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Tuesday, May 15, 2007

KU football Select-A-Seat event starts

By Ryan Wood

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It's time to find out who sits where this upcoming football season.

Kansas University starts its Select-A-Seat event at 11 a.m. today for Jayhawk football games at Memorial Stadium this fall. Williams Fund members who have season tickets have been mailed a letter informing them when their date and time is to pick where they want to sit. Members with higher priority-point totals go first.

The seating takes place at Memorial Stadium through Thursday, then finishes May 22-23.

The selected seats will be good for KU's seven 2007 games at Memorial Stadium - against Central Michigan, Southeast Louisiana, Toledo, Florida International, Baylor, Nebraska and Iowa State.

An eighth game is on KU's season-ticket package, however. That's the Border War matchup with Missouri, slated to be played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Nov. 24. With the different seating layout and the fact that Mizzou will get a large chunk of tickets, there will be no selecting of seats for that game.

"We are assigning those seats based on point order," associate athletic director Jim Marchony said.

And while it's part of KU's season-ticket plan, it's not necessarily going to have a pro-KU atmosphere that day. Arrowhead, which holds 79,451, has been split up, with the two schools receiving an equal allotment of tickets.

"I don't know how many seats Kansas and Missouri are going to end up taking because there will be seats open to the general public," Marchiony said. "But, for example, the lower level is split up 50-50."

¢ Sales up: Marchiony said that KU football season-ticket sales have crept over the 18,000 mark - up more than 2,500 from this time a year ago.

Kansas sold roughly 29,000 season tickets for the 2006 season.

The biggest reason for the projected increase was a priority-points online promotion in February, during which season-ticket purchasers received 10 points per ticket instead of the usual five.

¢ Digging out: Though KU's football team avoided any penalties with the latest Academic Progress Rate numbers released last month, it did rank last among the Big 12 Conference's pigskin programs.

The APR multiyear rate averages the last three years of academic standing and players leaving school to come up with a percentage. The decimal is moved back one digit to come up with a number that is used to evaluate academic success among school's athletic programs.

KU football had a multiyear score of 918, which ranks last in the Big 12. Texas A&M was next lowest with a 922. Kansas State had a 926 to rank ninth. Texas led all programs with a 944 score.

Jayhawk officials are quick to point out, however, that KU football's single-season APR rate has gone up every year, including a peak single-year score of 945 for 2005-06. Therefore, barring a huge step backwards in the future, KU's multiyear average is expected to keep climbing.

¢ Up next: KU's football players are getting some time off to take finals and get a breather. But it's short-lived.

The Jayhawks will get ready for the season's grind by doing a rigorous summer-conditioning program under strength coach Chris Dawson. The first day of workouts is June 4.

The summer program is considered optional, but, as they say, the coaching staff also has the option not to play those who don't show up.

That said, 100 percent attendance is expected.

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Comments

Purposive (anonymous) says...

I cannot believe Lew is prioritizing a half-empty stadium. How the hell does that work?

All hail the almighty dollar.

May 16, 2007 at 1:10 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

doubleJ25 (anonymous) says...

I had calmed down about the idea and now I'm mad again. If I buy a general admission ticket, I don't want to be sitting next to some Mizzou jackass. Just cut the damn stadium in half and sell tickets on one side to one school's fans and the other side to the other school's fans. If there are empties then fine but mixing fans (especially the ones who would be in the upper bowl i.e. the more rowdy) is going to be a mistake.

May 16, 2007 at 5:28 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

I really didn't see anywhere in the article that actually stated that Arrowhead was NOT going to be divided in half, but on the other hand I didn't see anywhere in the article that said it WAS going to be. I would only hope that both AD's would be smart enough to divide it down the middle a-la OU-Texas. If they randomly jumble up the fans, that would seriously create a safety issue what with drunk fans getting after each other. Random seating for both teams' fans throughout the entire stadium would be a complete JOKE and the whole thing would be an absolute debacle.

May 16, 2007 at 10:08 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...

I said this before half jokingly, both online and on the radio ...

They should seriously consider having Kansas and Missouri National Guard units on duty at Arrowhead!!

I know it takes some mandate from the governor for units to cross a state line (my father-in-law is a retired NG colonel in Kansas) and it would be kind of cool ...

Having the fans mixed up is just asking for problems!

Forget OU/UT and UF/UGA ... we have two groups of people who just don't like each other, period!

The scene from Outlaw Josie Wells, anyone?

/I refuse to buy or consume Budweiser products because they are made in Missouri!

May 16, 2007 at 1:43 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

fabio (anonymous) says...

I never thought about that before sevenyear. Im gonna have to do some thinking. I dont know if I want to give up Bud. You suggest any alternatives?
I dont drink Boulevard Wheat because it says it made in Kansas City, MO. I dont support either the Chiefs or Royals because they fly the Mizzou flag at both stadiums. So if Im gonna be consistent I might have to give up Bud.
Honestly though, I dont follow MLB or the NFL all that much anyway. Who needs pro sports when you got KU Football and Basketball.

May 16, 2007 at 6:48 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...

thanks fabio ...

i DO make an exception for Boulevard, since it's "Kansas" City!

I drink Miller products instead of Bud ... I'm not fooled by Budweiser's "Kansas blue" bottles ...

May 16, 2007 at 7:17 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

fabio (anonymous) says...

Okay guys, Ive decided-after this week Im not drinking any type of Bud unless its the only type of drink at the party Im at. Im done supporting Beer that is manufactured in Missouri.
Muck Fizzou.
But if you want to know what gets on my nerves for real Im about to tell ya.
Its not Mizzou or K-State fans, its KU fans that are all about KU basketball but are bored with ku football.
Hey guys, I was raised as a KU basketball fan and taught that we would always suck in football. I think my dad was way off. I think we can be great in football, but its gonna take people that support KU and more than just the basketball program.
Besides, I have fridends all over the country and if I said some bullcrap like "you beat us in football but Kansas will probably beat you in basketball" most of my friends would laugh at me. My point is football is what matters in this country, and basketball isnt anymore relevant than baseball to most Americans, and if any KU fans have a problem with that dont take it up with me, take it up with the American population.
You guys realize that Florida is a football school and yet in 13 months they matched us in alltime NCAA tournament championships. The crazy part is most Gator fans dont give a *hit about basketball.
I think its time for KU to get with the rest of the country and put football before basketball. Maybe Im just crazy or maybe Im in touch with the rest of this counrty.
Go KU football and then Go KU basketball.

May 18, 2007 at 3:12 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

fabio (anonymous) says...

I put that on a football article, so Im preaching to the quire. If any of you know how to paste it onto a basketball article, you have my consent. Its time to get KU fans in touch with the rest of the country.
Its great to be an elight eight team in basketball but seriously noboby gives a *hit about that outside of Lawrence.

May 18, 2007 at 3:35 a.m. ( | suggest removal )