As I've been saying, we are a football school ...

Embarassing turnout for the Founders Club. Maybe 60% full after tip. 7,500-8000 tops. Maybe.

I didn't get my tickets in time for the game...

Too $$$$. I went on line to buy tickets to a couple of future games.....general admission is $31! Too steep for me. I'll watch on TV and just ignor the empty seats.

its basketball and they should not be charging football prices, theres a large part of your problem right there

They have got to be kidding. GA tickets for non conference games at $26 and $31 for conference games. Who do they think we are???

I have two kids and we were looking forward to attending a few games this year. But if it is going to cost me $93 to walk into the new arena they might as well not expect us anytime soon.

Unless the kids can get in at about $5 a pop and adults at say $15, the new Galen Center will have many empty seats this season.

Take into account the fact that the athletic department is looking at this as a revenue stream instead of allowing the students the access they should rightfully have with their Spirit Pass (see Daily Trojan, Nov 15), and no wonder the seats are empty.

Big $$$ arenas do not mean seats will be filled, a quality, winning program does.

I'm an alum who was as excited as anyone to finally see the Galen Center open, until I heard about how much they're going to charge for tickets. I believe we'll have a decent year this year, but not THAT decent.

Then to hear that they are limiting the student section to 2000 or so seats is ridiculous!! This is Los Angeles! Non-students have about 1000 other options besides going to an SC basketball game! We might be selling out football games, but does anyone besides Scott notice that all the seats aren't actually filled come game time?

What does USC think is going to be different in the Galen Center? Oooooo - shiny new floors and big windows!!! Wow - that's enough to get me in once, after that, it's all about the product on the court. Only 7500 for the grand opening, against a decent team - wait until we play the cellar dwellers! It'll be right back to 3000 fans as usual.

The USC Ticket office needs to stop thinking about the bottom line and start thinking about filling the Galen Center with STUDENTS!!!

Here's my take:

Many USC alumni who can afford tickets and parking don't live anywhere near USC (e.g., Orange County or the Westside), and are generally not interested in driving up or over for USC events, whether it's basketball, baseball or volleyball. This is especially true on weeknights.

Football is the great exception because of the team's success, the limited number of games, the "event" status of each game (including tailgates), and the fact that the games are on Saturdays.

Maybe O.J. Mayo or a deep NCAA run will change things, but I remain skeptical. After all, we were in the final eight five years ago and there was no carryover. I've sat with too many tiny crowds at the Sports Arena to expect otherwise.

I wholeheartedly agree about the prices. GA is $31.00 too much. Maybe someday if Mayo and Davon and begin taking the school deep into the tournament, but right now they should think about lowering prices just to get people to come.

Really, really nice Arena! The lower level seats were "pretty" full, good student section turnout, but the upper level seats were way too sparse...although in comparison to the Sports Arena, it looked like a packed house.

On a side note it was kind of embarrassing watching ten little kids sitting courtside and playing musical chairs around Anthony Davis during the game, while their dads could care less...but I guess that is to be expected.

Despite the loss, the team looked pretty solid without Pruitt, and will be really good next year with a core of Young, Pruitt, Gibson, Hackett, and OJ Mayo & Co. coming in. We will have to wait and see how many empty seats there are next year.

Why on earth would anyone think a new building will generate interest in the team? Build a great team first, and then the people will come.

Patience...Floyd will get there, if he can prevent top players from being hurt/killed during the off season. (No disrespect, that was a horrible thing for that family and the program.) It'll be full for the Bruins and if/when they get to be an elite program.

There were plenty of empties in the Coliseum during the Smith/JR2/Hackett years also...

Two things:

The tickets are too expensive. Season seats, not even the good ones, are more expensive than football season seats and far more expensive than last year. Next year, with OJ Mayo, yes, season seats will sell out.

They are limiting the number of seats for the student section. Students are in a lottery to get seats. The students paid for their activity cards, let them in! And no, not even the "rich" usc students are going to pay the cost of the admission tickets at the box office.

Put students closer to the basketball court. Put the rich donors somewhere where their silence won't make a difference and lower the prices. There is the solution for a bigger and more raucous drowd.

My observations if you care:
1. Ticket prices are too steep. Did not mind paying $30 for the first game ever but no way would I pay that amount for future games unless they are big games (UCLA, Wash., Ariz, etc)

2. Sections need to be labeled better.

3. Video board is great. Provides the right amount of information. Loved the fact they replayed the worst call in college basketball history (the two south carolina players running into each other but foul called on USC.)

4. Arena was loud even with the smaller than expected crowd. Band sounds great in there.

I tried to get tickets to the game Stub Hub was linked as the ticket providor but when I called them they said they didnt have any left

Maybe the bizarre system of lottery ticket distribution and the artificial cap on student tickets...maybe that could have something to do with it. The high ticket prices and the constant student screwing makes me think Sample has lost control of the moneygrab. Anyone notice that the banners in the Coliseum that used to hang over the sides of the wall where the seats end and the field begins? They used to list the names of different national championship teams and great coaches. Now, it's ads. What's next? Naming rights to the Coliseum being sold to Jamba Juice?

The moneygrubbers in the administration have infiltrated the atheletics department and the latter is suffering as a result.

PH55,

Watching at home on television, it was clear when they showed the replay that, on the play you referenced in #3 in your message above, the USC defender grabbed and held the wrist of the South Carolina ballhandler.