Correct the student basketball ticket sale once and for all

Dear Athletics Department,

Remember me?

After your first ticket screw up (the lottery) two… Dear Athletics Department,

Remember me?

After your first ticket screw up (the lottery) two years ago, I was the student who was prepared to camp out in front of the Union for 24 hours, figuring there would be a plan in place for us to keep some sort of order. When this was not the case, a fellow friend and I started the “sign-up” list that ended up being the determining factor in who received tickets. Basically, we ran the show until midnight when you finally decided to have someone show up. In other words, we saved you guys from a royal mess.

Two years later, I’m the same avid Pitt basketball fan who would’ve started camping out on Wednesday night for season tickets. However, this fan doesn’t have tickets. This is following three years of religious attendance.

Three years of cheering for the best basketball team in the country. Three years of sitting in the same front row seat to watch us continue to grow into a basketball powerhouse. Where did that get me? It got me a season ticket for the left cushion of my couch, where I will have to watch the Panthers this year.

Yes, the freshmen who are just arriving at Pitt deserve a shot at getting tickets, just like everyone else. But is there no loyalty here for those of us who have been supporting this team for a while? If season ticketholders can renew their packages, why can’t we at least have an increased chance at receiving tickets for the following year? If we are the fans who have made the Pete the toughest place to play the last two years, why punish us by not allowing us back? Why are you locking out the devoted fans, the proven fans, the fans who love Pitt basketball like it is a religion, from experiencing what will be another unbelievable year?

You would think there would be lessons learned. When helping you guys out two years ago, I thought that things were going to change. I thought that there would be a way that I could graduate saying I had season tickets for six straight years for the best college basketball team in the country. I guess that would be asking too much, and hopefully you know that your devoted fans, including me, will be sitting at home watching the games, instead of standing in the front row at the Pete like we rightfully should.

Sincerely,

Jon Wietholter

jpw35@pitt.edu

School of Pharmacy

4th Year