Search

ARCHIVES
CONTACT US
WORLD NEWS

UA athletic department considers ticketing change

Ideas from e-commerce class aim to make basketball tickets

After hearing proposals for a new Internet-based system on which to sell UA basketball tickets, athletic officials say there is a good chance that the current lottery system will undergo changes before next season.

Bart Wilson - instructor of ECON 507, the Economics of E-commerce - assigned his students to use Internet mechanisms to solve University of Arizona students' difficulties in purchasing basketball tickets.

Last Wednesday, five students - years/majors Carol Sacks, Gavin Ekins, Mark Phillips, Won Chang and Cheryl Novalis - and Wilson presented concepts for a new online basketball sales mechanism to the UA athletic department.

"They (the students) made a presentation to us and had some great ideas," said Scott Shake, UA associate director of athletics for external services. "We were very impressed by the presentation."

Shake said three ideas were presented - one which would retain the current lottery system but use the Internet instead, one which would be an auction-based system with tickets going to the highest bidder, and a system that would combine both.

"If nothing else, we could have the same old lottery but do use the Internet instead of forcing students to come down here (to McKale)," Shake said. "In very simple terms, the use of the Internet for convenience will make it much easier for students to work around their schedules."

John Perrin, senior associate director of athletics, said the current system needs to be improved.

"We get quite a bit of feedback from students," Perrin said. "Currently, we use a manual lottery system. I think some people find it cumbersome, and some people are not aware of it."

Both Shake and Perrin said there is a good chance the system will be changed before tickets go on sale for the 2000-2001 UA basketball season.

"I'd say there's a very, very good chance we'll see some sort of change to benefit students," Shake said. "We know it (the current system) is not efficient."

Shake said the conversion is still in the preliminary stages, as the athletic department must still get the approval of ASUA - which will ensure the system will benefit students - and the ticketing department, which will make sure Internet sales are feasible.

Shake emphasized that the athletic department is listening to students' concerns about the difficulties in obtaining UA basketball tickets.

"We're listening," Shake said. "It's not a question of if, but when, we will put all ticketing on the Internet."