Football policy changes

The Journal Sentinel staff

Madison Nearly every seat for football games at Camp Randall Stadium will be sold on a season-ticket or group basis, according to a policy approved Friday by the University of Wisconsin Athletic Board.

Recognizing that this move will all but eliminate many potential customers, the board reasoned that fiscal responsibility outweighed the relatively few complaints the department might receive.

"Our philosophy is to sell as many tickets as possible," said UW ticket director Tim Van Alstine. "We're just responding to a situation where we have more demand than supply."

Last year, Wisconsin sold 60,000 season tickets for the 76,027-seat stadium. About 6,000 more will be made available to season-ticket customers this season, and Van Alstine said he was confident that UW would sell them all.

Wisconsin must set aside 4,000 tickets for the visiting team. Under the new policy, Leg 1 ends here about 5,500 seats in the south end zone will be reserved for group sales for each game. This is an area once designated for general-admission single-game seats.

The new policy will exempt fewer than 2,000 obstructed- view seats (rows 1-5) from season-ticket sales, Van Alstine said, allowing most single-game customers one non-group option.

Another, Van Alstine suggested, would be to purchase a season ticket and share it.

The policy, which also covers ticket distribution for bowl and away games, is subject to change if supply eventually exceeds demand, Van Alstine said.

New ticket distribution plans for men's and women's basketball and hockey are under development.

Arena approved: In addition, the athletic board approved the sports arena plan passed Thursday by the UW Board of Regents' Physical Planning Committee.

The $72 million, 18,000-seat facility is projected to produce $2.8 million in revenue a year against annual borrowing costs of $2.4 million.

Leg 2 ends here The arena will include 24 luxury suites, with the potential to add 16 more if demand dictates. The tentative price is $25,000 per box per season.

If ground is broken one year from now, UW athletic director Pat Richter said, it would be reasonable to expect the building to open in time for the 1998-'99 basketball season.

Jim Hoyt, chairman of the athletic board, said he would appoint an ad hoc committee to help with the planning of the arena, which will include an auxiliary floor to provide the various teams more practice options.

Extensions: One-year extensions to the multiyear contracts of hockey coach Jeff Sauer and women's basketball coach Jane Albright-Dieterle were also approved by the athletic board.

Both coaches led their teams into the second round of their National Collegiate Athletic Association tournaments this year.

"Those are certainly warranted," Richter said. "They both had outstanding years, which were recognized."

Sauer, who just completed his 13th year at Wisconsin, was in the second season of a four-year Leg 3 ends here contract. He is signed with the Badgers through 1998-'99. Albright-Dieterle, who signed a five-year contract last year, was rewarded with a contract extension through the 1999-2000 season.

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