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Hollis to talk football policy with ASMSU

October 9, 2007

Athletics Director Designate Mark Hollis was asked to attend ASMSU’s Thursday Student Assembly meeting to clear up football student section policy misconceptions.

Hollis said he would answer questions and provide information to ASMSU officials and representatives about the entrance and seating policies at games.

Before voting on a bill to take action, ASMSU members thought it would be helpful to bring in someone from the athletics department.

“For the most part, I want to make sure we are both on the same page,” Hollis said.” The wristbands didn’t create a change in policy. They had tremendous success on the control of where people were.”

ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government.

Student Assembly Chairperson Michael Leahy said this visit by Hollis is what ASMSU and students need.

“A lot of students are concerned about the new wristbands and ticketing process at the football games,” Leahy said. “Who better to talk to that about than the AD? He can let us know their point on it and we will voice ours.”

Leahy said ASMSU hopes to resolve some of the issues by the Nov. 3 game against University of Michigan.

Hollis will answer questions and provide information to ASMSU and the general public who attends.

Many ASMSU officials have had poor personal experiences when entering the games and proceeding to their seats.

Leahy said he arrived to the game very early to ensure a seat closer to the field in the lower bowl.

“They put us in the very top of the lower bowl when there were a lot of rows in front of us wide open,” Leahy said.

“We didn’t know why. I was sitting there and half the section was screaming at the ushers as the police were threatening to kick people out.”

Hollis said in this case, students are entering a gate that they choose whether they know it or not, and obtaining a colored wristband coinciding with a colored section.

Some students who want to cheer close to the field are entering sections that were designed for those who don’t want to sit in the large block, Hollis said.

Eric Hinojosa, Academic Assembly chairperson and Athletic Council representative, personally asked Hollis to come to the meeting after he ran some of the complaints by him.

“He was unaware of the problems that I voiced, but he said he was willing to try and work out the kinks,” Hinojosa said.

Hollis said the first-come, first-serve basis was developed to accommodate a majority of the students.

“It is aimed at coming to different games with different people because friends change while in college,” he said.

“The disadvantage: People stray away from their seat and there is no way to control it.”

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