Im looking for fans, including season ticket holders, interested in speaking about the new look at the Pan Am this year. Let me know with an email at jgroves@lcsun-news.com :
In order to create a more intimate and raucous environment, NM State has permanently closed the four upper corners of the arena, which will allow the fan base to sit closer together and give a true home court advantage. For fans with season tickets in those seating sections, your seats will now be moved to a reserved seat, closer to the action, and priced in line with what you paid last year. Those upper level seats had been priced at $120, but now will be just $69.
9 comments:
Will those areas be opened for the rival games?
Even if they let me in free I wouldn't take my dog to sporting event at the PAC let alone the wife and kids.
I have been a season ticket holder for the past 6 years. When NMSU added the additional fees to a season ticket, they lost season ticket holders. I moved up to the cheap seats for that reason alone. I think with the new look it is not going to change much either. If NMSU really wants to step up home court advantage they need to bring the students down around the court not just on the ends. Look at Duke or NC. That is home court advantage. Start recruiting student fans NMSU. Late 80's and 90's we were fans to be recon with because students had better seats.
agreed, 9:06....the students create the whole environment....
I gave you input on your season tickets. Now maybe you can influence Menzies to have a Midnight Madness on the 14th. Back in the day fans use to look forward to going to the first practice of the season to see what we got. I don't think that Menzies has ever had a true "Midnight Madness". Stay up coach it's only one night. This can also be used as a tool to get students fans:).
Angering long-time fans re lost seats, should not be a huge issue (I realize that if it happens to you, it seems huge). Very few season tickets were being sold in the closed end sections... this is obvious from televised games.
The notion that the Pan Am was regularly sold out in the past is a myth shrouded in fog and good feelings. It did not and has not happened that often. 9000 seats is plenty for the next year...and if NMSU starts selling out regularly, the blocked sections could be reopened, next year.
The biggest issue remaining could be the disparity in seat premiums (aka AAC donations) from west to east sides. Premiums for east side lower bowl seats look too high relative to the west side. For example, a seat in east Section 123 requires a $500 premium, whereas that seat's mirror image on the west side in Section 109 requires only a $100 premium. Unfortunately, the ressulting underpopulated east side looks deserted on some telecasts.
The fact that locals can now get reserved tickets in the upper bowl for $69 a season should be very attractive...only about $4 game per seat. Families or groups of friends can buy multiple tickets close together and mix and match. Also like the fact that this prevents our rivals from UTEP and UNM from buying hundreds of general admission seats, arriving early, and monopolizing these sections. They will have to pay $8 a seat, with the likelihood of a large contiguous bloc being available only in the nose bleed seats near the top.
There are also more than a thousand reserved seats at the corners of the north-end lower bowl that require no premium at all...and these are very good seats.
Will be interesting to see how it works out...this is a good first step.
I agree with 9:06, the students need to sit on the sidelines around the court like we did when I was in school in the the early
90's. Since the arena is half full anyway, sell the tickets to the community on one side of the arena (behind the benches), and the students directly accross from them all the way to the bottom. I sit there now when I attend games, and the old farts get cranky because I choose to stand as much as possible. It's sad to see the lack of passion in the Pan Am these days. I like that they are trying to make a change by bunching the fans together, but what I would prefer would be winning teams so that the arena actually fills up. A losing record last year was a disgrace.
I think the new arrangement is a big step in the right direction. The fact of the matter is the Aggies are not going to draw 13000 fans to any home games this season -- even the rivalry games. 9000 fans closer together will make for a better environment. $69 for a season ticket (with a good view of the entire court) is a great deal! If you are a fan of basketball and will not pay that amount for a season ticket, you are kidding yourself. Aggie basketball is the best entertainment value in this city and it is not even close. This is a program that has been to the NCAA tournament ump-teen times and even has a Final Four appearance. $69 to see Wendell McKines -- a true Aggie through and through -- play 17 games, including a game against the University of Arizona? Seems like a no-brainer.
In all honesty, I would like to see something done about the mandatory seat donations and I would second other posters in stating that if you really want a hostile, home court advantage at these games, you need to give the students many seats close to the floor (and behind the opposing teams' bench).
I am fired up about seeing the new floor and this group of talented Aggies. I have a good feeling that this team is going to be much better defensively and score just enough points to make some noise. Why can't we bring cowbells into the PanAm?
NMSU is putting "lip stick on a pig."
The reason they are doing this is to mask the dwindling attendance since Marvin Menzo took over.
They want the Pan Am to look nice on TV because, the AD knows Menzies bogus extension will turn off even more fans!!!
"It's still a pig."
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