Tech to use online system for 2013 football seat changes and parking choices
For the first time, Virginia Tech football season ticket holders will be required to make changes to their seat locations and to pick their parking locations electronically for an upcoming football season.
All seat improvements, new season ticket allocations and parking allocations for the upcoming season will be selected by using Ballena Technologies’ online system. The Virginia Tech Athletic Fund (e.g. the Hokie Club) and the Virginia Tech Ticket Office used this same system during the re-seating of Lane Stadium last year.
The system offers season ticket holders the opportunity to see what seats and what parking spots are available (for those who qualify), and then the opportunity to select either or both. The Hokie Club will use the point priority system to determine the order for the selection process.
“Most of our Hokie Club members and season ticket holders used this system during the re-seating process, and the feedback was positive,” said Lu Merritt, senior director of development for intercollegiate athletics. “Now we want to use this process to allow our members to see exactly what is available. In the past, they’ve had options, but may not have asked about them. Now, they’re going to be able to see everything.”
To participate in the process, all season ticket holders must have renewed or ordered by the March 15 deadline. In early April, those who have renewed or ordered will receive a letter with their selection times. The process will begin in late April. Patrons will receive an email reminder seven days prior to the selection time; three days prior to the selection time and then the day of the selection time.
New season ticket holders must pick their seats during their selection times, and all those who qualify for parking must choose their spots during their selection times. Those who have renewed will have the option to change their seat locations during their selection times should they wish, but if they choose to remain in their same seats, they will not need to do anything.
“This really gives control of the tickets and the location to the customer,” said Sandy Smith, Tech’s assistant AD for ticketing services. “In the past, they’d write down any changes on the order form, and we would accommodate them as best we could. But now, they’re not going to have to rely on us to interpret what they want. I think the majority of customers are going to appreciate that.”
Smith expects the process to take the entire month of May and to conclude by the end of the first week of June. Season tickets will be mailed the first week of August.
Tech student-athletes make All-ACC Academic team
The ACC recently named its All-ACC Academic teams for this past fall’s sports, and 14 Hokies made the team in their respective sports.
To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.00 grade-point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during the academic career.
The following Tech student-athletes were named:
Football
Michael Cole, r-Fr., Roanoke, Va. (biology)
Joey Phillips, Gr., Blacksburg, Va. (curriculum and instruction)
David Wang, r-Jr., Ashburn, Va. (management)
Men’s cross country
Will Mulherin, r-Sr., Yorktown, Va. (mechanical engineering)
Brayden Burleigh, Soph., Midlothian, Va. (university studies)
Women’s cross country
Alex Watt, r-Soph., Springfield, Va. (interior design)
Volleyball
Cara Baarendse, Sr., Mason, Ohio (human development)
Jen Wiker, Sr., Charlotte, N.C. (business administration)
Men’s soccer
Daniel Lauretano, Fr., Chester, Va. (university studies)
Drew Ranahan, Jr., Oakland, Calif. (economics)
Kyle Renfro, Jr., Forest, Va. (history)
Women’s soccer
Jazmine Reeves, Jr., Dover, Del. (management)
Shannon Mayrose, r-Jr., Freehold, N.J. (human development)
Ashley Meier, Fr., Strongsville, Ohio (psychology)
Three Tech student-athletes earn postgraduate scholarships
Virginia Tech swimmer Laura Simon, track and field thrower Alexander Ziegler and javelin thrower Matthias Treff were three of 41 ACC student-athletes who were selected for the Weaver-James-Corrigan Award, including three who will receive the Thacker Award, as announced by ACC Commissioner John Swofford.
Each recipient will receive $5,000 toward his or her graduate education. The 41 student-athletes will be honored at the annual ACC Postgraduate Luncheon presented by ESPN on April 17 in the Guilford Ballroom at the Sheraton Greensboro at the Four Seasons.
Upon further review...
In the January issue, there was a mistake in the student life story about Courtney and Bailey Liddle. The article stated that the two sisters’ mother is Nancy Liddle, and her name is actually Susan Liddle. We apologize to the Liddle family for the error.
