THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, JUNE 9, 2014
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PAGE 11
What do you think of the decision to convert section U to donor seating?
Krista Mitchell Senior Overland Park
I think Athletics gets enough money as it is, but students shouldn't be punished for KU's financial planning. The student body should have had more of a
say. It should be an optional fee.
"I don't think it's fair to take away student seats. It's hard enough to find seats as it is."
Laura Thayer Junior — Boston, Mass.
Jamie Fisher Senior — Phoenix, Ariz.
"That's fine for the athletic department to do that, but I'm also fine with the fee being cut. That's the way to make their money back, and it's the reasonable way to do it."
SECTION U.
Athletics reallocates 120 student seats
BEN CARROLL sports@kansan.com
The student section in Allen Fieldhouse is already a tight squeeze for students during home games,but it may be a little bit more packed for next season.
Allen Fieldhouse will take the entire 120 seats in section U, the corner of the court behind the Kansas bench that was previously part of the student section, and turn it into donor seating. Donors that give to the University will be able to sit in the selected seats if they choose, depending on the level of their donations, according to Associate Athletics Director Jim Marchiony.
He said section U was chosen over other student sections because it's closer to a prime donor section than any other area.
Marchiony said the change will not affect current or future students' ability to get into the games, but did not provide details about how the Athletics Department would compensate for the loss of 120 student seats. Students will still be offered the same amount of tickets.
"We are always going to make room for the students who want to come to the games," Marchiony said. "We have the best student fans in the country, and we want to make sure they are able to attend the games."
In addition to more donor seating, Marchiony said that students will pay $175 for the optional 2014-15 all-sports ticket package starting in late August, an increase of $25 from last year. However, it will remain at $150 through the summer for students to purchase.
On March 12, Student Senate voted to reduce the mandatory student semesterly fee of $25 by $18 to help fund the women's and non-revenue sports travel budget. The revenue Athletics receives from student fees will decrease by about $340,000, as reported by The Kansan in March.
Marchiony said the move to turn section U into donor seating is to help accommodate for the department's loss of revenue.
"The KU student government decided to campaign to reduce the student fee that goes to athletics," Marchiony said. "That subsequent reduction of the student fee resulted in a loss of revenue to the athletic department. So the department found itself in a position to make up that revenue and that precipitated this change in section U."
Student Body President Morgan Said issued a release on June 6 regarding Athletics' decision.
"With a seven percent budget increase this year—stemming primarily from ticket sales and revenue sports—it is unfortunate that Kansas Athletics was unable to compensate for the student fee cut in a way that would not eliminate some of the best student seats in Allen Fieldhouse," she said.
Marcus Tetwiler, 2013-14 student body president, was unavailable for comment.
The Athletics budget sits around $88 million for the upcoming year, which is a seven percent increase from the 2013-14 academic year. The money lost is less than one percent of the department's total budget, but Marchiony said Athletics still needs to replace approximately $300,000.
"The revenue that comes into Kansas Athletics is spent," Marchiony said. "It's money that is needed to conduct a division one BCS athletics program."
Marchiony said the seating change is not unusual for a major University like KU to make, and that most major division one athletic programs have some sort of priority point system of some kind in place for their donors. In the Big 12, schools like Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Kansas State have similar donor seating arrangements.
Even if a student's ability of getting into the games stays the same, the change still affects the ability of finding a good seat.
Marchiony said section U is the only section subject to change for the upcoming season.
Edited by Tom DeHart and Emma LeGault
FRANK WE!RICH/KANSAN
The Kansas student section throws confetti to show support for the Jayhawk starting lineup at the Texas Christian University game on Feb. 15. The Athletics Department announced that section U in Allen Fieldhouse would be converted to donor seating in response to the Student Senate's vote to reduce the Women's and non-revenue student fee.
COURTESY OF KUATHLETICS.COM
Section U is pictured in the corner of the courth behind the Kansas bench. It will be turned into donor seating beginning this fall.