Students will no longer occupy outfield bleachers, according to system changes
Some students will be watching South Carolina’s baseball season opener against the Virginia Military Institute Keydets this Friday a little differently than they did last year. Late Monday morning, the Office of Student Ticketing announced that Section 1 of Carolina Stadium will be designated as a student section, with tickets distributed on a first come, first served basis, according to an email sent by Student Ticketing Coordinator Adrienne White. According to Student Body executive officers, changes to athletic ticketing have been a joint effort between Student Government and USC Athletics for the past two years.
“What we got from a lot of students was that the ‘green patch area’ wasn’t sufficient for students,” Student Body Vice President Emily Saleeby said in reference to the Bi-Lo Berm, where students have sat since Carolina Stadium opened in February 2009. Section 1 is adjacent to the Berm, which will still be used for general admission seating. Seats in outfield bleachers, however, will no longer be available to students.
“There will be no bleacher seating. It will all either be general admission or Section 1,” White said.
Despite the addition of Section 1 to the space designated for students at Carolina Stadium, the amount of tickets available each game will not change.
“It’s just a change in where the seats are,” White said. “There will still be 750 student tickets available for each game.”
White continued to say that it would not affect ticket availability for non-students.
Student Body President Joe Wright said that one of the reasons that SG pushed for this seating change was to improve the environment at the games.
“The outpouring student support ... for baseball over the past two years, that has helped lead to two national championships ... showed how critical it was that students had a great space to cheer on their Gamecocks,” Wright said in an email response. “I think this will make the experience exceptionally better. Students will no longer have to sit on the hill, and can be a part of the actual section.”
Wright also said that the new section would serve to pilot the new ticketing system changes proposed by the ticketing office.
Saleeby believes the shift in seating assignments will be also beneficial to the players.
“When baseball players see the students, their fellow classmates, cheering them on, it makes it more exciting than just seeing parents and community members,” Saleeby said.