quote:

---

Is it really the non-students that make the student section so great?

---

Apparently you've never met Statboy... And yes, the former students contribute. They don't take up that much space. Students that come late to marquee games can go sit on wet berm. Not the end of the world, dude.

My email

quote:

---

As an Aggie who had missed no more than 20 home baseball games from 2001-2010, and always sat in the same front row seat of Olsen's GA section I am infuriated that the decision has been made to make the area student-only. The leaders of the "Raggie" interactive style have almost always been former students. Ask people like Rick Hill and he will corroborate that point.

By excluding us, you are excluding many of the most faithful fans.

And for clarification, I WILL be in my seat on Friday. Everyone else will be, too.

---

you will have about 100 people max in that section if you kick out the regulars...the regulars are not trying to move the students, we are trying to intermingle. the people who have never been to Olsen won't know the difference. but those who have will realize something is missing (not to be arrogant or pompous, but the regulars contribute to the atmosphere that makes Olsen great). plus, what about those of us who have been there for 4,5,6+ years and want to be apart of history too? have we not earned our spot? have we not relentlessly watched the construction cam? donated to the fund? counted down the days? let us have our cake!!

I've been sitting in GA since I have graduated. No one has EVER told me that I couldn't be there and I have been going since 1990. When we have a prime game (i.e., an expected sellout) I buy reserved seats for my family. I do not come up two hours before the game to get a seat. It has been a rare occurance when I have sat in GA and the stadium was full. Usually it's me and the kids and space on either side of me.

BAD decision athletic department.

quote:

---

Is it really the non-students that make the student section so great? No, its the students that come out to every game.

---

Yeah, all 50 of them.

I realize you've probably only been to a handful of games, but most of the folks on this thread have been sitting in the GA for at least a few years in a row. Many of them have been there for 10+. The average student does not care about baseball unless it's tu. You will find more families in the GA than students at all but one game. It's the folks that have been coming day in and day out that have been preserving "Olsen Magic," not the student who comes out to one game a year.

Sure, they'll come out tomorrow and MAYBE Saturday. But after that, you'll see how the real current students feel about baseball. It's not fair to the traditional fans and it's complete chicken**** how they handled this. COMPLETE.

I've followed A&M sports for a long time, and this by far, is the worst PR and policy I've ever seen. I feel really bad for the folks that were expecting to be able to sit up there with old friends and watch Aggie baseball. Now it's from the lawn.

quote:

---

Is it really the non-students that make the student section so great? No, its the students that come out to every game.

---

You mean the students that show up late and leave early. I mean they have to make their parties, get to northgate, etc. There are a ton of recent and not so recent graduates that add a lot to the atmosphere. Many students just jump in for the crowd stuff that everyone does.

quote:

---

Is it really the non-students that make the student section so great?

---

No. It is the regulars, which includes students AND non-students. They shouldn't mess with it.

I'm only for an all-student student section for opening weekend. After that I think its should be open GA.

Man a chance for A&M to showcase a new facility and then they **** their pants in the PR department and piss off their loyal fans.

Just wait until these folks get ahold to Kyle.

and I'll resend what I said, I forgot that many of you banked on getting a GA seat. This policy change should have been announced well in advance.

All I have to say, once again, is that if ANY aggieland saturday troupes try to go through 201-204, you better beleive that I'll be there and I'm not leaving.

Why, so 250-300 students can have a ****load of elbow room?

quote:

---

I am sure you are receiving a lot of these emails, and rightly so. You are angering the faithful at Olsen Field. If you do not understand why, you should have someone who knows Aggie baseball making decisions regarding Aggie baseball. The issue I am referring to is the reclassification of sections 201-204. You are kicking out a majority of those section. These Olsen Field regulars help create the atmosphere that is special about Olsen. I will reiterate some others in saying I have missed maybe 6 games a year between 2007 and 2011. I am very upset that this area is trying to be made student-only. Again, this moves the regulars, the Raggies, and all other Former Students who sit in the GA helping make Olsen what it is. Ask people like Rick Hill, RC, Coach Sawyers, and anyone who knows Aggie baseball, they will tell you the same thing, that the heart of Olsen has always been the GA. (Why else do you think the coaches come sit in 203 when they get tossed out of a game?) .


By excluding us, you are excluding many of the most faithful fans and, listen carefully to this part JEOPARDIZING FUTURE DONATIONS AND SUPPORT OF 12TH MAN FOUNDATION.

And for clarification, I WILL be in my seat on Friday. Everyone else will be, too.

---

The whole "AggieTickets" account on Texags probably seemed like a great PR/marketing move at the time by the athletic department.

This now marks the 2nd time that "AggieTickets" has come in with information, and then completely disappeared when people actually want an explanation -- the same thing occurred when the guys outed the ticket department for allowing employees to pull early for football (and thus get all the best 2nd deck seats). AggieTickets said that was not the case, and when it was proven otherwise the poster went into hiding for weeks.

quote:

---

"We are expecting a high volume of students due to record sports pass sales. 201-204 will be reserved for them Fri and Sat. In the future we may open those sections to the public if student attendance is low."

---

Nothing but spin. The student sports passes have always been first come, first serve. If students want to avoid sitting on the berms they need to get to Olsen early.

So when all the people that don't visit this board and aren't with tickets go up to the window and say two GA tickets. Are they going to then say, ok, but this is now just the berm area? My guess is you will have a large number of people going into this section to sit as they have for years. They will only prevent this if they have people actively monitoring and checking student id's or this mysterious guest ticket (will it have a sticker like football or will it look like any other ticket?). I would love for them to enforce this and have the berm packed with the first base stands half full.

[This message has been edited by aggietoolman (edited 2/16/2012 10:51a).]

email sent

So the general thought is that not very many students are going to come to the game tomorrow night?

There will be more than enough students to fill the student section. I have a feeling students will get turned away if they don't get to the game by 6 PM and def wont have a seat. Opening weekend is packed every year with students wanting to go to a baseball game. You are crazy to think the students wont show up in large numbers tomorrow.

I think I would lean towards even having it be open GA Saturday, but for opening night I don't have a problem the student section being for students.

quote:

---

I'm only for an all-student student section for opening weekend. After that I think its should be open GA.

---

Bull****. I didn't spend the past 12 years in 205 to sit in the freaking grass at the opening game of the new ballpark. I've earned that right more than "joe freshman" that hasn't attended one Aggie Baseball game.

[This message has been edited by Wildmen03 (edited 2/16/2012 10:59a).]

"There will be more than enough students to fill the student section."
That doesn't even happen for the tu games, dude. Especially when you factor in family members, friends, and even the sips that show up

Is there going to be a separate window for student guest tickets?

quote:

---

So the general thought is that not very many students are going to come to the game tomorrow night?

---

It does not matter. The sections have always been GA open to everyone, not just students. If students want to ensure a good seat (or even admission to Olsen) get there early. That is how it has always been.

quote:

---

Opening weekend is packed every year with students wanting to go to a baseball game. You are crazy to think the students wont show up in large numbers tomorrow.

---

Based on past experiences, opening weekend is not "packed" every year. Tomorrow MIGHT be, but it's still no excuse to make folks sit in the grass, even when they get there early.

Attention Student Haters:

Get off your high horse. The point of this is not to bash current students. Take that BS to the Basketball/whiny ***** board. I've missed 4 games in 6 years as a student/grad student, and there are still plenty of students who are just as dedicated as I am.

The point is that Aggie Baseball is the one place where, as a student, I could sit between a 75 year old lady and an 8 year old kid who both love the sport and the team as much as I do, and have a great time sharing a ridiculously large bucket of popcorn and heckling opposing players. THIS IS WHAT IS BEING DESTROYED.

Email. Call. Tell them you think it's a bad idea. Pull your donation if you want. That's how you make your point. Not by starting and "Old Army" circle jerk.

/rant

quote:

---

I've earned that right more than "joe freshman" that hasn't attended one Aggie Baseball game.

---

Please don't be a dick to joe freshman though. I was joe freshman last year, and in addition to the baseball, it was the friendliness and atmosphere the people I met on opening day created that got me addicted to the community that is GA at Aggie Baseball.

When I have a student telling me they have more of a right to GA than someone that has been sitting there for years, then yea I'll hate on students all I want.

That having been said,

I want you guys in your seats.

quote:

---

Opening weekend is packed every year with students wanting to go to a baseball game

---

yes, it's packed...but by students? I think a lot by parents, former students, and yes, probably the most attendance by students all year, but i don't think the majority are students, even on opening night..a lot are out of towners and recent grads who come back to see if they want to come for the rest of the games. banishing them to the berms during the opening day ensures they don't come back for the rest of the season.

Wildmen I disagree, I think that's part of being a student at Texas A&M. Its awesome that you have had the opportunity to live in/near College Station for that long, many of us aren't that lucky. Most, students gets 4/5 years here (hopefully 4) and being a student entitles you to certain privileges you only get for a few years of your life, I think they should be able to enjoy that for one night. That's just my opinion.

quote:

---

When I have a student telling me they have more of a right to GA than someone that has been sitting there for years, then yea I'll hate on students all I want.

---

The current students didn't ask for this. I sure as hell don't support this, and neither does anyone else I've asked. I'm pissed if they want to kick any one of the people who make Olsen what it is out of their seats.

quote:

---

Most, students gets 4/5 years here (hopefully 4) and being a student entitles you to certain privileges you only get for a few years of your life, I think they should be able to enjoy that for one night. That's just my opinion.

---

So get there 2 hours early like we used to do to get a seat.

quote:

---

quote:

---

I've earned that right more than "joe freshman" that hasn't attended one Aggie Baseball game.

---

Please don't be a dick to joe freshman though. I was joe freshman last year, and in addition to the baseball, it was the friendliness and atmosphere the people I met on opening day created that got me addicted to the community that is GA at Aggie Baseball.

---

As Joe fish, I asked to sit down at the end of row 1, section 204. I was told by the regulars that I could sit there as long as I was loud, attentive, and clean; "but say any stupid stuff, and you're finding another seat".
That was back in the day when Olsen heckling was A+

KCAG, no one is disagreeing with you, however; if you decide to show up at first pitch 6:35 or after. You get the leftovers chump, that's all there is to it.

Those seats should not be held in reserve for students; that is idiotic.

No privileges. Show up early - get your seat, no matter who you are.

I don't care if you're Jesus - if you show up at 6:32, you belong on the berm.

esp since those that show up at first pitch will be the first ones leaving in the middle of the 5th