Ticket demands for the Wake Forest, Elon basketball

Brian Paglia / Reporter

The excitement of a Dec. 3 match-up for the Elon men's basketball team against Wake Forest at the Greensboro Coliseum created frenzy among students to get tickets.

Originally, 500 tickets were reserved for Elon students, a typical amount for any home game in Alumni Gym. But the loyalty of students brought an overwhelming demand for tickets.

"Students flocked to get tickets," said Jeff Blythe, ticketing manager for the Athletic Department. "I mean, within a matter of days they were sold out."

With Elon students still rampant to watch the basketball team play a local ACC foe the likes of Wake Forest, at a marquee venue, Blythe and the Athletic Department went to work.

The process begins with whatever contract agreement is made with the Coliseum regarding the amount of tickets Elon can offer its students.

"The Greensboro Coliseum mandates how many tickets can be available," Blythe said."Our contract gave us 500."

Two days before the game, to meet student demand, Blythe, Kyle Wills, senior associate athletics director for business and operations, and others in the Athletic Department got on the phone with folks in Greensboro to get more tickets. Two days of work garnered an additional 200 tickets.

All the while a steady dose of updates showed up in students' e-mails saying tickets were going fast, then tickets were gone, then more were available and finally the additional 200 went spoken. After tickets sold out initially, some students purchased theirs separately from the Coliseum, unaware that 200 more would eventually be sold. Elon let those who purchased their own tickets exchange them for a free reserved ticket available at the Koury Center box office with a full refund. Other students were discouraged when early signs of a sell out became apparent, opting to find other things to do for their Saturday.

"The game was during a holiday, and I know Wake Forest players had exams, so there was a timing issue as well," said Blythe. "Next year we will ask for more tickets."
Blame the zealous turnout of Elon kids and odd scheduling for the ticketing mayhem.

Contact Brian Paglia at pendulum@elon.edu or 278-7247.