Seating at IBA

[martymoose]

I think we can all agree IBA is a good venue and most of us enjoy taking advantage of it. I've been to numerous events there and plan to go to many more. As for WSU basketball being played there, it should only be done when required by a contract with another school. We shouldn't play games against Tulsa there or any other school for that matter; just for the hell of it, when those game could be played at CKA.

[WstateU]

On sale now!

[RoyalShock]

My seats at IBA were row 16 in the corner.

And my son and I enjoyed the game from those seats! :)

It sounds to me that what happened is they put too much trust in a computer algorithm and probably didn't do sufficient test runs to see if the seat selection criteria (points system) gave them the expected and/or desired results.

If this is done next year, SMG needs to remove the game from the IBA all-event package so the "mapping" from Koch to IBA is more natural.

[ShockTalk]

My seats at IBA were row 16 in the corner.

And my son and I enjoyed the game from those seats! :)

It sounds to me that what happened is they put too much trust in a computer algorithm and probably didn't do sufficient test runs to see if the seat selection criteria (points system) gave them the expected and/or desired results.

If this is done next year, SMG needs to remove the game from the IBA all-event package so the "mapping" from Koch to IBA is more natural.

Best idea yet. :good:

[ShockBand]

Here's another ticketing thought - handle it like they have for potential NIT games. Send out notices that you can reserve your assigned seat up until a certain date, after which all unpurchased seats are up for grabs. That isn't a new paradigm for WSU ticketing, but might be for IBA. When I let my seats go and took my chances on the Florida State NIT game, I struck gold and sat in about the 12th row at about the north free throw line. For another NIT game I ended up way up top. But it is a chance I'd be willing to take on an IBA game.

BTW, I sat in section 107 for last night's Thunder 0-2 snoozer loss, and it felt like being in a different dimension being in the lower deck, even in the corner.

The exact same problem still exists in that scenario: exactly what seat are you reserving? There isn't even close to a 1:1 mapping of Koch to Intrust seats.

In that scenario you would be shown in the mailing exactly what seats you are being offered to reserve, and could then make a choice based upon that knowledge.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I was at the game and I think a game a year at IBA is very desirable, but the way tickets were handled needs a little tweaking.

[Kung Wu]

Here's another ticketing thought - handle it like they have for potential NIT games. Send out notices that you can reserve your assigned seat up until a certain date, after which all unpurchased seats are up for grabs. That isn't a new paradigm for WSU ticketing, but might be for IBA. When I let my seats go and took my chances on the Florida State NIT game, I struck gold and sat in about the 12th row at about the north free throw line. For another NIT game I ended up way up top. But it is a chance I'd be willing to take on an IBA game.

BTW, I sat in section 107 for last night's Thunder 0-2 snoozer loss, and it felt like being in a different dimension being in the lower deck, even in the corner.

The exact same problem still exists in that scenario: exactly what seat are you reserving? There isn't even close to a 1:1 mapping of Koch to Intrust seats.

In that scenario you would be shown in the mailing exactly what seats you are being offered to reserve, and could then make a choice based upon that knowledge.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I was at the game and I think a game a year at IBA is very desirable, but the way tickets were handled needs a little tweaking.

Ah, if they would do that, that would be great!

[Kung Wu]

It sounds to me that what happened is they put too much trust in a computer algorithm and probably didn't do sufficient test runs to see if the seat selection criteria (points system) gave them the expected and/or desired results.

Or they DIDN'T put any trust in a computer algorithm and _really_ jacked it all up trying to do it manually.

[BostonWu]

Within hours after shooting off an email complaining about my seats I received a call from Russell Wilkins, Asst AD Ticket Ops. He came across as a standup guy who willingly admits they got it wrong by placing season ticket holders too high. They were operating off the principal that center court is better no matter how up you go. They now realize that the last 5 rows or so are crap seats. So in a nutshell they will focus on placing season ticket holders lower around the arena. I advised him to also be sensitive to the placement of season ticket holders in the end zone seats.

I relayed some suggestions that have been posted on here in regards to providing season ticket holders the ability to select their seats prior to open sales to the public and he said it wouldn’t work due to time constraints and/or priority points constantly being in flux.

Regarding dropping the IBA games off the ticket package and having everyone fend for themselves – that is one option although they would not lower the price of season tickets.

I still think they need to keep a more open mind towards these type of creative ideas geared towards allowing fans to select their own seats. If I were them I would look into a representative task force or at the very least a fan survey in an attempt to brainstorm ideas. Right now they’re solely focused on putting season ticket holders in lower seats but keeping the same system.

I’d encourage fans to make known their concerns in a civil manner because they’re willing to listen and acknowledge their mistakes.

[Ricardo del Rio]

Question: Would you rather sit in great seats at Kock, to watch Alcorn State, or sit in less-than-ideal seats at Intrust to watch Tulsa, or maybe UNLV or some other more worthy opponent?

False choices.

[ShockTalk]

Within hours after shooting off an email complaining about my seats I received a call from Russell Wilkins, Asst AD Ticket Ops. He came across as a standup guy who willingly admits they got it wrong by placing season ticket holders too high. They were operating off the principal that center court is better no matter how up you go. They now realize that the last 5 rows or so are crap seats. So in a nutshell they will focus on placing season ticket holders lower around the arena. I advised him to also be sensitive to the placement of season ticket holders in the end zone seats.

I relayed some suggestions that have been posted on here in regards to providing season ticket holders the ability to select their seats prior to open sales to the public and he said it wouldn’t work due to time constraints and/or priority points constantly being in flux.

Regarding dropping the IBA games off the ticket package and having everyone fend for themselves – that is one option although they would not lower the price of season tickets.

I still think they need to keep a more open mind towards these type of creative ideas geared towards allowing fans to select their own seats. If I were them I would look into a representative task force or at the very least a fan survey in an attempt to brainstorm ideas. Right now they’re solely focused on putting season ticket holders in lower seats but keeping the same system.

I’d encourage fans to make known their concerns in a civil manner because they’re willing to listen and acknowledge their mistakes.

Thanks BostonWu. Good to hear the quick response and the ideas they're looking at.

I had a feeling that if the IBA game(s) were dropped from the season ticket that the price of the tickets would not change. That's why I have been strongly in favor of replacing 2 or our 4/5 very low RPI games for alternating H/H games. Yes, we would lose one home game a year, but we'd also attend one more quality home game each year than now. Of course, you can throw this idea right out the window if they opt to go with excluding the IBA game in the season package. They could probably sell the idea of keeping the ticket prices the same, dropping one home game from the ticket, and turn around and charge you for the IBA game, but it would be a hard sell if 2 home games were dropped and pricing stayed the same.

[swish1]

I thought I had finally got a grip on my anger for the way my front row, corner seats were taken from me.

Except for two years, I have been a season ticket holder, since 1963.

With the discussion above, I am starting to lose it again.

sounds like you screwed yourself b/c of those two years...

[pinstripers]

Yep, RDR, definately your fault.

[Ricardo del Rio]

I thought I had finally got a grip on my anger for the way my front row, corner seats were taken from me.

Except for two years, I have been a season ticket holder, since 1963.

With the discussion above, I am starting to lose it again.

sounds like you screwed yourself b/c of those two years...

Hardly.

[Kung Wu]

I thought I had finally got a grip on my anger for the way my front row, corner seats were taken from me.

Except for two years, I have been a season ticket holder, since 1963.

With the discussion above, I am starting to lose it again.

sounds like you screwed yourself b/c of those two years...

Hardly.

It's possible if you don't call attention to that you won't get credit for all the years combined -- that happened to me. I lapsed one year and they had to recombine it all.

[Ricardo del Rio]

AD Schaus would not let me appeal.

Some years, the tickets were in my name. Other years, the tickets were in my companies' names.

I thought it was pretty crappy.

Of course, the lady, who baked cookies for Ralph Miller's teams, is now sitting in the rafters. (I assume she is still living.) She was almost a lifetime season ticket holder and she had mid-court, near perfect seats.