Students worried about oversold KU game

Anna Conover

Hilton Magic may not be so magical if ISU students don’t have a place to sit when they come to the men’s basketball game Saturday against No. 6 Kansas.The ISU ticket office has issued 400 student tickets twice, said David Crum, ISU athletic ticket manager. The coliseum is sold out for the noon game.Crum said the outside portions of the student sections have been doubled ticketed. Tickets were sold twice because not all students with tickets are expected to come, he said.”There is a percentage of no-shows that we would expect to have,” Crum said. “This is the lowest percentage of no-shows that we book for this year. We’re looking for 15 percent no-show.”He said if the place was completely filled, Hilton would be magical.”We would be blowing the roof off the place, which would be awesome. Hilton magic would be back,” Crum said “It would be a great atmosphere.”The ticket office issues more than one ticket for some seats every game, he said. In the game against Missouri, the office sold 900 tickets twice and seats were unfilled.”We oversold for the Missouri game as well,” Crum said. “There was still quite a few empty seats up there. We have about 500 more student seats held for this game than the Missouri [game] because we expect more students to show up.”Tom Kroeschell, communications manager for the athletic department, said he believes everyone can be accommodated. He said based on past experience, and because not all tickets are picked up at the ticket office, there is an opportunity to seat the students.”We have addressed the possibility that all the tickets issued could possibly be used. We based tickets on previous attendance,” he said. “We believe that we will be able to accommodate each individual with a ticket.”If students can’t get seated in the student section, they will be seated in single seats in the balcony that aren’t picked up at the ticket office, Kroeschell said.However, not everyone is so sure the double booking won’t be a problem.Adam Harder, who holds an all-Season Pass, said he arrives at each game an hour early to sit in the arena circle right behind the basket. He said he thinks all students with tickets will go to the game.”Even our roommate who hasn’t gone all year is going,” said Harder, senior in agronomy.Crum said the sections double-sold were 6, 8, 34 and 36 — the corners of the balcony. He said sections 8 and 34 aren’t student sections.”It’s pretty common that not everyone who has a ticket will be going,” Crum said. “Do you think 9 out of 10 students are all going to all be doing the same thing?”Dave Galvin, senior in history, doesn’t like the idea of the ticket office double-selling tickets.”I think it’s a joke. It’s another example of Iowa State’s treatment when it comes to athletics,” he said. “Students always get the short end of the stick.”Galvin, who holds one of the 3,800 student season tickets, plans on going to the game if he can get off work in time.”I may not be able to get off work until noon. But if I don’t have a seat, I’m not sure what I’ll do,” he said.This is the first year students don’t have specific sections to sit in because all tickets now are general admission. Crum said students shouldn’t be worried about getting to the game extra early.”Each student has just as much chance to get the seats,” Crum said. “All the student sections are good seats. No matter what time you’ll come, you’re going to have a good seat.”He said the first person in the student section for the Missouri game starting at 2:30 p.m. entered at 12:08 p.m.”Staying over night is not necessary,” Crum said.Kroeschell said he hopes the crowd is ready to be loud.”We think it’s going to be a great atmosphere. We’re really looking forward to it,” he said. “We just want to make as much noise as possible.”