I love the flash outfit. Well the seating should improve. i used to think we had awful student seating. That is until i went to UNC. Those seats are god awful. They have riser seats that are behind the baskets, but they are not stadium seating, so short people can't really watch the game. Also students are scattered everywhere and its all crappy seating.

Students are ofen times “fair weather” fans, staying at the dorm, apartment, etc. to watch in comfort if the weather is bad… or they don't think we'll win, etc. They always have a great turn out if there's a handout… free t-shirts,towels to wave,very low cost tickets, etc. The alumni (and yes, I am one) are the ones who have supported the university through thick and thin. Tickets have been purchased through the point system which rewards long time support and donations. Students need to wait until they are in a position to actually help the university… and not just if they're in the mood to do so.

Maybe if IU's tickets WERE NOT THE SECOND HIGEST IN THE NATION!!!! AND YOU ONLY GOT TWO GOOD SEATS A SEASON MORE PEOPLE WOULD COME OUT

have a taste of your own medicine Karen and compare yourself to all of the other schools, Our Basketball prices are through the roof, and THE STUDENTS, THE ONE'S WHO ARE THERE FOR THE UNIVERSITY deserve to get soem good seats, we are the ones with these “young men” in class, helping them, giving them study guides and tips, I don't remember the last time any donor was in the dorms helping them study

Maybe if IU's tickets WERE NOT THE SECOND HIGEST IN THE NATION!!!! AND YOU ONLY GOT TWO GOOD SEATS A SEASON MORE PEOPLE WOULD COME OUT

have a taste of your own medicine Karen and compare yourself to all of the other schools, Our Basketball prices are through the roof, and THE STUDENTS, THE ONE'S WHO ARE THERE FOR THE UNIVERSITY deserve to get soem good seats, we are the ones with these “young men” in class, helping them, giving them study guides and tips, I don't remember the last time any donor was in the dorms helping them study

I'm really not a fan of first-come, first-served and I've had student season tickets for years. I just fear that it would become like football games–drunk students who arrive late will swoop in and take over seats vacated by the actual dedicated fans who get there early and then have to go to the bathroom or something.

The other problem with it is that there would be camping out, most likely, before big games (Like Duke a few years ago), and that's something the University doesn't want. I know other schools have their traditions like that, like Paternoville for the PSU football team, but I think for the foreseeable future IU's going to do assigned seating.

I liked when the students had both ends of the court. I think restoring that would make the biggest difference. However, there are so many bad seats in Assembly Hall, that there won't really be a good solution until some time down the road when we build a new arena.

I don't have a problem with where the students are seated as much as a problem with when they are seated. I'm sick of students not showing up until the 15 or 10 minute mark of the first half. Apparently students don't think the first few minutes of the game are important to the overall outcome of the game. I think IU should go to festival seating to encourage students to come to games early and/or at least on time. This will reward the die hard fans by allowing them to get the best seats. These same students that show up early are also likely the loudest, so getting them next to the court is vital.

Until students start showing up on time, I don't see how rewarding them as a group with better seats benefits the program. Last season, probably close to 90% of the people sitting in non-student sections were in their seats by game time. Compare with something closer to or less than 50% of the students. This is pathetic. Not to mention the games where students with seats in the bleachers or close to the court didn't even bother coming at all.

Tradition – Assembly Hall like Crean said before is one of the top if not the most intimidating place in the nation to play. Its been that way for years with the set up it has had for years. Yes the seats in the balcony suck, but I always had a great time no matter where I was there and I didn't sit in the balcony every game. We don't have the loud jumping around annoying fans to distract the other team like other schools have down there. But you'd kind of be surprised how intimidating older more mature people yelling at the opponents can be. I think it helps with the referees too. I am sure the refs blow off young kids yelling at them all the time. But when they have elders who are doctors, lawyers, etc yelling at them, I bet the rethink some calls sometimes. Tradition – why mess with a good thing, just like when other people tell me that IU needs to build a new basketball arena (please). I am not opposed to adding a few extra students seats here and there, but lets ease up on trying to force the administration to make huge changes. IU is all about tradition – lets keep it that way.

Tradition – Assembly Hall like Crean said before is one of the top if not the most intimidating place in the nation to play. Its been that way for years with the set up it has had for years. Yes the seats in the balcony suck, but I always had a great time no matter where I was there and I didn't sit in the balcony every game. We don't have the loud jumping around annoying fans to distract the other team like other schools have down there. But you'd kind of be surprised how intimidating older more mature people yelling at the opponents can be. I think it helps with the referees too. I am sure the refs blow off young kids yelling at them all the time. But when they have elders who are doctors, lawyers, etc yelling at them, I bet the rethink some calls sometimes. Tradition – why mess with a good thing, just like when other people tell me that IU needs to build a new basketball arena (please). I am not opposed to adding a few extra students seats here and there, but lets ease up on trying to force the administration to make huge changes. IU is all about tradition – lets keep it that way.

It would only be allowed if I were President!

I purchased tickets all 4 years at IU.
1. The best year I had seats was my junior year. The worst year, my senior year. I do think their should be an acknowledgement of seniority when it comes to purchasing tickets. Example would be: freshman year 1 to 2 seats on the floor. Senior year 5 to 6 games on the floor.
2. Assembly Hall is structured perfectly for alumni and donors to have great seats. The only way a student section can truly be created is to restructure the alumni, donor and season ticket holders seats. Difficult. Think about it.
3. All seats behind the basket should be for students. East/west lower levels need to be blended more. The balcony should be first come first serve.

So for now I think its all up to Glass and Crean. It will always be a debatable topic until a new stadium is built. I'm sure making sure the students are supportive and going crazy for every home game is at the forefront of Crean's mind and sells this to recruits as well. I would love to see Crean, his assistants, players, Glass and some chosen student body members collaborate and then during Midnight Madness teach the students and fans attending the game some cheers and ways to unite during the game at critical moments. I think that would be awesome. At such a large university that would be the best way to unify everyone and make home games even more intimidating in Assembly Hall. I'm just tired of the swearing and finger pointing that goes no where and shows we are immature and unintelligent fans. Hopefully someone can get that idea to Crean, I think he'd like it.

Absolutely. And not just in basketball. This past year the student section in the end zone was great even with the poor team results. Why not give the students to first twenty rows on either side? It's THEIR team.

And that goes double for football. We need to build the program, and those students with the prime seats once or twice a year will be a lot more rabid alumni fans if they feel they were a part of the action and valued by the program.

I still say… this is an easy defense for alumni. For one… the vast majority of students don't have good seats and don't have the motivation to come early. This seems like a “chicken or the egg” argument, but it is hard to say, when the product on the floor is sub par, that students should be at the game early even when they have bad seats. Alumni are forced to because of the points system, but how many alumni wouldn't have gotten season tickets this year if that system wasn't in place? I'm not accusing anyone here because I trust the level of fans on this site would have bought tickets either way… but I don't think you could say that of every alumni.

Furthermore, some of these games have been early evening games during the week. Students have class. I have had student season tickets for 4 years and have more than once been faced with the choice of going to the game on time or losing participation points for the class. Going to school is not like working – there are classes that run until 10 pm and sometimes later. Even on weekdays.

Alumni don't show up on time for those weekday evening games either – and for the same reason. No one complains when the alumni don't show up for a 6 pm tip when they have work until at least 5 pm in Indianapolis, but it is somehow a crime when the students don't show. This double standard isn't fair. Students have class, jobs, homework, presentations, exams, etc. and it doesn't run on a 9-5 schedule. As a grad student, I've missed games for class work. I've showed up late to games because of class work. It is part of student life. Students shouldn't be punished for that.

I still say… this is an easy defense for alumni. For one… the vast majority of students don't have good seats and don't have the motivation to come early. This seems like a “chicken or the egg” argument, but it is hard to say, when the product on the floor is sub par, that students should be at the game early even when they have bad seats. Alumni are forced to because of the points system, but how many alumni wouldn't have gotten season tickets this year if that system wasn't in place? I'm not accusing anyone here because I trust the level of fans on this site would have bought tickets either way… but I don't think you could say that of every alumni.

Furthermore, some of these games have been early evening games during the week. Students have class. I have had student season tickets for 4 years and have more than once been faced with the choice of going to the game on time or losing participation points for the class. Going to school is not like working – there are classes that run until 10 pm and sometimes later. Even on weekdays.

Alumni don't show up on time for those weekday evening games either – and for the same reason. No one complains when the alumni don't show up for a 6 pm tip when they have work until at least 5 pm in Indianapolis, but it is somehow a crime when the students don't show. This double standard isn't fair. Students have class, jobs, homework, presentations, exams, etc. and it doesn't run on a 9-5 schedule. As a grad student, I've missed games for class work. I've showed up late to games because of class work. It is part of student life. Students shouldn't be punished for that.

A couple things here. First, student seating has changed a number of times and is not tradition. Even if you value “keeping tradition” as an argument (which I don't) it doesn't hold water here.

Second thing. If a referee is paying enough attention to know the difference between doctors and lawyers heckling him and students heckling him then he is missing the game and not doing his job. That is a weak defense of the seating arrangement.

I voted yes but believe no is the right answer. My reasoning:

YES – I think it is great for the players, the alumni and TV to see the young crazy screaming student fans. Yes, it is good fo rthe older folks to be part of that. I would devote the first 1/4 and farthest 1/4 of each low side and have the old folks in the middle 1/2.

NO – this is the most likely answer due to the fact that IU basketball/sports is a business. Without the money from alumns there is no business anybody wants….no buyout of KS contract and no Tom Crean .

I am planning to travel 1000 miles for the MD vs IU game. If I get shitty seats , or no seats at all I probably will not give as much to the university. Sorry but this the reality of beast.

I voted yes but believe no is the right answer. My reasoning:

YES – I think it is great for the players, the alumni and TV to see the young crazy screaming student fans. Yes, it is good fo rthe older folks to be part of that. I would devote the first 1/4 and farthest 1/4 of each low side and have the old folks in the middle 1/2.

NO – this is the most likely answer due to the fact that IU basketball/sports is a business. Without the money from alumns there is no business anybody wants….no buyout of KS contract and no Tom Crean .

I am planning to travel 1000 miles for the MD vs IU game. If I get shitty seats , or no seats at all I probably will not give as much to the university. Sorry but this the reality of beast.

OK so I think this is an interesting conversation and I can see both sides of the argument I honestly can. However I must say that while I love seeing the students backing this team the way they do I don't think its fair to people who have paid to be season ticket holders for 40 years to move their seats. these people have given a lot to the university over the years through the good times and bad and they deserve to keep the seats they have.

My grandfather has been a season ticket holder since the days before Assembly Hall. He had the same seats second row just shy of midcourt since the Hall opened. He isn't a wealthy man but that was what he always saved for. My grandmother worked for IU for 40 years and I think folks like that deserve to keep something they have been passionate about for their entire lives growing up in bloomington. I was angry enough when their seats were moved last season for richer alumni to move down.

I hope we can all come to a compromise on this situation. I think everyone can be happy in some way if all the groups get together and talk it out.

Here's my thoughts organized by point:

- Less tickets allocated to the students….Right now there are way too many tickets allocated to students who a) don't know who the players are b) don't know the game of basketball and/or c) are only there because everyone else is. I know it is part of being a student, but 7,500 tickets is a little too many. About 3-4,000 would be sufficient.

- Put the students on the ends (like they currently are) and then put them in each of the four corners. I'm not sure how many seats that is, but I would think it would be close to the amount I mentioned. None of the big donors want these seats, yet they are still close enough to the action to be a factor in the games.

- If there is a way to move some of the people on one side of the lower bleachers to another spot (which may not be possible), then make this a student section as well. It would be pretty cool if the side where the bench is located is filled with fans. That way one side is taunting the opposing players and coaches on the bench, while on the other side you could have prospective recruits sitting behind the bench, actually in with the students. What better way to show them what the atmosphere will be like?

– All students seats should be first come, first serve. It is ridiculous to see the student section empty for the first half of the game. Let the real fans sit in the best seats, not whoever gets the best draw in some lottery system.

- Finally, and this doesn't relate to the students per se, but make all non-conference balcony seats $5 and all conference balcony seats $10. Those seats suck, but at least a family could go and enjoy the atmosphere and it would fill up the Hall.

You make a good point, however, I don't think that 50% of the students are late because of class. I'm sure there are some like yourself in which that is the case, but I think that's the exception and not the rule. Besides if tickets were first come first serve, you would still get a ticket if you show up late, it just wouldn't be down at the bottom. Then on the nights you can be there early you can get the good seats.

You make a good point, however, I don't think that 50% of the students are late because of class. I'm sure there are some like yourself in which that is the case, but I think that's the exception and not the rule. Besides if tickets were first come first serve, you would still get a ticket if you show up late, it just wouldn't be down at the bottom. Then on the nights you can be there early you can get the good seats.

The students don't have anymore right to have good seats than the alumni do. They both have an equal right. Without the students, there is no university, but without the alumni there would be no sports teams, or at least not competitive teams. It's all about getting a good balance for both sides.

Last year there were three different seating/remodel plans online and you could pan around and see the variations. All three tried to improve the views and one even reduced seating, if I remember correctly. Perhaps Alex or one of you could locate that site/info as I have been unable to. Also it seems that one plan had luxury boxes for the rich alums or corporate interests.

Last year there were three different seating/remodel plans online and you could pan around and see the variations. All three tried to improve the views and one even reduced seating, if I remember correctly. Perhaps Alex or one of you could locate that site/info as I have been unable to. Also it seems that one plan had luxury boxes for the rich alums or corporate interests.

1st come first serve for the students. It needs to be completely surrounding the court and not just behind the basket. On TV, Duke looks massive and intimidating, however when you attend in person the court is painfully small and resembles a HS gym. They have created an atmosphere with the MOST passionate fans (students) who are diehards attending games. If the alumns with $ could embrace a SICK home court advantage putting students around the court. I am an alumn and after road games to Illinois & Duke recognize we can improve.

I would like to see the students behind both baskets giving hell to the opposing team no matter where they are. I think it would be perfect.

On a side not, I think I read on scoop Carlino may have Bloomington South in his NEAR future……that would be sweet, another kid to help recruit D.Davis.