On Feb. 28, after the University of Maine Men’s hockey team beat the University of Vermont 4-1, UMaine Athletics listed tickets in sections EE and FF of the student section for sale on their website. That means for the following game on Saturday, the student section will have less seats available to students.
While the bleachers may be uncomfortable, and tight. Many would be surprised to realize that the student section holds the most expensive seats in Alfond Arena. If you are paying full price to attend the University from out of state, you could be paying upward of $40,000 a year for your seat in the student section. That is more expensive than any general season ticket in the venue.
Occasionally, UMaine will sell student section tickets during academic break. These games typically see lower attendance from students. However, this game is in the middle of the semester, and is the very last regular season game seniors can attend in Alfond arena. They should not be selling our $40,000 seats for $27.
UMaine athletics should not be able to sell our seats without our consent. People would be outraged if they sold traditional season ticket holders’ seats because they did not think they would show up that night. The student section is what makes the Alfond nationally recognized as the greatest atmosphere in college hockey.
The student section has had problems with the seats being sold to the public before. Traditionally, the student section is standing only when a puck is on the ice. However, people buying our seats become frustrated with students standing around them. As a student, I become frustrated with them ignoring the cultural norms of the student section. The public is generally unhappy with the experience they receive in the student section if they are not prepared for it.
UMaine violates the social agreement they have with their students when they sell our student section tickets. Unfortunately, students do not hold the power. If we did, we could pull our tuition out of the salaries of axillary staff that maintain the Alfond. We could pull our tuition out of the potholes filled in the Alfond parking lot. While we don’t directly fund athletics, a complete separation from athletics, of what our tuition pays for, would devastate the sports facilities here.
As students, we need to start showing up to games so that they have no excuses left. We need to be loud, proud and make our presence known. Students are scared to go to hockey games because of the long line outside. For most games, you must wait a long time if you want to be in the front row. Those are our seats. We have pre-paid for those seats to be reserved for students. UMaine must stop selling student section tickets. Hockey-ticket revenue is higher than it has ever been. UMaine does not need to cut into the student section to make a quick buck.
