If you were to ask UW-Madison's football season-ticket-holders what effect next year's switch to a game-day voucher exchange will have, their answers would run the gammut.
Despite a push by the Athletic Department to get students to Camp Randall earlier, the distribution switch will likely have mixed results. Students who value pre-game festivities more than the game itself said they would likely not be affected by the switch, while others were more receptive to the change.
Jamie Pollard, the Deputy Director of Athletics, said he believed UW-Madison was unique because it listened to season-ticket holders.
\I am grateful we let the students have a say in the matter, because a lot of schools wouldn't do that,"" Pollard said.
Many students enjoyed the atmosphere of the ticket-exchange program in place for the past ten years, during which students camped outside for extended periods of time to exchange their vouchers for tickets every Wednesday morning before home games. However, there are those who agree the new method may not be a terrible alternative.
""If I had to choose between the options, the one that was chosen is the best. The true fans will get there early to get the best seats,"" UW-Madison sophomore Eric Sable said.
Then there is the case of a soon-to-graduate football fan, who still has a strong base of friends who attend the games and a strong connection to the student section.
""As a graduating senior, I was very pleased with the consensus reached with the online vote,"" UW-Madison senior Kevin Damiano said. ""The option that was selected allows someone in my shoes to return to campus next year and in the near future and still be able to sit with their friends.""
There is a large contingency of the school, though, that cherishes the pre-game celebrations of Badger fans. This group of season-ticket holders feel that their tradition is being trampled on.
""It's going to cut down on big pre-game parties and good times,"" UW-Madison sophomore Steve Glassenan said. ""I want to be able to drink, and walk to the stadium, with a seat, just before kickoff.""
The concern of a large crowd trying to exchange tickets outside of Camp Randall prior to the game, or even after the first quarter has begun, also looms throughout the season-ticket holder community.
""I find the new policy very frustrating, because I think it will be a mess at the stadium and take away from our enjoyment of the game,"" UW-Madison sophomore Liana Brower said.
Pollard assured the student population that the crowd should not be a problem.
""I would anticipate, much like we heard from many of our peer institutions, that the students would come over a longer period of time because the ones that want the best seats will already be at the stadium when the person comes at 11 o'clock,"" Pollard said.
It seems the season-ticket holder population will remain split on the issue, depending on what the individual fans emphasize more: their pre-game tradition of socializing or the timeliness in which they come to the game.
