Clair Chesley <[log in to unmask]> wrote, in part..
>        What is disturbing is that if 1,500 students decide to go to the
>     games this year or if the ticket office decides to continue to hold
>     them only for students, there will be no seats available to the
>     general public.  The only options would then be to attempt to get a
>     ticket from a player or from a visiting school, ...
 
Please, oh please, don't ask a player for his seats unless you are Mom
or Dad.  Maybe someone else can explain the actual *NCAA* rules, if need
be.
 
>        I do not begrudge the students their 1,500 seats at all.  What does
>     disturb me greatly is that if the University is successful in getting
>     the students to fill up the 1,500 student seats, there will be NO
>     seats available to the general public,  and the only way to be sure of
>     being a continuing fan (which my son and I have been) and attending
>     games, is to become a donor or to buy season tickets.  ...
 
Maybe I'm wrong here, but I think it is "donor *and* buy season tickets".
 
>        AND, there should NEVER be an empty seat in that arena when there
>     is someone who wants to go.
 
Well, *if* you say students may come to the games *at game time* and
receive their ticket, what else is there to do?
 
So alternatives are (1) reduce student ticket allocation, (2) reduce
season ticket allocation, or (3) restrict student ticket allocation to
some point in time (and then release any remaining seats to anyone of a
first-come basis).
 
   Alternative (1) will take care of itself if the students don't show
   up.  By that I mean, it is the obvious place from which to find "per
   game general public" tickets.  Alternative (2) is a poor one, IMHO,
   since there is a waiting list of people wanting to give the
   University money for those seats ...  and income is a very, very
   important area for the Athletic Department and all of the University.
   Alternative (3), IMHO, may come to pass (again).  If there is a need
   for drop-in purchasers.  Perhaps undistributed student tix could be
   made available at 7pm (or some time).  I am not recommending this,
   but something like this might be considered by someone someday.
 
But it seems like the poster is suggesting some tickets be made
available for advance purchase for most or all games.  I can see that
many people would *like* this, but I don't understand how the University
should do it.  U Maine has done wonderfully in the "public perception
area" since the arrival of Pres.  Hoff, IMHO.  If you can suggest a
better way of doing things, I'm confident you'll be listened to!
 
All that said, when I have friends or relatives coming to town that want
to see a hockey game, I call around looking for another season ticket
holder that might want to sell their tickets for the night (Don't do it
on campus; that's not allowed by your ticket agreement).  Of course, if
you're not at the games, it's difficult to figure out which of your
friends might be season ticket holders!
 
Anyway, it's great to talk about problems getting tickets, as the
alternative of less interest is worse!
 
Now if someone could find about $100 per game, wouldn't it be great to
get the audio of Maine games on the net?  $100 per game is my estimate
of the cost.  Convincing WZON and/or UMaine to actually do it might be
another thing.
 
Now, ... gotta get some work done ... so I can get to see them:
 
                        DROP THE PUCK!
 
cheers, wayne
 
Wayne T. Smith
[log in to unmask]                          Old Town Landing
Co-owner of the College Hockey lists - Hockey-L/Info-Hockey-L/Hockey3