Spectrum seating rules to be enforced
The seating arrangements in the Spectrum aren’t changing, but a long-standing rule governing the Utah State University student section will be enforced this basketball season.
Efforts from Associated Students of USU Athletics Vice President Tyler Olsen and Student Advocate Vice President Les Essig in cooperation with the USU Athletic Department have resulted in the first 10 rows of sections F through M in the Spectrum being reserved for students only.
Those sections have always been reserved for students, but the rule has rarely been enforced.
“These are not really changes, we’re just going back to what it should be,” said USU ticket manager Clark Livsey.
Livsey said manpower has prevented arena officials from letting students only sit in the student section. Olsen provided an answer to that problem by asking members of the student athletic support organization, The Big Blue Crew, to help out.
“We are concerned about families that are getting in there,” Olsen said. “We just want to create an environment that is going to be more conducive to what we’re trying to achieve.”
The goal for Olsen and other Aggie supporters: Make the Spectrum one of the most intimidating arenas for opposing basketball teams to play in the country.
Along with reserving the first 10 rows in the student sections exclusively for students, Olsen said the area behind the east basket will house the rowdiest students in the arena.
“We are going to instill what is called The Bull Pen behind the east basket,” Olsen said. “The louder and more noisy, obnoxious fans will go in that section.”
Members of last year’s Bull Pen, fraternities, sororities, Club Hub and any other students who want to get very involved with the game by cheering will be welcome in The Bull Pen, Olsen said.
“We’re trying to get it together by the BYU game,” he said. “We’ve got some shirts we’re going to start selling. Basketball players will be selling shirts; we’re still working on the design.”
The prospect of an even rowdier student section is something Livsey said he would like to see.
“He’s going to make it a section that is a little more lively,” Livsey said.
Livsey said the enforcement of seating in the student section is something that will be left up to the students. He said more excitement would make a better environment for everybody.
“These are the students’ seats, this is something that needs to be done,” Livsey said. “We want what’s best for the students.”
During the football season, Olsen campaigned to get every fan in attendance to wear blue. Those who showed up to Romney Stadium in blue clothes were rewarded with Tootsie Rolls and temporary tattoos. Rewards for students wearing blue will be more enticing during basketball, Olsen said.
“We will have prizes – anywhere from $50 to $100 prize giveaways – to just a random person who is sitting in the Utah State student section and wearing a blue shirt or jacket at the time we call their seat number,” he said. “We’re trying to get a sea of blue out there.”
Olsen said he is lining up donations to fund the prize giveaways.
“I’d hate to be that person that didn’t win the prize because they weren’t wearing a blue shirt,” he said.
The desire to make the student section exclusively for students comes from a trend of families buying lower-priced tickets and sitting in the low rows of the student section. Olsen said he is taking the seats back for the students.
“The alumni have plenty of sections of their own,” he said. “[Some people] are paying the cheapest ticket they can find and coming and sitting in the best seats in the house, which are the student seats.
“It’s going to cost them some money to do that.”
Livsey said one of the biggest misnomers in the Spectrum is that the student sections are all general admission. He said there is no general admission seating in the arena; every ticket lists an assigned seat.
The USU men’s basketball team will be in action Nov. 21 against Fort Lewis College at 6:05 p.m. The women’s basketball team plays its first game in 17 years that evening at 8:05 against Southern Utah University.
Students are invited to take back their seats.
“We’re going to start with the first 10 rows,” Olsen said. “As soon as we get those 10 rows filled, we’re going to get 10 more.”
-str@cc.usu.edu