The unofficial online home for fans of the UAB Blazers. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

So I was wondering if there'd be a way for grad students/med students to get season tickets for cheaper? (I'm thinking about basketball right now) I know there's the friends/family section, but it's still a bit expensive, considering there are usually better seats for free in the student section.

I know there are other grad/med students on the board, so maybe they can give their opinion as well. I'm a med student and I know some of my classmates are also fans. We usually just go to the games and sit in the student section, but for bigger games like memphis or UNC, where there is higher attendance, it's more difficult to get wristbands and get into the lower level of the student section.

Ideally what I would like is to be able to buy season tickets for cheaper (30 bucks so I can buy more than 1) in an area adjacent to the student section. Having a special section for grad/med students would be nice, since often my interaction with classmates at basketball games is simply waving across the arena.

This would make it a lot easier for me to bring friends to the games as well--the ones who aren't that big of fans don't usually want to show up earlier to get good seats. And it means that I can't bring people to the big games, so they usually only see a half full arena... not the best for making new fans.

So why would the athletics department want to do this? Well first, you're more likely to use something if you pay for it. It's easy to blow off going to the game when it's free and I haven't invested anything and I've got to study... especially if I have to show up earlier to get good seats. But if I've got season tickets, and can walk in 5 minutes before tipoff, I'm more likely to show up, and I'm more likely to bring friends as well.

And second, many medical/ graduate students are going to end up living and working in birmingham. If you can turn them into fans when they're students, they'll remain fans when they're working... with much more disposable income. And the first step to being a fan is showing up...

Just an opinion comparing my experience at the memphis game last year to this year. Last year the med school bought a block of tickets for the game and gave them to students. It was great- show up 10 minutes prior, sit in a section with my friends/classmates, and watch the game. Only downside was it wasn't near the student section.

This year I had to skip class to go get a wristband... I had to convince anyone else I wanted to bring to get wristbands. I had to get there an hour before and wait in line to get in and try to save seats for my friends, the few of them who actually got wristbands.

Anyone think there's a way to make this happen?

For starters, I believe that NAS members get a cheaper rate for season tickets.

(02-07-2013 11:42 AM)the_blazerman Wrote:  For starters, I believe that NAS members get a cheaper rate for season tickets.

yeah, $195. The main problem is I can't convince anyone else to buy one either, and I like to go to basketball games with friends. And I'd want to buy extra tickets to bring other people and make new fans... Even a pair of tickets is pretty much out of my price range there.

Perhaps you should call the ticket office and share your thoughts with the person in charge. If that doesn't work, call somebody higher up in the athletic department.

Heck, call Brian Mackin.

I agree with you. UAB should be doing something season-ticket-wise for the grad and med students. It only makes good business sense.

Anyone know if there is a payment plan for tickets? I would think this would bring in more season ticket holders, as the majority of potential buyers are young families with kids.

I will have to buy a 3rd seat soon for basketball and that pushes us close to $1500 for season tickets once you add in the required donation, not counting football.

$83.33/mo looks & feels less painful than $1000 lump sum for me... I can only imagine it would be more appealing for new graduates and young families as well.

(02-07-2013 12:26 PM)UABslant Wrote:  Anyone know if there is a payment plan for tickets? I would think this would bring in more season ticket holders, as the majority of potential buyers are young families with kids.

I will have to buy a 3rd seat soon for basketball and that pushes us close to $1500 for season tickets once you add in the required donation, not counting football.

$83.33/mo looks & feels less painful than $1000 lump sum for me... I can only imagine it would be more appealing for new graduates and young families as well.

That would cost the university too much money to do unless they charged extra. You could charge it and pay off your card monthly

Wasn't there a 6 pack deal in tickets this year?

Maybe get that in the future for the bigger games.

Solution: UAB Scholarship charge card. Put your tickets on your charge card and UAB earns interest with each monthly payment.

I'm sure if this would work, some other school would have done it by now.

Maybe a local bank or credit union could run with the idea and sponsor it...

You can still get flex packs... $120 for 10... You can take 9 friends to one game, you can go to 10 by yourself, or mix and match however you see fit.
$12 for a ticket to a d1 basketball game isnt bad.

Flex packs don't work for big games, right? And you're stuck in the cheap seats.

I think I will try to talk to someone at the athletics department about it.

Certain graduate students probably qualify for employee promotions, but I suspect that doesn't apply to medical students (usually only GAs teaching or working in labs). It sounds like an amazingly good idea. Even if they just promote student tickets or have a graduate student section, they should get folks from that end of campus involved more

I don't know what the current rate is, but you used to be able to exchange a flex pack ticket plus five dollars for a reserved ticket to any available seat. You can do that for pretty much anything except Memphis. I used to scope out a spot I liked and sit there all the time.

If you are employed by UAB you should be able to do season tickets as a deduction from your check over several months.

Well, I'm not sure that I understand the question. Grad students can get into the game for free with a campus card which we all also get for free. And then you can just buy student guest tickets at the gate. I think that student guest tickets are $7, but I could be wrong. It's been a while since I bought one, but my friends and I go all the time for free. Just use your id.

I think he wants better tickets than just the student tickets.

(02-07-2013 10:59 PM)the_blazerman Wrote:  I think he wants better tickets than just the student tickets.

Ok, I guess I get that, but I don't know whats better than lower level next to band and cheerleaders.... For free

(02-07-2013 11:02 PM)jayblazer Wrote:  

(02-07-2013 10:59 PM)the_blazerman Wrote:  I think he wants better tickets than just the student tickets.

Ok, I guess I get that, but I don't know whats better than lower level next to band and cheerleaders.... For free

That is great, and I did that throughout undergraduate. I still do that, but (when attendance is up), you have to show up 30 minutes before hand to get lower level, and it's harder to find large blocks of seats together. Also, the process for bigger games like memphis (or I expect UNC next year) isn't really conducive to a med student. It usually involves skipping class to get a wristband.

I believe duke has a separate graduate student section-- it's not unheard of.

The point is to build a fanbase. You've got med students and grad students here who really aren't being recruited to the fanbase (only blazer fans I know are ones who when here for undergrad). But if you can make a good amount of grad students into fans... well a good number may end up staying in Birmingham. And these doctors and professors might end up donating to the program.

Honestly the biggest reason I want something like this isn't for me-- I've done the student section thing, and I still do it now, and I'm pretty much fine with it... but it's really difficult to introduce people to blazer basketball this way.

I tried to bring people to the memphis game... but the second they heard "well you need to skip class (we get docked points for missing class) and walk down to the ticket office with me to get a wristband... then we need to show up an hour before the game and wait in line with the undergrads" they weren't interested anymore.

The other reason I want it is to help build a sense of community among the graduate student fans. There are a couple of guys in my class that I talk to about basketball all the time; but because we each bring groups of people to the student section we can never get seats together.

Anyways; I was hoping someone would have insight into who exactly to talk to about this. If I just send off random emails I'm pretty sure it'll get lost in the shuffle.

(02-07-2013 05:14 PM)sadolakced Wrote:  Flex packs don't work for big games, right? And you're stuck in the cheap seats.

I think I will try to talk to someone at the athletics department about it.

So the issue is not the cost. The issue is that you want good reserved seats at a huge discount

I don't get it. Why should grad students get better discounts and seats than undergrad. Student guest tickets are not that expensive. Yes, you are a graduate student and yes we are wanting to build a fan base... but we need to do that with everyone - undergrad and grad students. The only game that this really is (was) a problem for is Memphis. The other games you should not have a problem with.

Tickets are not that expensive so I would just say buy tickets. Yeah, I know... cold hearted of me.

(02-08-2013 07:05 AM)BTR Wrote:  I don't get it. Why should grad students get better discounts and seats than undergrad. Student guest tickets are not that expensive. Yes, you are a graduate student and yes we are wanting to build a fan base... but we need to do that with everyone - undergrad and grad students. The only game that this really is (was) a problem for is Memphis. The other games you should not have a problem with.

Tickets are not that expensive so I would just say buy tickets. Yeah, I know... cold hearted of me.

And the Memphis games at The Bart have come to an end. Memephis isn't coming to The Bart ever again.

(02-08-2013 07:05 AM)BTR Wrote:  I don't get it. Why should grad students get better discounts and seats than undergrad. Student guest tickets are not that expensive. Yes, you are a graduate student and yes we are wanting to build a fan base... but we need to do that with everyone - undergrad and grad students. The only game that this really is (was) a problem for is Memphis. The other games you should not have a problem with.

Tickets are not that expensive so I would just say buy tickets. Yeah, I know... cold hearted of me.

Because grad students and med students are better than undergrads. Undergrads are untouchable