I saw the Seat Police email as well. I can't speak for everyone here, but I find it to be excessive. I understand the arguments for it - "protecting the investments", but it's also a check in the negative box when it comes to game day experience when there are 30-40 Seat Police men & women in concourse directing traffic. One of the first games of the year that I went to, they weren't going to let me come in one of the tunnel's on the opposite side of the arena from my seats - 15-20 minutes prior to tip.

Have your Seat Police to check tickets for people going into the more expensive seats - that's fine. But there's no need for two "ushers" in every tunnel entering the seating area.

Along those lines, at halftime, I often walk down to seating areas above my donation grade to say hello to friends. In the past, it's never been an issue, and wasn't an issue during a couple games over breaks at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Bottom line, I think they need to kind of read the room. If it's a game when a ton of those seats down below are empty, I see no issue with letting folks slide down at the half. Flip side, if there's 7500+ in the house, enforce the rules. Besides that, it's not terribly difficult to kindly ask someone to move because they're in your seat. I've had to do it a couple times. It wasn't the end of the world.

Again - just my perspective.

I'm not the source on how many seats are, or are not sold, but based on what I observe, there are plenty of seats that are available in the Platinum/Gold/Silver sections.

Alan, I think I recall being told that the lower bowl seats were sold out a couple years ago as well. I can't speak for this year. In terms of the price threshold, at the moment, I think they've reached it, but I also think it's still good value compared to many other places for college hoops.

Most season ticket holders live in the 45701 and 45780 area codes. Very few people are coming from the 3 C's.

Next time you drive by Broadview Golf Course on your way to Athens, bring us 9 holes. Seriously, you hit the nail on the head. The people currently coming are your most loyal and die hard fans. No need to piss them off. Sibs Weekend will be announced at over 7500.

Well, they announced over 7K for that NIU game, and all who were there are well aware it wasn't close to that.

As for what Townie says, I agree. I have 6 seats in the first two rows of the upper level, plus my Bobcat Club costs. I'm well aware it's not a big dollar amount I have invested as compared to others in the Platinum/Gold/Silver sections. I also respect that those folks spend double what I do to sit closer. But the Seat Police approach is a bad, bad look. Do it on Saturday's if you want, but otherwise, have ushers to settle disputes in your donor sections, and to check tickets for people going into the Platinum/Gold areas. And leave it at that. For the first real home game back in November, I brought a buddy who is a Bearcat grad, who I've been to games in Cincy and Athens with before, and he noted immediately the excessive presence of the Seat Police.

I don't have a solution for some of the things that ail Ohio Athletics, but when it comes to how they run things in The Convo, it's high time for them to take a close look at how they do everything. I'm talking pricing structure, game day ops, marketing, ticketing, concessions - Everything.

You increase your ticket buyers by making the experience so good that more people want to buy. I know the products on the field/court have a big effect for many, but the experience of coming to the game also has a tremendous effect on people choosing to, or not to, buy tickets.

The police State is brought to you by the same folks who are mandating the 75 ushers at each game.

I'll add that I pay up for gold seats that I make it to anywhere from two to six times in a given season. Two things with that: I don't care who's in them when I'm not, and I've brought (gasp!) one or two additional people next to me in the past with no problems.

If I no longer have that flexibility then season tickets, which I already get at least as much to financially support the program as to actually enjoy, may be a thing of the past for me.

Start with JS via a polite email and copy his boss. I've done that on a few occasions through the years and have gotten very prompt responses. I've also found that constructive criticism accompanied by a possible solution has worked best. I've followed that strategy with various ADs and presidents all the way back to 1996 when first was elected to the Green and White Club board.

Tuesday nights, followed by Friday/Saturday are the regular days for every single team in the conference. So there's no avoiding Tuesday night because of the MAC scheduling it that way. It used to be the schedule was Wednesday/Saturday all the time. The addition of the new TV Deal moves games to Tuesday to account for the travel of 2-4 teams on Friday night for TV games. Personally, I don't see why there can't be games on Tuesday or Wednesday rather than only Wednesday. But whatever - this league is also one of the last to release it's league schedule every year as well.

Now, in November and December, there's little excuse to play a MEAC/SWAC team on a Friday night instead of Saturday. December should be full of Sat/Sun home games when there are home games unless wiggling the date to get a quality opponent is necessary. I don't get the Friday games because we all know Saturdays sells more tickets. Examples this year include Coppin State and the NW Ohio Game. To me, those two games absolutely should have been played Saturday or Sunday, or find someone who will.

For the record, I don't want the best seats for free. MAYBE twice a year I go sit next to friends who sit in the silver seats, sometimes using their extra ticket.

I'm not complaining about everything that happens at games - specifically, if I were to email, I'm complaining about the excessive and unnecessary security.

Bingo!!! Why would I pay premium money when someone can drop $99 and sit in $2,000 seats? What motivation would I have to buy season tickets? This is all about protecting value. I still remember people crying because Kroger’s no longer handed out free tickets, or that players handed them out on the street.