Playing in Inglewood
Here is the story I wrote about UCLA's system of awarding points to decide seat locations in the renovated Pauley Pavilion.
Bruins athletic director Dan Guerrero also acknowledged what I had reported several times, which is the likely happening of the Bruins playing the majority of their games during the 2011-12 season at The Forum.
There will also be an attempt to play a few games at Staples Center and host a Pac-10 weekend series at The Honda Center in Anaheim.
The points system strikes me as kind of an Ebay-type situation. You could donate what you think will allow you to keep your seats, but you could be outbid at the last hour by someone who's willing to pay more.
I can only currently afford to sit in the top section behind the basket. Those pair of tickets cost my wife and I $1,200. It's the only section that doesn't require an additional donation. This $1,200 per year is a strain for us, but we love UCLA basketball and there's nothing like being there in person.
Alas, I fear, that once the renovation is completed we will finally be priced out of our seats. While the view in front of a large Hi-Def TV is much better, it's just not the same as being there. Sigh.
I wish they would play a couple of games at Ontario's new arena.
The IE loves UCLA.
The LA Times story says that the student section "will be switched to the southern side of the court and wrap around the end line." Does that mean they'll be right behind either the Bruin bench or the opposing team's bench?
I'm a current student, but I'll graduate before Pauley re-opens. Still, I think it's absolutely ridiculous that students will still only get 2000 seats, despite the overall increase in seats. The ones fortunate enough to even get tickets are by far the most hardcore fans in the building. I wish every Bruin was like that. I've never been in a more dull basketball building in my life.
For every 1 true fan who is jumping up and down, screaming the whole time (usually those in the rafters), there's 20 boring "bruins" who sit and look at anything but the court...IF they even bother to show up for a game. I wish there was a system in which their seats would be given up (and they'd be reimbursed) for a given game after half-time if they don't show up to claim them.
The re-birth of Pauley needs to be matched by a re-birth of its fans. The place needs to be rocking like the fans on these blogs.
That's my rant for the day.
I'd like to see students and alumni get first shot at seats. Leave the "profit above all else" to USC.
According to the seating chart, the team benches are moving across the way to the north side of the court.
http://www.campaignofchampions.com/images/pdf/COC_SeatingGuide.pdf
(seating chart on page 10)
And I don't know if it's an illusion, but it seems that there are more seats allocated to students. The entire bleacher section on the south side and the west side, as well as seven sections on the upper level.