Question/Rant about seating at the ARC

[gamelord]

Decided to talk about what bothers me about the bleacher seating situation. Almost every game I've been to it seems that I always get bumped from my original seat. Either people raise a fit over having priority seating, are determined that my seat is theirs or there are 5 more people crammed into the row of seats then are supposed to be there.

For example; just the other day I get to the game 1 1/2 hour early. Get a ticket for a good seat a few rows up in section B towards the aisle. A random guy comes and sits next to me saying he should be seated nearby buy it really doesn't matter because of the lack of attendance. Right before tip-off a group of four people come to claim the seats, including mine. Their reasoning is that I'm in their seats because they are regulars and always sit there. Everyone else around agrees that I'm in their seat and have to move, even though I have the actual ticket. So I'm forced to move in the center of the row worrying that now I'm in someone else's seat.

What should I do in this situation? Should I get an usher and make all the regulars pissed at me? I'll forever be known as the fan everyone hates. It does piss me off though and happens all the time. I sometimes feel like I shouldn't even bother going to the games since the fans are rude. Any thoughts?

[valporun]

During a regular season game, you might have an issue with that, but for HL tourney games, those seats are assigned, not "first come, first serve". I would definitely approach an usher about it, and if the offended fans dislike you, then they just need to grow up a bit.

[Valpofan00]

Chair backs all around the arena would help the situation but would cut attendance down quite a bit but needs to be done in he near future.

[wh]

Stand up for yourself and what is rightfully yours, whether at the ARC, on the job, or anywhere else in life. Become the person nobody wants to mess with. It's the only way to deal with life's users and abusers.

[Valpofan00]

Chair backs all around the arena would help the situation but would cut attendance down quite a bit but needs to be done in he near future.

Sorry for the typo left out the t in the

[HC]

That's pretty weak, it's your seat stay there. Other option...there were probably even better seats open in other sections if you were going to get up and move. We get in for free and are supposed to sit in AA or EE...we usually sit up in DD about halfway to 2/3 up. If it's going to be a big crowd EE is perfect for us and our kids.

[historyman]

If you have a ticket for a certain seat in the ARC just show your ticket to the person trying to take your seat and tell them to go get the usher. They obviously won't because you have the ticket for that seat and they don't have any right to sit in your seat. If they didn't buy that seat for that game then they have no right to sit there and are bullying you. Like wh said. Stand up for yourself. Nobody else will.

[gamelord]

Thanks for the suggestions. Next time I will have to grow a pair and refuse to move no matter what. I'm sure the ushers will probably help in that situation, but what about when there are an extra 5 people crammed into a row. Your packed like sardines. Obviously they don't all have tickets to sit there and I don't think the ushers will take the time to look at all 17 tickets in the row to see who shouldn't be there.

[vu72]

Many years ago I was at a game and had a particular ticket.  When I arrived I found a young lady sitting in my seat.  I showed her my ticket and asked her to move.  She did, though not happy. So goes life...

[historyman]

I would say that the ushers would have to check if you complain and there are more people sitting in the row then would normally have tickets for that row. If you make a point once those bullying fans won't be back again to ruin your game experience. Again you just have to stand up for yourself. It's because those bullying fans get away with it that they keep doing it game after game and by the end of the season they feel like those are their seats.

[valpotx]

I agree with many on here, in that you need to stand your ground.  I wouldn't put up with that crap at all, and I know that people don't ask me a second time if I stand my ground in past similar situations.

[setshot]

If something like this happened in SC,you could pull out your concealed weapon,stand your ground and shoot the SOB. Only in SC.

[classof2014]

I agree with everyone else, if you have a ticket for Section B, Row 7, Seat 8, then you have the right to that seat and if somebody else is in your seat they are obligated to move and if they refuse, that's why there's ushers, and if that fails security.

Typically the mezzanine, at least the upper 2/3rds of the mezzanine are first come first serve, unless it's a sell out or darn close. But the lower bowl should be strictly assigned seating.

When somebody sits in your seat, you seat in a nearby seat, then the person who has that ticket sits in a different seat, and thus the domino effect begins. And the large group who bought a row of seats can no longer sit together because that one person wanted that original seat.

The games are typically empty enough that you can find a seat in row RR in section CC, and your still close to the action and can see everything going on. Personally I'd rather sit in the mezzanine, it's not as crowded and I can spread out a bit and not worry about other people as much and I can enjoy the game to its fullest.

[Smj]

I never mind if someone is in my seat as long as they move when I show up.   

I hate when the place is empty and I am told the only seat available is in a sh++ty spot so I have been known to move.    However, I am worried the entire game that someone might show up.     I don't want them to feel uncomfortable to ask me to get out of their seat.   If they do ask. ..  I'd apologize and move.   

(went to valpo/uic game @ uic and they said all they had were upper level - place was empty.)

[Kyle321n]

Chair backs all around the arena would help the situation but would cut attendance down quite a bit but needs to be done in he near future.

If they put in chairbacks in both sides of the ARC I would expect them to charge $15 for all chairbacks with an upcharge for the first 5 rows of the old chairback sections (since those would be closer to the action than the first rows of the old bleacher).  I would gladly pay the extra $5 a game for that.

[agibson]

Typically the mezzanine, at least the upper 2/3rds of the mezzanine are first come first serve, unless it's a sell out or darn close. But the lower bowl should be strictly assigned seating.

When you say "typically", I guess you mean that's the de facto procedure most people use, since those seats are rarely sold?

I assume that BB, CC, and DD are meant to be ticketed in exactly the same fashion as the lower bowl.  But, it's true, I've rarely ever had an issue perching somewhere in the upper regions of BB.

The one time I memorably did have an issue in the mezzanine was for a game.... probably Detroit... last season.  They didn't issue tickets in advance to faculty, staff, and students (like they used to do for Butler games), but they probably should have.  Without any clear indication to us, they apparently started selling tickets in AA (probably night of the game? after BB, CC, and DD sold out?).  So, people started drifting in with tickets, bumping us up higher in AA (hoping we didn't get bumped again).

So, I'd be happy if they avoided situations like that - issuing tickets any time things were selling briskly. 

But, basically, the loosely regulated mezzanine seems to work OK.

And, indeed, it's nice to have room to stretch out.  And, apart from a few site line issues to the scoreboard (which have maybe improved in recent years, but probably not gone away 100%) there's really not a bad seat in the house, as far as I can tell.

To the OP, I'm surprised that the other folks in the stands seemed to want you to give up your ticketed seat.  I'd hope a ticketed seat would trump most everything else.  Certainly some argument about "those are the seats we _usually_ buy"!  I hope that, if it happens again, that other fans will defend you if you stand up for your ticketed seats.

[crusaderjoe]

If your legs can stand it, just buy a ticket anywhere in the building and then go and stand behind one of the baskets and watch the game from the walking track area.  Most of the sight lines at the ARC are flat out hot garbage IMO.  If you stand in those areas you should have a better angle to watch the action anyway and the added bonus is that no one has the ability to walk in front of you during game play. 

At the Butler game a few years ago when I came up from Florida I was chatting it up with some of their fans on the track in this area about 10 minutes before the tip.  After a few minutes of talking, they wished me luck and told me that they were leaving to find their seats.  I told them that I'd see them back behind the basket with me and that I would save their places for them.  They thought I was joking.  Sure enough, five minutes later they were back standing.  Better sight lines for sure from most areas of the Mezz.




 

[vu72]

If your legs can stand it, just buy a ticket anywhere in the building and then go and stand behind one of the baskets and watch the game from the walking track area.  Most of the sight lines at the ARC are flat out hot garbage IMO.  If you stand in those areas you should have a better angle to watch the action anyway and the added bonus is that no one has the ability to walk in front of you during game play. 

At the Butler game a few years ago when I came up from Florida I was chatting it up with some of their fans on the track in this area about 10 minutes before the tip.  After a few minutes of talking, they wished me luck and told me that they were leaving to find their seats.  I told them that I'd see them back behind the basket with me and that I would save their places for them.  They thought I was joking.  Sure enough, five minutes later they were back standing.  Better sight lines for sure from most areas of the Mezz.




 

Agree with Crusaderjoe on this.  If it's not a really big game where press are seated along the track behind the chairbacks, you can stand pretty much at half court and have a wonderful view of the game. I'm too antsy to just sit there!

[agibson]

Most of the sight lines at the ARC are flat out hot garbage IMO.

What sight line are you hoping for?  You happen to like the behind-the-backboard view?  It's true there's not a lot of seating there.  The small bleachers on the concession side (no idea how those are handled... general admission?  Noone seems to use them).  Many games you could join the student section.

I figure the ARC's small enough there aren't a lot of bad views.

But, sure, if you like to stand there are lots of reasonable-looking places.  Some places in Europe this is still pretty popular (and maybe only in part due to its normally discounted status).  In big crowds it led to trampling, etc. so it's not as prevalent in Europe as it once was.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Only in SC.

Oh, here in FL too.

Maybe that's why we NEVER HAVE THIS PROBLEM HERE.

Well, that and Southern hospitality.

Certainly some argument about "those are the seats we _usually_ buy"!

I would love to see these people at Duffy's or Northside.  "Excuse me, but that's the barstool I normally sit in.  Oh, and that's the same beer I always order.  Could you..."

[crusaderjoe]

Walking track viewing is an absolute ARC gem in my opinion.  You get a nice, relatively close unobstructed view of the action at a very good directional looking angle and you have a great ability to see plays break out and develop vertically as opposed to horizontally.  Plus, pedestrian traffic occurs behind you at nearly all times if you position yourself accordingly.  That can't be said for most of the ARC viewing area in general.

I've always wondered what the walking track area actually "is" though.  I mean it's not really "general admission", nor is it "standing room only", nor is it really "seating."  I guess the AD could very easily do away with it as a result, potentially for liability reasons and/or to make purchasers sit in their assigned seats.  I remember in years past they used to rope that area off on occasion so that fans were forced to sit but this was usually for bigger games (I think I remember this happening for ND in the early 90's perhaps).  But most of the time when I have attended games the area has been open.

That area though is not for everyone.  You do have to stand for 2-3 hours.  Also, I would never put my young kids on the walking track if I ever took them to a VU game.  The last thing I would want would be to have kids squirming around that area close to the rail.  We would be sitting in that situation no matter how bad the view was.