CHRIS CODUTO/Arizona Daily Wildcat Zona Zookeeper Andy Lemieux, left, a biochemistry senior, and Nilay Jariwala, an economics junior, cheer during a game last month at McKale Center.

After waiting nearly two decades, student basketball fans finally got their wish on Friday when the athletics department confirmed there will be a new unified student section for men's basketball games at McKale Center, beginning next year.

After months of negotiations, the Associated Students of the University of Arizona and Arizona Athletics reached an agreement Friday to add a student section that will stretch from floor to ceiling on the north side of McKale Center with general admission seating.

"After carefully considering how the different options affected each and every ticket holder, we believe we came up with a great plan that is a win-win scenario for the entire Wildcat family," said Jim Livengood, director of athletics, in a press release.

The tickets will still be purchased through the Zona Zoo lottery, but the lottery will be weighted based on how many years the person has owned a Zona Zoo pass, said Amber Harryman, ASUA spirit director, who collaborated on behalf of students with Arizona Athletics.

Members will receive one lottery entry for signing up for the pass, and two additional entries per year as a Zona Zoo member. Next year, the number of entries per person will range from one for new members to seven for those who have been members since the creation of Zona Zoo in 2002, said Harryman, a classics junior.

In another significant change, student ticket winners will receive one ticket for the full season instead of two tickets for half the basketball season, Harryman said.

"It was too complicated, so we just thought we'd get rid of the whole (split season) thing," Harryman said.

To reward the most dedicated and presumably loudest student basketball fans, the seating will be general admission. Two hours before tipoff, students will get seats on a first-come basis and will enter from a designated student entrance, Harryman said.

Since the student section was eliminated in 1987, UA students have pushed for its return, but there was no organized voice of the students to make it happen, said ASUA President Alistair Chapman.

As a result, students had 2,327 seats scattered throughout McKale Center for 18 years, making the UA the only Pacific 10 Conference school without a student section.

The creation of Zona Zoo in 2002 and the resolution passed by the ASUA Senate a few weeks ago have given students momentum in having serious discussions with athletics.

In order to accommodate season ticket holders who sit north of the basket, seats in sections 20, 21, 24 (loge and middle), and 121 through 123 will be moved to comparable seats elsewhere in the arena, the press release stated.

Arizona basketball season ticket holders will be informed by mail whether their seats have been affected, and seat assignments will be completed in June using the priority point system, the release stated.

Reaction to the creation of the student section seemed to be positive, from ASUA leaders to the basketball players themselves.

"This is one of those things that will have an immediate and long-term impact," Chapman said. "I'd like to see (the student section) not just benefit basketball fans, but to affect school spirit across campus in a positive way."

After the UA men's basketball team's defeat on Saturday to the University of Washington in front of a loud and wild Huskies crowd, UA head coach Lute Olson said he was excited about having a comparable section at McKale.

"We're anxious for our student section here (at McKale)," Olson said. "If ours can be as good as this one (at Washington), we're going to be really happy."

The players said they were excited about having a better home court advantage and playing in front of fellow UA students.

"It's going to be nice because I know the fans really want to participate and really be a part of the fun and the action," said sophomore guard Mustafa Shakur. "For so long, the alumni and the people like that have had all the seats, so this will give an opportunity for the (student) fans."

"I can't wait for that," said junior forward Hassan Adams. "Who wouldn't want to play in front of your peers?"

Roman Veytsman contributed to this report.