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UT Austin alumni not happy with ticket options for sport games at Moody Center
One alum said it isn’t as easy to get a ticket at the Moody Center like it was at the Erwin, and it’s not as cheap either.
AUSTIN, Texas - The University of Texas men’s basketball season at the brand-new Moody Center kicks off in about a week, but some alumni aren’t happy with the ticket process, and they’re worried about not being able to see a game.
One alum said it isn’t as easy to get a ticket at the Moody Center like it was at the Erwin, and it’s not as cheap either.
Alex Friedman graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2016. He said as a student he went to almost every men’s basketball game at the Erwin Center.
"We even camped outside the stadium for one of our biggest games when we were a student, so basically I would do everything I could to make it to as many games as possible when I was a student," Friedman said.
Now Friedman lives in New York, but still wanted to make it to some games this season, so he called the box office. He was told in order to get tickets for UT men’s basketball games this year, he must be a season ticket holder and if he wants to get a single game ticket, he has to buy it from StubHub.
"I went through, and I looked at all the Big 12 conference games and the average get in price for a solo ticket post stub hub freeze is over $100. Which is one ticket for one game, which just seems unreasonable," Friedman said.
In previous years, SeatGeek reported an average cost way lower, so Friedman reached out to the Athletics Director on Twitter.
"He let me know that basically this season they are handing out tickets to only season ticket holders, and they're doing it to maximize the atmosphere," Friedman said.
The Moody Center seats more than 15,000 people but will be transformed into a 10,000 seat venue for basketball games. The Moody Center website said it’s to provide an opportunity for longhorn fans and students to feel a part of the game.
"I believe the Athletic department has a lot of responsibilities. I think part of them is to ensure there's a great atmosphere at all the games and all the fans enjoy it, but I also think there's a responsibility to make sure as many alumni as possible can enjoy these teams and cheer them on as much as they want to," Friedman said.
Friedman offered a solution.
"Remove some of those coverings of the seats and maybe open a few sections at a time. If they sell out, open more, if they don't, restrict it," Friedman said.
A representative from the athletics department said season tickets are not sold out and are still available for purchase. Friedman said that may not be an option for him.
"In the current situation, it doesn't seem feasible to pay for single game tickets, it doesn't seem feasible to pay for season tickets, so I don't know how I'm going to see my team play," Friedman said.
The first UT men’s basketball event at the Moody Center is a charity exhibition next Saturday against Arkansas. After last look, only 59 tickets remain on StubHub.