WRAL Sports Fan

WRALSportsFan

N.C. State Student Ticket Policy Explained

By Langdon Morris

Nov 7, 2007

The student ticket distribution for N.C. State basketball, much like for football, is done entirely online, according to associate athletics director Dick Christy, who heads up ticketing.

One week prior to game day, students have a two-day request period where they may request a ticket online for an upcoming game. Students have the option of requesting a guest ticket, which they must pay for if rewarded, or entering a group ID to be sure they will sit with friends if the group is rewarded tickets.

N.C. State students get 3,500 tickets for home games.

The online ticketing system notifies students via email if they did or did not receive a ticket and students who received a ticket must claim the ticket on the web site.

There are usually two claim periods where students who were awarded students must claim their tickets, and then can print or reprint the ticket.

Unlike football, the ticket is for a specific seat in the RBC Center, whereas football tickets are general admission tickets and students receive hand stamps of what section they will sit in for the game.

For less popular basketball games, where the maximum number of student tickets are not requested or claimed, there is an on-demand phase where students can instantly claim a ticket.

The ticketing system also works on a sort of rewards system. The ticketing system tracks attendance to football and basketball games. In particular, if a student claims a ticket but does not attend the game, he or she decreases the chances of being rewarded a ticket at a later time.

Campouts, according to Christy, are more for tradition than necessity.

“We do two campouts traditionally for basketball and that is just for the student experience, not because of demand,” Christy said. “It is coordinated by Student Government.”

Campouts usually occur for big ACC games such as Carolina and Duke and Student Government issues vouchers for student tickets for those who participate.

The student section itself is both on the floor and on the bleacher seats behind both baskets.

The mood on campus in regards to basketball is most certainly seasonal. When the season first begins, many students will be either out of town for the holidays, or simply uninterested in non-conference opponents. The chances of the student section getting filled for a non-conference game, particularly over Christmas break is unlikely.

When ACC play roles around, however, it’s a different story. Tickets are in high demand on campus as many students who request tickets will not be rewarded.

When Carolina comes to Raleigh, for example, some students will find it easy to turn a buck and sell his or her free ticket to another student who wants in on the action.