LINCOLN, Neb. (KMTV) — Nebraska Athletics is responding to season ticket holder concerns about increased contribution requirements at John Cook Arena by implementing new policies to combat ticket reselling and improve accessibility for fans.
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Tyler Kai, Nebraska's Deputy Athletics Director-Revenue Generation, acknowledges the department faces a challenging balance as they transition to an expanded John Cook Arena while addressing fan feedback.
"We're trying to thread the needle as best as we possibly can," Kai said.
The concerns have generated significant discussion among the fanbase, with longtime season ticket holders like Jerry Ebers expressing understanding but worry about the impact on fans.
"I don't necessarily blame the athletic department; they're doing what they have to do," he said Wednesday before the Nebraska men's basketball game against Wisconsin. "The problem, of course, is that there's going to be a lot of people affected that probably never thought they would end up going through something like this."
The athletics department discovered a significant issue that they're hoping to resolve to increase access to tickets: 10% of season ticket holders never attended a match and instead sold their tickets on the secondary market.
"We don't think that's fair," Kai said.
To address this problem, those season ticket holders will not be eligible to select seats this summer under the anti-broker policy.
"We want to make sure that more true deserving Husker fans are able to get access into the building, and that ticket broker policy will allow for us to do that," Kai said.
The department is also restructuring seating inventory to improve accessibility. Nebraska Athletics hopes to reserve about 500 seats per match for single-game ticket sales.
"The season ticket inventory right now is everything in the building," Kai said. "We need to be a little more strategic about how we utilize the inventory of the Devaney Center in order to allow for more folks to come into the building."
The passionate fanbase creates both opportunities and challenges for the athletics department as they navigate these changes.
"It shows that our fans have unbelievable support, but it also comes with some consequences," Kai said.
One major consequence is the difficulty of bringing in new fans, as secondary market ticket prices have become expensive, prompting the department's strategic response.
This marks the first full reseat in Nebraska volleyball history, though reseats are common in college athletics. Kai assured fans that any potential future reseats for other sports will include at least one year's advance notice.
The athletics department recognizes fan anxiety about these changes and encourages direct communication during the transition process.
"Our priority is to ensure that we still support folks so they understand the process," Kai said.
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