Craig Fontenot’s letter about Hilton Magic prompts me to send this message to Athletic Director Gene Smith.

It appears that about 1,500 seats will be added to the Hilton during the coming year, admittedly because they are needed for music events, not because of demand from basketball fans.

The new seats will all be below balcony level and should be prime seats for either music or athletic events.

Adding these seats provides the athletic department with a once-only chance to bring student ticket holders closer to the action and perhaps improve the level of excitement during games.

Let’s see the athletic department offer older season ticketholders a chance to exchange their sideline seats near the east and west end of the court for new better seats near mid-court in the expanded parquet area.

Let’s get students into low-level sideline seats near the great pep band (and visitors’ bench) and sideline seats near the Cyclone locker room tunnel and the Cyclone bench.

Come on, Gene.

People know you’re a great schmoozer with big-bucks alumni.

Now’s your chance to show you’ve got some feeling for the students, too … and to help bring back more excitement to Hilton.

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Bill Duffy

Alumnus ’57

Cedar Rapids