University of Iowa basketball season ticket sales on the rise

A massive increase in student season-ticket sales for University of Iowa men's basketball has given the athletics department a lift in total sales.

As of Monday, Iowa had sold 1,230 student season tickets compared to 424 a year ago. Freshman were targeted during summer orientation, generating most of the sales. In 2008, student sales were down mainly because student orientation sessions were altered and then canceled because of summer flooding.

Although the total season-ticket numbers are up - 6,334 to 6,082 - the general public sales are down 9 percent. Iowa sold 4,580 season tickets last year, and that number has dropped to 4,141. Iowa's faculty/staff tickets are down 10 percent as well.

“I would have to say that we'd be kidding ourselves to say (we're) not seeing a little bit of recession there,” said Rick Klatt, associate athletics director for external affairs. “We're not done selling season tickets, but it's slowed down for us.”

Iowa's students will trade locations with the pep band at Carver-Hawkeye Arena this winter. The band will move from the southeast corner to behind the south basket.

“Putting the band dead center we think is going to help us, A) look better on television, and B) provide a better chunk of seats for the students to sit in versus the band,” Klatt said.

Students will move behind the opposing team's bench when a $47 million renovation to Carver-Hawkeye Arena is completed. Tuesday, Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta said the project remains on track for groundbreaking yet this fall.

“I've been saying ‘Sometime this fall, sometime this fall.' It has been our goal. It's still our goal,” Barta said. “We believe the fundraising is going well, the bids are coming in where we want them to be and the bond rate.”

Iowa hopes to raise $20 million privately to fund renovation and construction.