The student section at a Jan. 19 men's basketball game against UA was packed. A proposal to expand the student section and allow students to reserve tickets outside of the designated section is awaiting approval from the University. Though football is the main focus of the proposal, it may expand to include other sporting events. (Photo by Molly J. Smith)Sun Devil Athletics and the Sun Devil Coalition proposed expanding student seating at ASU sporting events.
If the proposal is approved by the University, students would be able to reserve specific seats outside of the student section at Sun Devil Stadium, according to the proposal. Seat reservations would be available for each individual game or for the whole season.
The student section, which holds approximately 9,000, would expand into sections 30 and 31, according to the proposal.
Students could reseve their seats two weeks prior to the game, but unreserved seats would become general admission after the first week, said Joseph Grossman, Undergraduate Student Government Downtown president. Students would also be able to improve their seats while at the game. As some students leave, students in the higher sections would be allowed to move into the lower rows.
The band would be moved closer to the student section or somewhere more adjacent, Grossman said.
He said the change would make the band a much bigger aspect of the game day experience.
These changes would increase the school's spirit and tradition, Grossman said.
Sun Devil Coalition Chair Devon Mills worked on the proposal closely, but said it was the Athletics Department that wanted change.
“Originally, the idea did not come from us," Mills said. "It came from Sun Devil Athletics. They came to us and said, 'We have a proposal because of some obvious flaws with the way it worked this past year.'"
The Sun Devil Coalition made suggestions to change reserved seating and the general admission section, Mills said.
The change should increase attendance at games and create flexibility for students, he said. The proposal would also give students from the West, Polytechnic and Downtown campuses a fair chance at purchasing tickets, he said.
“The hope is that (the University is) catering to more students now. We are being more flexible," Mills said.
Communications junior Joseph Ciulla said he would attend more games if the change happens.
“(The reservations) would probably be better, especially for Downtown students, because everyone in Tempe basically is already there, and we have to fight for seats," Ciulla said.
Students who choose to reserve seats and get season tickets wouldn't have to reserve specific spots.
Mills said the changes would bring more students who don't usually come to games and accommodate students who do not want to be in the student section.
“The original intent behind the change was to get more upperclassmen in, particularly juniors and seniors, because they tend to live off campus and not come to the games anymore," he said
Upperclassmen would have priority for reserving tickets before freshmen, Grossman said.
Seniors would be able to start reserving their season individual seats at the beginning of August. Sophomores and juniors would have access in middle of the month.
Grossman said the change would reduce the students having to stand in line with their voucher for a seat. He said because students are the main revenue source of sporting events, they should no longer be herded into the games like cattle.
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