Moving in line with the ticketing policies of such big-name men’s basketball universities as Kansas and Kansas State, the ISU athletic department will end its practice of offering student season tickets to men’s basketball games individually.

Until last week, student season tickets to men’s basketball games cost the same as those to football games, $125. Now, they will be bundled in the All-Sports Package, which includes tickets to football, men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling, gymnastics, a Cyclone Alley/SAA membership and a football jersey. Now unavailable by themselves, the only option for buying basketball tickets will cost $249.

Our concern is that such policy is being decided upon without regard for the Iowa State students at which the policy is aimed. In the interest of filling the student section, the athletic department now plans to sell, along the Kansas-Kansas State model, potentially 150 percent of the seats available: around 3,700 tickets for 2,530 seats, which will be available to students on a first-come, first-served basis. Those who arrive after the section is filled will be turned away.

The rationale for overselling of tickets is simple and logical: More people who want tickets will be able to buy them, and attendance will increase. In 2011, student tickets for men’s basketball sold out in July and average attendance for the student section was only 40 percent of capacity.

The athletic department’s interest is in money, not enhancing the student experience. But as part of the university, and since the support of fans is essential to any home-court advantage (here it takes the name “Hilton Magic”), they ought to consider the students who, despite having paid good money for season tickets to men’s basketball games, could be turned away. This dilemma could be compensated for by adjusting the location of student seating to a better location within Hilton Coliseum, or by offering some kind of refund scheme for students who attempted to use their tickets to attend a game but were unable to do so.

ISU athletics, including men’s basketball, proved they could be a major draw for crowds this year. After many seasons of less than stellar performance, ISU athletics has begun to achieve more success: Volleyball earned an Elite Eight berth, football team played in the Pinstripe Bowl, and both men’s and women’s basketball competed in the NCAA tournament. With those results and the improvements of such coaches as Iowa State’s very own Fred Hoiberg, a stronger culture of sports is already emerging at Iowa State.

The policies will be implemented, but it is not too late for athletics department administrators to make changes to their plans that will ensure a fairer ticketing program for students.