Students at the Tad Pad cheer on as Marshall Henderson dunks against South Carolina.
Elizabeth Rainey I The Daily Mississippian
Ole Miss Athletics is offering students reserved seating for the remaining home basketball games as the men’s Rebel team pursues its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
University of Mississippi students are admitted free to all home basketball games by simply showing their Ole Miss ID Card, but the student section contains only 1,600 seats.
In an effort to combat long lines and increased student attendance, Ole Miss Athletics is offering additional student tickets at a discounted price of $15 per game for all remaining home games except Kentucky. Once the student section reaches full capacity, all remaining students who bought the tickets will have a reserved seat and guaranteed admission for these games, which include Missouri, Florida, Alabama and Vanderbilt. These can be purchased online through the student’s account on olemisssports.com.
As the season winds down and tournament time draws closer, a larger number of students turn out to fill Tad Smith Coliseum. The lack of room for students is the main reason for this special offer, according to Wesley Owen, assistant athletic director for ticket operations.
“The main reason we are offering students this discount is because of the limited space of the student section,” Owen said. “It’s a convenience more than anything for the students. With this, they will have a guaranteed seat and do not have to stand in line to find out if they even get into the game.”
Owen referenced the home Mississippi State game on Jan. 25 as an example, when fans filled the student section by game time. The game was sold out, and many students were turned away. But Owen said the difficulty of gaining entry varies from game to game.
“It depends on the demand of the game,” Owen said. “For Kentucky we can’t do anything because it’s been sold out, and Florida, there are less than 200 tickets left. That’s why it is better to buy your tickets sooner than later; that way you don’t miss out.”
The Rebel basketball team is having another solid season, but the Tad Smith Coliseum has not seen correlating attendance from students. Long lines, game scheduling and the fear of a full student section keeps many students from going. But some students, such as Matt Pace, a senior finance major from Atlanta, have taken advantage of this special offer.
“I normally can’t go to games because they are at awkward times like weeknights or because I don’t want to have to stand in line,” Pace said. “But with three of the four games falling on Saturdays and the fact I’m guaranteed a seat, I will buy tickets. I think this will help even more students get into games so we can give the team the support it deserves.”
Owen said the athletics department has heard only positive comments about the student ticket offer, and he expects the number of ticket sales to jump significantly as the season continues.
“So far we’ve heard a lot of good feedback, particularly from those who have complained about the long lines or being denied entry,” Owen said. “I think it will catch on even faster once students realize the demand is going to be great for all of the remaining games.”
