Athletics updates Final Four ticket allocation

The university today, March 30, further outlined its travel plans and ticket distribution for this weekend’s NCAA Final Four tournament.

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The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics’ travel party includes the men’s basketball team, coaches, athletic department staff, the UW band and the spirit squad and others, and totals 112.

The NCAA will reimburse the university for the air travel, hotel, meal and ground transportation costs of the travel party. In addition, the athletic department will use gift funds to pay for the 18 spouses and children included in the travel party.

“It’s important to note that there is no official university party going to the Final Four,” says Vince Sweeney, associate athletic director. “This event is not like the Rose Bowl, which required that several UW administrators and other university leaders attend and participate in numerous bowl activities.”

Sweeney notes that the demand for Final Four tickets has been unprecedented in the history of the university. “Successful athletic departments must serve a wide variety of constituencies, including students, longtime season ticketholders, boosters, donors, alumni and more. Our allotment of Final Four tickets seeks to balance the needs of those various constituencies,” he says. “We believe we have served these important groups as best as we can with a limited number of tickets.”

Of the 3,500 tickets received by the athletic department from the NCAA for the Final Four, 3,323 tickets were made available for purchase and 177 were designated complimentary for the team and support staff. The allotment is now as follows:

• Season ticket holders, booster club members and donors: 1,400.
• Wisconsin Alumni Association, including season ticket holders, booster club members, donors and alumni leaders: 1,000.
• UW-Madison students: 600.
• Athletic department staff purchase: 200.
• Basketball coach purchase: 120.
• Complimentary tickets for the players and their families, coaches and athletic department support staff: 180.

Sweeney pointed out that the ticket totals are still approximate and could change in the days ahead. The final distribution count will not be available until after the tournament is complete.

UW–Madison Chancellor David Ward and Casey Nagy, special assistant to the provost, will represent the university at the tournament.

While the travel arrangements and ticket allotments are not at all similar to the Rose Bowl, which the Badgers have won three times in the past seven years, one very important element is, Sweeney says: the national and international exposure the university receives by playing in the Final Four.

“This huge exposure is likely to result in increased applications by potential students, enhance the athletic department’s recruiting efforts and certainly builds support among our alumni and other supporters,” he says. “You cannot place a price on the benefits of competing on this national stage. It’s a tremendous opportunity.”