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Valley didn't oversell hoop tickets, official says
By:Bill Burrus , Sports Editor 02/05/2004
Even though many fans with tickets didn't make inside for Valley's game with Jackson State, the school says it did nothing wrong.
Mississippi Valley State didn't oversell tickets for last Saturday's home basketball game against Jackson State, according to Dr. Roy Hudson, Valley's vice president for university relations and senior advisor to the president.
The Greenwood Commonwealth has received several e-mails and at least one letter to the editor from disgruntled fans who were among the hundreds turned away Saturday even though they claimed to have bought tickets in advance. After the HPER Complex reached capacity at about 5:30, Valley officials didn't let anyone else through the doors.
"We sold 1,750 tickets ... with probably less than 100 tickets sold in advance. We started selling tickets about 3:45 (1 hour, 45 minutes before the start of the women's game). We had people buy tickets and walk off even though we told them to go ahead and claim their seat," Hudson said. "Our games with Jackson State are always like this. All the pregame hype leading up to the game was about getting there early to get a sit."
Hudson said no tickets were sold after the gym was declared to be at capacity, which is around 5,000, and that most of the people complaining were likely the ones who bought tickets the day of the game but didn't heed the university's advice to claim their seats early.
Some fans did more than complain as a window on the south side of the HPER Complex was smashed with a brick.
Hudson said he would like to see Valley fans work to get their school a larger basketball arena by contacting their state representatives.
"This is what they need to put their energy into," Hudson said. "Why can't Valley get a new gym?"
By:Bill Burrus , Sports Editor 02/05/2004
Even though many fans with tickets didn't make inside for Valley's game with Jackson State, the school says it did nothing wrong.
Mississippi Valley State didn't oversell tickets for last Saturday's home basketball game against Jackson State, according to Dr. Roy Hudson, Valley's vice president for university relations and senior advisor to the president.
The Greenwood Commonwealth has received several e-mails and at least one letter to the editor from disgruntled fans who were among the hundreds turned away Saturday even though they claimed to have bought tickets in advance. After the HPER Complex reached capacity at about 5:30, Valley officials didn't let anyone else through the doors.
"We sold 1,750 tickets ... with probably less than 100 tickets sold in advance. We started selling tickets about 3:45 (1 hour, 45 minutes before the start of the women's game). We had people buy tickets and walk off even though we told them to go ahead and claim their seat," Hudson said. "Our games with Jackson State are always like this. All the pregame hype leading up to the game was about getting there early to get a sit."
Hudson said no tickets were sold after the gym was declared to be at capacity, which is around 5,000, and that most of the people complaining were likely the ones who bought tickets the day of the game but didn't heed the university's advice to claim their seats early.
Some fans did more than complain as a window on the south side of the HPER Complex was smashed with a brick.
Hudson said he would like to see Valley fans work to get their school a larger basketball arena by contacting their state representatives.
"This is what they need to put their energy into," Hudson said. "Why can't Valley get a new gym?"
