Monday afternoon.

The 2004-05 men’s basketball student ticket lottery was suspended Friday afternoon after UW Athletic Department officials learned 625 students who submitted electronic applications were not included in the selection process.

The survey will give the more than 3,700 students who applied for the lottery one of two options given during the meeting by Deputy Athletic Director Jamie Pollard.

One choice, which Pollard highlighted at the beginning of the meeting, will give only 1,500 students season tickets at full price, and the remaining 2,250 applicants the opportunity to receive four-game packages, free of charge.

“We wanted to be able to propose something we think is fair and would be accurate, but at the same time still adhere to what the student leadership [decided on last May],” Pollard said.

Pollard said students have been involved throughout the decision-making process, including before the creation of the ticket lottery and after problems were discovered.

The other option on the survey is for 2,100 student applicants to receive season tickets at full price and the remaining 1,650 students not receive any tickets.

“[The final outcome] doesn’t matter to us — only what is in the best interest of the students,” Pollard said in an interview.

Regardless of the survey outcome, results of the lottery will be posted in hard copy at the athletics office, on the athletics website and via e-mail at 9 a.m. Monday. This is a result of a failure in the e-mail notification process in the previous lottery, which was to notify all participants simultaneously. The Nov. 1 date will also prevent students from forming a line over Halloween weekend.

“Last year many of you (students) were disappointed because you had to stand outside in line during Halloween,” Pollard said.

According to Pollard, the four-game packages would be available on a first-come, first-serve basis, beginning with students who won during the unsuccessful lottery, Nov. 8, which would only be available for pickup for one week.

“At the end of the week of Nov. 12, any student would be eligible to come back and pick up unused lottery tickets,” he said, adding because all tickets are not historically picked up, some students may be able to receive tickets for up to half of the games free.

Pollard added the free tickets would cost UW Athletics approximately $81,600.

The meeting began Monday with an apology to students on behalf of the athletic department.

“We apologize for what happened. It doesn’t matter who, what, when or why — it happened — and at the end of the day, the athletic department is responsible to make sure ticket distribution is fair and accurate. And, unfortunately, it wasn’t,” Pollard said. “We can’t change what happened, but we’re here to say we’re sorry.”

Pollard added the only fair action is to rerun the lottery because a large portion of students was not included.

“The lottery was run accurately, but it was not complete,” he said.

Pollard said the ideal solution would be to add more seats for students, but that is not possible unless they play in a larger arena.

“We’ve only sold out the student section for two years,” he said, adding expanding the student section would take away from long-time alumni ticket holders.

When the meeting was opened to questions, the large student crowd grew more restless and passionate in their questioning. Some became hostile toward athletic officials and other students. Some students also questioned the legitimacy of the entire lottery, while others questioned the proposed solution to the flawed lottery, which led to the creation of the new survey.

“It is good to get [student] input. In an election year, [a survey] is appropriate,” Steve Malchow, associate athletic director, said in an interview.

UW senior Dan Ginsburg, who was involved in discussions on behalf of students with the athletics department, said he wants the department’s proposal to take effect.

“People need to understand the ramifications … [otherwise], if people lose the lottery, they’re screwed,” Ginsburg said.

UW senior Erin Johnson said she would rather see lottery participants having a greater chance at receiving full-season tickets, without any four-game packages because she can buy single-game tickets if she wants.