Fewer free seats for students

Lobo basketball ticket distribution starts today, but students can only pick up two tickets per game this year instead of the four like last year.

Also, seating is general admission instead of assigned seating.
The changes are the result of an ASUNM resolution that stemmed from online feedback from students, said Adrian Cortinas, ASUNM vice president.

He said students overwhelmingly suggested general admission so they can sit with their friends at basketball games.

“Since it’s general admission, you can sit wherever you want … and hopefully enjoy the game,” he said.

Cortinas said he drafted the resolution last spring after hearing about how few students attended basketball games.

“There was some concern from students that I’d heard, like, ‘We just did this whole new stadium, we have a great team. Why is our student section not filled to capacity?’” he said.

Cortinas said the problem was with students keeping tickets for games they didn’t attend.

“(Students) don’t plan a month ahead,” he said. “Maybe a month from the time you get your ticket for that third game, you forget that you have a test the next day … now you’re stuck with a ticket that someone else could have had.”

Tickets are available on Mondays of each game week starting at 8:30 a.m. at the Lobo Ticket Office in The Pit. Free student tickets are available to any UNM student taking at least six credit hours and has a Lobo ID card.

“The changes in our student ticket policy at basketball reflect a collaborative effort with our students and student leaders,” UNM Associate Athletic Director Brad Hutchins said in the message. “We will continue to monitor and evaluate how our tickets are distributed and continue to solicit advice from the student community to make sure we are putting our students first.”