In years past, lines for season tickets formed at the Kohl Center twice during the fall: once for hockey tickets and again for basketball. But this year, an e-mail notification gave students two days' notice and scheduled both distribution times this past weekend.
The change in distribution was driven by two main factors. \[Because students can wait in two lines at once], students won't have to spend as much time in line,"" Assistant Ticket Director Brian Evenson said.
The second factor influencing the earlier distribution date was the impending colder weather, Evenson said.
""We've had a lot of students complaining in the past about having to wait outside,"" he said.
According to the UW Athletics website, camping out was not allowed and items prohibited from the lines included tents, sleeping bags, blankets and pillows. However, this year, students were allowed to bring folding chairs to sleep in overnight.
""The nights were freezing,"" UW-Madison freshman Kristen Walter said. ""It was supposed to get down to 45 degrees, but it felt a lot colder.""
The plan to reduce time waiting in line was successful, but that did not necessarily mean students were happy with the change. Walter said she observed the ease with which freshmen could cross the street from the Southeast dormitory area to the Kohl Center, meaning less work and planning for them and more work for upperclassmen who might live farther away.
Some had planned to wait in line for a much longer time than they actually had to. ""I would have waited in line for at least a couple of weeks,"" UW-Madison freshman Erik Bergersen said.
Holding both distributions over the same weekend did not deter students from seeking both tickets. Bergersen noted the ease with which he was able to wait in both lines.
As of Friday, Evenson said there were 200 groups registered for hockey and the count for basketball was approaching 100, making this ticket distribution as successful as those in the past.
Ticket office staff said they realized the plight of students, but may not be empathetic toward it.
""They have their tickets paid for; they're just trying to get the best seats possible,"" Evenson said.
Students trying to achieve the goal of first-row seats expressed frustration with the two-day notice.
""If they want the people who actually want the tickets to get the tickets, they should give more advance notice,"" Walter said.
