Hot, soft seats go for cold, hard cash
For $10,000 a season, spectators can now sit courtside in Pauley Pavilion
The hottest commodity at Pauley Pavilion may not be the UCLA men’s basketball team.
Bruin fans are lining up to snag courtside seats that allow them to view the game up close. While the student section offers a fun experience and cheap tickets at seven dollars each, courtside spots are $10,000 a seat.
It’s expensive, but people are buying into it.
“I like them, because they have a softer seat,” said Tony Thompson during the season’s first game. “It’s worth it and it’s a good deal to be in front of the best fans, the students.”
Thompson has been a Bruin basketball fan for the last 40 years. Years ago he watched games in the last row, up in nose-bleeds, and slowly moved his way down to the arena level over the years.
Price was never an issue for him.
“If you have a passion for something, you get it,” he said. “It’s a faster game down here, but it’s a fundraiser for the school too.”
Boosters with Thompson’s attitude are exactly the type of fan that the athletic department targets with the new row of seats.
“It’s a win-win situation because the people who have the seats are long-time season ticket holders, and have had a significant contribution to the school,” said Rick Purdy, associate athletic director.
“We’re trying to replicate the pros and other universities that have courtside seating,” he said.
This is the first time ever UCLA has offered such a prestigious seating format. Originally the media occupied desks on the court, but now the press section is above the band. Currently, all 44 seats are purchased for the 2002-2003 season and there is a waitlist of eight people.
The ultimate goal of the project is to give the fans an opportunity to see a game from the best view – and to generate a lot more revenue for the school and the basketball program. The seats provide several thousand more dollars and could continue to be a permanent part of Pauley Pavilion and UCLA basketball.
“Nothing lasts forever, but we look to continue with the seats,” Purdy said.
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