The Iowa State Athletic Department announced that all but about 500 of the student football tickets offered this season have been sold.

The tickets went quickly on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to athletic ticket manager David Crum.

“Over the past two days we have sold close to 1,500 student season tickets,” Crum said.

“I anticipate that we will sell out of football tickets, including the dual sports option Thursday. We are encouraging students to purchase their tickets at the Jacobson Building before noon,” he said.

Season football tickets cost $42. The dual sports option ticket, which includes both season football and basketball tickets, costs $102.

“South Fourth Street will be blocked off at noon for Thursday night’s game. Students can purchase seats after the noon hour, but we anticipate a rush by single-game ticket purchasers that will significantly lengthen customer lines,” Crum said.

It should also be noted that students still may purchase $5 single game tickets for Thursday’s game.

The increased number should become readily apparent tonight when the Cyclones will take on the Indiana State Sycamores at 7 p.m. to kick off the 1999 football season.

These are optimistic numbers for the program, which saw attendance decrease after star running back Troy Davis left school after his junior year following two consecutive 2,000-yard seasons.

In fact, last year’s average attendance was 35,179, which was the smallest the team had drawn since 1975, when the average was 34,000.

In recent years, the biggest average output was 44,271, which was accomplished in 1990.

The 1997 totals were 36,487, while Davis’ last year in 1996 drew an average of 43,371 to then-Cyclone Stadium.

Jack Trice Stadium will be the place to be on Sept.11, as over 50,000 people are expected to attend the Iowa-ISU game. ISU defeated the Hawkeyes 27-9 last year.