From USF: Student Ticket Town Hall Meeting

[Jim Johnson]

Student Ticket Town Hall Meeting

Courtesy: USF           Release: 10/11/2007

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TAMPA, Fla. – In its continued effort to provide the best service to the University of South Florida student population, the USF Athletics Department and Student Government are calling a Town Hall Meeting on Monday night.

The meeting will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the BIG EAST room in the Athletic Department Building on the main Tampa campus.

“We want to provide a forum to discuss the student ticket distribution for football this season and in the future,†said Senior Associate Athletic Director Bill McGillis. “We know the distribution process is not perfect and we want to work with the student population to improve it.

“If you have an idea on how the process can be bettered, this is your forum and we look forward to the discussing it on Monday evening."

A six person panel will be hand to answer questions and provide feedback. 

The panel will consist of Assistant AD for Marketing Ayo Taylor Dixon, Student Body President Garin Flowers, Director of Student Life and Development Gregory Morgan, Athletics Student Assistant Megan Latchford, a TicketMaster liaison and McGillis.

USF Senate President Nathan Davison will moderate the meeting.

"We are all excited about the recent success (and therefore national exposure) of the football program at this great university,†said Davison.

“As we are all coming to find, though, this national recognition is not without its share of growing pains.  We must overcome the new challenges we all are experiencing: Challenges with ticketing, challenges with seating, and others still developing as we embrace our national ranking.

“Working with members of Student Government, the USF Athletics Department, and our University Administration, this town hall meeting has been formed in an effort to alleviate these concerns.â€Â

The tentative agenda for Monday is as follows:

a.      The moderator will welcome everyone and explain the purpose of the Town Hall Meeting. (7:30pm)

b.      The panel will briefly introduce themselves. (7:35-7:40)

c.      The moderator will give the explanation and procedure of the process of asking questions.

                i.      Explain proper etiquette, no personal attacks, etc.

d.      Provide each student with the ability to ask one question and one follow up question if necessary.

                i.      Questions should not exceed one minute each.

e.      The panel will determine who is most fit to answer the question appropriately. More than one panel member may answer if necessary.

                i.      Total answer time should not exceed 15 minutes per question.

f.        The panel will give closing remarks and the moderator will thank everyone for coming. (No later than 9pm)

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[Velcro]

Good to see them being proactive on this issue.

[Matt]

good idea but i doubt they will get too much out of it.  seems like they would be better off just contacting other schools and reviewing policies that are already in place to see which would work best for USF

[mikebeau]

Can we be done with Companion tickets?  Might as well sell them to the public as general admission

[JoeB]

I think this is a great idea.  OK students, here' s your chance, if you have an good idea bring it up at the Town Hall Meeting.  If not, you're stuck with whatever they come up with.

[Economics_Nerd82]

Town Hall meeting? The only people who show up there are the people that complain and then policies after hearing one side.

Just get rid of the companion tickets and make sure no one is jumping in line ahead of people who stood in line. Easy.

[bull2saintleo]

Good move by the athletic department.  Great way to get student feedback.  I think a combo of this plus looking at successful ways other universities work their ticketing could do wonders.

[Rabbi Bull]

i'm for companion tickets, at least for this year, as i'll probably be using one for the Cincy game, so i can sit with friends, companion tickets do serve a purpose, those of us who are recent graduates who can't afford season tickets YET, but want to sit with their friends in the student section can purchase a ticket for cheap and be able to sit with friends.  unforunately there are some people who take advantage of this, but why punish those who don't take advantage of it?

[USF03]

Good move by the athletic department.  Great way to get student feedback.  I think a combo of this plus looking at successful ways other universities work their ticketing could do wonders.

It was called for by th SG senate president.  Athletics was smart enough to jump on it.

It might not produce anything... but will get some of the problems heard.  It isn't perfect... but it won't hurt.  I know a few people have already looked into WVU's ticket policy.  Should be interesting.

[mikebeau]

i'm for companion tickets, at least for this year, as i'll probably be using one for the Cincy game, so i can sit with friends, companion tickets do serve a purpose, those of us who are recent graduates who can't afford season tickets YET, but want to sit with their friends in the student section can purchase a ticket for cheap and be able to sit with friends.  unforunately there are some people who take advantage of this, but why punish those who don't take advantage of it?

I was all for companion tickets for a long time, but you have to look at the motives.

For one they were cheap.  Everyone loves those tickets at $16(or whatever they are now).  At that price, I was hounding currents students well after graduation.

Secondly, they are in the best section for going crazy cheering.  I would love to still sit there, but I am an alum now, and probably should realize that.  The reality is as an alum I would probably still be trying to get companion tickets if they were readily available and I still knew current students who would get them.  But what does that do?  It takes buyers away from the season ticket pool and puts them into a low price student seat. 

The reality is, if you really want to go to the game, you can probably afford the extra $10 a seat that Season Tickets cost.  Plus we can spread that student section wildness out to more sections.  I say if you keep companion tickets limit the number someone can buy in a season(maybe one per season) and make the price competitive where it doesn't encourage new alum.  Or sell student section tickets to new alum through a different channel.