Basketball season tickets - a lottery, not a waiting list?

[Mojocat]

Just called the UK ticket office to ask about season tickets. I have heard legendary tales since I was a kid hundreds of years ago about a waiting list that is 20 or 30 years long. The person on the phone - sounded like a student, and not real sure about most of what she was saying - tells me there's no waiting list. Says you send in a post card, and get put into a lottery. Each year a number of seats come up, and for each seat there is a drawing. Simple as that. Both upper and lower arena. Each season ticket is $360, she said, and there's no mandatory contribution to an athletics fund or anything like that. She couldn't tell me how many seats typically come open in a year.

Can anyone confirm or refute any of that, or elaborate on the story?

Got a buddy who has a kid now old enough to attend games, he's wanting us to go in together and get 2 tickets and split the games. Not sure I want to do that - a 9 pm Wednesday game against McNeese State and then a drive home to Louisville isn't appealing. But my assumption was it didn't matter, cause getting season tickets is next to impossible, anyway.

Anyone know? TIA......

 

[wildcatcorner]

Yup, it's a lottery with postcards. That's how I got mine back in 2002. I doubt there are any lowers in the pool and I highly doubt they're only $360, but you have to be drawn to get them. The other way is to donate tons of $.

 

[wildcatcorner]

To elaborate a little further, the "list" is probably referring to the K fund points you accrue via donations, having season tickets, being an alumni, etc. You can build those up and eventually move lower once you get your foot in the door. But it's a slow process. I'm hoping to be in lower upper/higher lower by retirement in 30 years.

 

[capnmonkey]

Each person in your household can send a postcard asking to be entered in a drawing for season tickets. If your name is drawn, you can purchase 2 season tickets, upper level only as far as I know, and they will not be great tickets. Cost is more like $1600-$1800 for 2 tickets to each of 20 games. UK basketball has about a 98% renewal rate I've been told, so the actual number of seats being drawn for is pretty small I imagine.

Edit for a further note - Yes, it sucks to drive over an hour to catch a Wednesday 9PM game vs. McNeese State, and getting home around 1AM on a work night is even worse. : )

 

[ukfan79]

They are definitely NOT only $360 each. That would come out to like $20 a game. They are more like $900-$1,000

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Pretty tough to get season tickets. If I ever move to Lexington (I'd like to) I guess I'll do the lottery but more than likely I will just cherry pick games to go to during each season at home that are not as expensive. I love going to Rupp, but the at home experience in the modern day is amazing as well.

 

[Oboro3]

2 season tickets in the uppers will cost you $2000. I got my postcard drawn the first year Cal was coach. I sell most of them due to me being close to 3 hours away but I do make it to the big games. When I retire in about 25 years, me and misses will be going to a whole lot more.

 

[throatpoker]

there's no mandatory contribution to an athletics fund or anything like that.

there is a required k fund, just not in the sections you'll get through lottery (ie crappy seats)

 

[bluescat92]

My understanding is if someone has seats four rows from the top and gives them up then people behind them can move down based on the k find points and so on and so on. Then the lottery winner gets the seats vacated by the people upgraded which more then likely will be on the very top row. Lol. Just an example but would not doubt that it happens that way.

 

[doneitall]

What address do you send postcard to?

 

[throatpoker]

What address do you send postcard to?

New Season Tickets
Season Ticket Lottery
Contrary to popular belief, there is no waiting list for season tickets, and we have a lottery system in place. The number of season tickets available in the lottery each year depends on the number of non-renewed season tickets from previous year. Due to the extremely high renewal rate of basketball season tickets, only a limited number of upper level seats are available each year in the lottery. If you would like to enter your name into the men's basketball ticket lottery for season tickets, please send your name, address, daytime telephone number(s), and email address on a postcard to:

UK Basketball Ticket Lottery
Joe Craft Center
338 Lexington Avenue, Room A-113
Lexington, KY 40506-0604

Drawings are held the first week of October through the first week of November for two (2) upper level seats, priced at $950 each. You will be notified only if your name is drawn. Limit one entry per person. You must be at least 18 years old to purchase season tickets. We do not notify people who are not drawn. You will need to re-send your request each year until you are drawn, as names that are not drawn for the present year are discarded after the lottery is over.

If you are a regular, full-time faculty/staff member at the University of Kentucky, we hold a separate lottery before the public ticket lottery each year. Please send a postcard following the same directions above, and indicate "UK Faculty/Staff" on your postcard. Eligible UK Faculty/Staff receive a 20% discount on two season tickets if they are drawn in the lottery.

 

[wildcatcorner]

My understanding is if someone has seats four rows from the top and gives them up then people behind them can move down based on the k find points and so on and so on. Then the lottery winner gets the seats vacated by the people upgraded which more then likely will be on the very top row. Lol. Just an example but would not doubt that it happens that way.

You're not wrong. But to move down you have to specifically request it.

 

[ORCAT]

New Season Tickets
Season Ticket Lottery
Contrary to popular belief, there is no waiting list for season tickets, and we have a lottery system in place. The number of season tickets available in the lottery each year depends on the number of non-renewed season tickets from previous year. Due to the extremely high renewal rate of basketball season tickets, only a limited number of upper level seats are available each year in the lottery. If you would like to enter your name into the men's basketball ticket lottery for season tickets, please send your name, address, daytime telephone number(s), and email address on a postcard to:

UK Basketball Ticket Lottery
Joe Craft Center
338 Lexington Avenue, Room A-113
Lexington, KY 40506-0604

Drawings are held the first week of October through the first week of November for two (2) upper level seats, priced at $950 each. You will be notified only if your name is drawn. Limit one entry per person. You must be at least 18 years old to purchase season tickets. We do not notify people who are not drawn. You will need to re-send your request each year until you are drawn, as names that are not drawn for the present year are discarded after the lottery is over.

If you are a regular, full-time faculty/staff member at the University of Kentucky, we hold a separate lottery before the public ticket lottery each year. Please send a postcard following the same directions above, and indicate "UK Faculty/Staff" on your postcard. Eligible UK Faculty/Staff receive a 20% discount on two season tickets if they are drawn in the lottery.

This is correct. I have upper level season tickets and they cost me $950 this year. Have no idea what that lady was talking about costing $360 unless they were season tickets to a Rupp restroom seat.

 

[Hollcat]

My sister got chosen from the lottery but when they called her she was teaching class and couldn't answer the phone. When she called back they said they had already moved on to the next people on the list. I suggested she email UKs president and explain how it was unfair that because she can't sit and wait on the phone to ring she got passed over. Apparently he agreed because they got two season tickets. Their seats are upper end zones about 2/3 the way up.