UW-Madison officials will survey student season ticket-holders this week to determine the future of season ticket distribution for football and men's basketball, the Athletic Department announced Friday.
Football distribution will see the most dramatic change, as the Athletic Department will scrap voucher exchange on Wednesdays before home games. Jamie Pollard, UW-Madison deputy athletic director, said problems with the current distribution system have led the Athletic Department to change distribution.
\The sense was it's created an environment that could be improved,"" Pollard said. ""So we set up to look at which things can be improved. The current way is not an option. It's not going to be that way.""
The problems that led to the change were missed class time for students, students using the current system for financial benefit and the difficultly in policing the line, Pollard said.
Students who had season football tickets last season or who have already applied for tickets for next season will vote for one of two options: Option A, which would distribute tickets prior to the first day of classes and students would receive the same seat location for the entire season-similar to men's basketball and hockey-or Option B, which would distribute tickets to students as they arrived at Camp Randall on game day.
In Option B, students would line up for the section they want to sit in before the game starts. Students may only enter at a one-voucher-per-student pace, Pollard said.
""The intent behind [Option B] is, we're convinced once the students get used to it, it's a better option, because you'll be able to get good seats,"" Pollard said. ""The disadvantage of [Option B] is you all have to come together. One person can't come over [to Camp Randall] at 7 a.m. and hold the line for ten people.""
Men's basketball will not change dramatically from last year. The 3,700 students who applied for tickets last season will be asked if tickets should be distributed by means of a random lottery, weighted by class rank, or in partial ticket packages, divided among all students who applied.
Students will also vote on whether the approximately 900 students who lost this year's botched lottery should be given a better chance this time.
Steve Malchow, UW-Madison associate athletic director for communications, said the vote for full season ticket package for only 2,100 students last year passed by a slim margin. He said it will be interesting to see how things pan out in this vote.
""[Students] have some friends who got zero and others that got all,"" he said. ""We'll see if the peanut moves any.""
Whatever the students choose will decide the new protocol, Pollard said.
""We're looking at [the surveys] as binding,"" he said. ""Either option works and the majority should rule.\
