Issue date: 8/20/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Battalion Admin [Click to enlarge]

Texas A&M is renowned for the fan support it receives in athletics. The fervor and enthusiasm exhibited by Aggie faithful has earned the fanbase the moniker 'The 12th Man.' The name is a charge to the fans: Be prepared to be called upon at any moment to provide backup for the team. But to help the team, you need to be there.

For most students, the best option is the Sports Pass. The pass allows the carrier entry into A&M home varsity sporting events as general admission seating allows. With 20 teams at 11 venues, the University offers fans many opportunities to see Aggie athletes. But there are stipulations, particularly for the events in high demand, and that is the way A&M wants it.

"Our motto is 'Building Champions,' and obviously a big part of creating a contender is creating a home field advantage, and I think the 12th Man is the best in the country," said A&M Athletic Director Bill Byrne. "We want to have everyone that wants to see the games be able to see them, but we do want it to be a hot ticket. We want them to be in demand, which is why we have the pull and now the lottery for basketball."

Football games, the cash cow of the athletic department, draw huge crowds into Kyle Field and need assigned seating to bring order to chaos. So there is a weeklong ticket pull before a home football game where students pull tickets in order based on how many credit hours they have.

The pull may sound confusing, but most students get used to it and many believe it is a fair system.

"I think it can be confusing, especially for lowerclassmen," said Randell Labio, a pass-holding senior aeronautics major. "But I think the pulling process is very straightforward, especially the different days for different classes."

"I think the ticket pull is the fairest and best way to determine seating assignments," Byrne said. "Students who have put in the work should be given the best available seats."

The time for the ticket pull is determined and announced before the week. It draws large crowds that line up before the ticket windows open. The ability to pull for up to 10 other students allows schedule flexibility for early morning classes and less crowding.

Most of the other sports have seating available on arrival, but the increasing popularity of men's basketball and the 13,000 seating capacity of Reed Arena created a need for a lottery system for men's basketball.

A&M coaches agreed that they want their events to be accessible, but for the tickets to be sought after. With enhancements being made to venues like the soccer stadium, Soccer Head Coach G. Guerrieri said he hopes the changes make the environment more enjoyable and a hotter ticket.

What you need to know

Three options available:
19 - Football only
20 - All sports and football
27 - All sports and no football

Registration
Online - At aggieathletics.com
In person - North end of Kyle Field

Football ticket pull
Graduates and seniors - Monday
Juniors - Tuesday
Sophomores - Wednesday
Freshmen - Thursday
Groups of more than 10 - Monday and Tuesday

Men's basketball lottery points system

1 point for students who
Register, are not selected but admitted as a walk-up
Register, are not selected and don't attend as walk-up
Register, accept admittance and attend
Do not register, but admitted as a walk-up

0 points for students who
Do not register and do not attend

-1 points for students who
Register, are selected and decline ticket
Register, are selected, do not decline admission by deadline and do not attend

-2 points for students who
Register, are selected, accept admission and do not attend.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools