https://soundcloud.com/oliviamsuarez/sets/student-government-march-5-and
(click the link above)
The
early bird gets the worm, but does the early Longhorn get the football seat?
Student
Government passed legislation Tuesday in support of establishing a general
admissions seating section in Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Proposed
on March 5, Assembly Resolution 31 is Student Government’s response to the
university athletics department’s promotion of its “come early, stay late”
policy. According to the document, football staff and coaches “have expressed
concern that few students show up early to football games”.
SG
Vice President Wills Brown, one of the authors for AR 31, discussed early game
attendance increasing fan and athlete experience.
“I
think it’s evident that sometimes our fans get into the games late,” Brown
said. “I can only imagine the team doesn’t like it when we all arrive late to
the games.”
The
general admissions section, will occupy approximately 150 to 300 seats in
sections 26, 27, and 28. Although open to everyone on a “first-come,
first-serve” basis, Brown identified lowerclassmen as the target demographic.
“I
think the most eager fans are the freshmen and the sophomores who,
unfortunately, have the worst seats,” Brown said. “I mean, anyone can buy, but
I presume mostly freshmen and sophomores will buy. It will give them the chance
to have some of the best seats in the house.”
Connor
Hughes, legislative aide under Wills Brown and another AR 31 author, explained
the reasoning behind seat selection in the three specified sections.
“We
reserved those seats because first of all, those are the seats (UT) Athletics told
us they wanted us to use, but also because they’re quality seats,” Hughes said.
“Students aren’t going to get there early if they’re going to be in some upper random
end zone. No one’s going to do that.”
Students
interested in AR 31’s opportunities should expect a minimal cost in addition to
the purchase of a Longhorn All-Sports Package. The extra fee has yet to be
determined.
“I
honestly don’t know; it might be $10 to $15” Brown said. “I don’t expect it to
be much extra, but that’s up to UT Athletics.”
Reserved
season tickets can still be purchased in case students don’t get ahold of
general admission seats for their game of choice.
The
university athletics department plans admitting general admission ticketholders
early enough to watch the players warm up, indicating in AR 31 that attendance
during that time “positively affects performance of the football team”.
“Ideally,
I would hope the students will be able to get into the games an hour ahead,
maybe an hour and a half,” Brown said.
Hughes
said that since the general admissions section is a “first-come, first serve” ordeal,
the ticket stand will open about 45 minutes before the game, and wristbands
will also be included.
“It’s
going to be a high-demand place, so the wristbands will just make sure that
it’s kept in control and we know whose actually got a ticket there and things
like that,” Hughes said.
Although
both Brown and Hughes envision a successful future for general admissions, its
initial start remains their priority.
“This
is more of a pilot, and if it works, probably in a few years we well step it up
and hopefully we can get another section, maybe another hundred seats after
that,” Hughes said.
The
existence of general admissions systems in comparison institutions–Texas Tech,
Kansas State, Iowa State– influenced AR 31’s composition. However, there’s no
intention of eliminating the current hierarchy system.
“I
know that would anger a lot of people, so that’s not the plan,” Brown said. “I
mean, if it really was that successful, (UT Athletics) can expand it some more,
but I think there would need to be a limit.”
Advertising
sophomore Alex Huggins prefers the stability the hierarchy system offers
compared to his experience at Texas Tech University.
“Their
general admissions is fun, but hell. You have to arrive at the game long before
the 90-minute timer starts, just for a seat,” Huggins said. “The experience was
great, but I did miss some functionality.”
He doesn’t ignore the faults of reserved seating
though.
“I
think the system at UT works, but could be better, if offered at a cheaper,
‘first come, first serve’ option,” Higgins said. “People would love that.”
Brandon
Lorenzana, mechanical engineering sophomore, believes showing up to games prior
to kickoff remains beneficial for ticketholders.
“I
think it does give a better experience, especially with a group,” Lorenzana
said. “As a fan, by coming early, you get a feel for the atmosphere and you
avoid the rush of people coming in closer to game time.”
Lorenzana agrees with the university athletics
department on student presence impacting the football team.
“For
the athletes, I would imagine seeing more people come early to the games would
give them a better sense of what and who they’re playing for,” Lorenzana said.
“Knowing that people are coming early could give them a sense of their fans’
dedication and could potentially encourage them to play even better and fight
harder for every yard.”
As
far as which seating structure he believes works best, Lorenzana shares mixed
feelings for both.
“I
wouldn’t be in support of a complete general admissions structure,” Lorenzana
said. “There should be general admissions for UT, but at the same time there
should also be good seats available
to those people wanting to get in through general admissions.”
Audiology
freshman Raven Rodriguez isn’t holding her breath about AR 31 being implemented.
“Personally,
I wouldn’t pay to see the players warm up. I consider the players to be just
like any other students and do not hold them at a celebrity level,” Rodriguez
said. “For those very invested in college athletics, I could understand how
arriving at the game early would increase experience, but personally I just
like attending the game itself.”
Rodriguez
said her seats last season weren’t “brilliant, but not in the rafters
either.”
“I
could honestly care less where I sat at a football game,” Rodriguez said. “The
whole point of the game is to have fun, and if you’re in the good company of
friends, it’s not a hassle to watch the game from a little bit farther away.
AR
31 will be sent to administration for approval following its passage. In the
meantime, Brown expects the legislation to take effect soon.
“I
will go meet with UT Athletics and Teri Pierce, she does marketing, and I’ll
sit down with her team and we’ll kind of discuss moving forward,” Brown said. “The
hope is that it will be ready for fall of 2013.”
