Students tickets given to Athletics, low attendance possible

By: Ashley Stilson

Last Tuesday, Utah State University Student Association officers voted to give 694 student seating tickets to the Utah State Athletics Department for the Nov. 28 football game against Brigham Young University.

“We’d rather have a full stadium seen by national television than a half-filled student section,” said USUSA athletics vice president Thomas Rogers. “I’m hoping we have students show up so we don’t have to give out any more tickets, but it’s all up to the students right now.”

This year the number of students attending USU football games has been dropping, Rogers said. With the BYU game falling during Thanksgiving break, he said it’s less likely for students to come back to attend the game.

“I hope I’m wrong and we have 6,000 students show up, but the numbers aren’t saying it. We’re going to push as hard as we can to get students to come to the game,” Rogers said.

If students have any concerns or frustrations, Rogers encouraged anyone to come and talk to him.

“I don’t think that people understand we’re not selling out this arena every single time,” he said.

Those at the USUSA executive council meeting discussed at length issues about the tickets, including the number of tickets given to the athletics department and the precedence being set.

“We want to release the tickets behind the band because it is the least-filled spot,” said student involvement director Linda Zimmerman in the executive council meeting.

There are 6,500 seats reserved for students in the Maverick Stadium, with the rest of the 25,513 seats open to the public.

Zimmerman stated this is the first season the athletics department has requested tickets, mostly because of the loss of 4,000 seats due to press box construction.

The athletics department first asked for student tickets for the game against Boise State University on Oct. 16 during fall break.

Rogers said the odds of USU playing rivals over fall break and Thanksgiving break were low.

“I don’t think this will happen again in other years. This is a freak of scheduling and the renovation. I understand why [the athletic department] are asking for tickets but I don’t think they will later,” he added.

Tickets for the BYU community and alumni are sold out, said Rogers, and there is a demand from the athletics department for tickets.

In the event that the athletics department requests tickets for another game, Rogers is currently drafting a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, for next USUSA executive council meeting. The MOU will clarify why the athletic department is requesting tickets and documenting the number of decreasing number of students at games.

“If we want to be transparent, we should make a record that says this is what we are doing. Whatever is done, it would be nice to have this record that will serve us well now and in the future,” USUSA public relations and marketing director Madison Maners said during the meeting.

Graduate Studies Senator Ty Aller suggested drafting a formal proposal for requesting future tickets, but a vote resulted in favor of a MOU.

A straw poll resulted in six officers in favor of releasing tickets behind the band: Leah Calder, Ashley Waddoups, Sawyer Hemsley, Thomas Buttars, Luis Armenta and Rogers. Aller was the only on who opposed.

Another straw poll releasing tickets next to the band section was unanimously opposed.

— ashley.ruth.stilson@aggiemail.usu.edu