All session tickets now available for pickup!

[thefish7]

Yes... Aware. My seats are literally 4 rows behind my seats from last year. I made due and will have a great time... But would have liked to have been in a different section last year.

[Grassman]

Lately, Bradley seats HAVE NOT been between the lines. seems at least 6 years ago
Somebody up there, The ticket God, does not like us

[PTownHawkeye]

I just picked mine up and am VERY disappointed to find myself stuck in Sec 111, Row KK. I ordered the tix a couple weeks after they became available and have talked to two others who ordered theirs AFTER I did and they are in Row W and Row BB respectively. I would have been better off taking advantage of the Buy One Get One offer because the Upper Bowl will only be about 10 feet higher than these tickets!

I emailed Bradley's Asst Athletic Director in charge of ticket sales and vented my frustration to him. Within an hour he wrote back. He explained that basically the "good seats" go to Scholarship Society and high-level Braves Club members, then they fill in the rest first come, first serve. I am at the top of 111 because they consider that better than halfway up 110 due to the obstructed view created by the basket/shot clock.

He was clearly frustrated by the fact that the Valley did not give Bradley a favorable section once again. This is definitely not his or BU's fault from what I gather. I am very appreciative of his quick response and feel much better about the situation...although I will do everything in my power to get lower next year!

[Redwhite09]

All session tickets now available for pickup!

I too was really disappointed when I picked up my Bradley tickets for the tournament. We are in Sec. 110 Row AA, which is behind the basket. Last year we were in Sec. 113, which was much better, but it seems that overall Bradley has the same sections as they did last year. I emailed the Missouri Valley Conference to find out how they select the seats for the different universities. This is the response I received that same day:

I have forwarded your inquiry about tournament tickets/seating to our tournament director, Joe Mitch (mitch@mvc.org) for further clarification.

Seating assignments are determined in early January and are based on a number of factors, including advance institutional ticket sales. The locations are rotated. This year, we did try to get more seats for our institutions in the lower bowl by moving some corporate sponsor tickets out of the lower bowl.



Mike Kern
Associate Commissioner for Communications

I have not received any further response yet from Joe Mitch, but I find it interesting that this guy says that they rotate sections. You may also want to email the MVC to let them know how you feel about Bradley's seats for this year. Maybe if they hear enough complaints, it will help to get Bradley better seats next year.

Seems to me that Bradley may always be stuck in the endzone because of advance ticket sales being a factor to measure where we sit. I don't think it's fair to penalize the smaller schools because of their advance ticket sales being less than big state schools.

I also expressed to them that if we have to be stuck under the basket every year, why don't they make those tickets cheaper? We are paying the same amount for those seats under the basket that the people with the good seats are paying. Just my 2 cents worth!

[thefish7]

Yeah especially advance tickets sales being a factor. GRUMBLE GRUMBLE, but I seem to recall the UE section being at midcourt. All 29 fans were up there.

[real fan]

That excuse is a load of crap as UNI sold around 300 last year and all of their seats were in the main sections and close to the floor.

[Redwhite09]

Interesting info posted by cpacmel on the ISU board....total number of all session tickets sold through Feb. 18....


Bradley 924
CU 1727
DU 500
UE 300
ISU 1100
INS 104
MSU 380
UNI 407
SIU 1100
WSU 695

[thefish7]

Last year the CU section was right next to ours... And I'm sure they were top 1 or 2 best represented schools at the tourney. So maybe the MVC just considers spots directly behind the basket to be prime real estate.

[cpacmel]

So maybe the MVC just considers spots directly behind the basket to be prime real estate.

Corporate seating always makes up the majority of baseline to baseline seating.

[Da Coach]

Seems to me that Bradley may always be stuck in the endzone because of advance ticket sales being a factor to measure where we sit. I don't think it's fair to penalize the smaller schools because of their advance ticket sales being less than big state schools.

But this is not true about Bradley's ticket sales. Bradley is always among the upper half of the schools in ticket sales. Only 1 big state school (SIU ranks above them over the past 2 seasons.
Over the past 2 seasons, Bradley ranks 3rd among all schools in ticket sales behind only Creighton and SIU. That is amazingly good considering they have finished no higher than 4th place.

Here are ticket sales for the past 2 years--
2008....2009....Total....School/Rank
1559....1680.....3239.....1. CU
1734....1100.....2834.....2. SIU
1000....924.....1924.....3. BU
1125.....650......1775.....4. WSU
604.....1100......1704.....5. ILSU
650......365.......1015.....6. UNI
505......380........885.....7. MSU
290......500........790.....8. DU
275......300........575.....9. UE
150......104........254....10. INSU


Over the past 3 seasons combined, Bradley ranks 4th in tickets sold. That ranks ahead of schools like Missouri State and Illinois State which have huge student populations, large fan bases, and lots of alumni in the St. Louis area. Bradley also ranks well ahead of DU and UNI, who could be the last 2 MVC champions!
Here are ticket sales for the past 3 years--
2007.....2008.....2009......Total School/Rank
1442.....1559.....1680......4681.....1. CU
1579.....1734.....1100......4413.....2. SIU
2574.....1125......650.......4349....3. WSU
500......1000.....924......2424....4. BU
216........604.....1100.......1920....5. ILSU
677........505.......380.......1562....6. MSU
399........650.......365.......1414....7. UNI
100........290.......500........890.....8. DU
191........275.......300........766.....9. UE
106........150.......104........360....10. INSU

[thefish7]

Corporate seating always makes up the majority of baseline to baseline seating.

In the middle bowl area? Really?

[it's boogie time]

If I remember correctly, the more advance tickets your school sells, the better chance you'll be in the endzone. That's where the most room is to accomodate big numbers.

As stated earlier, the best seats in the house are for the corporate sponsors. Which helps out when trying to buy a ticket for cheap before the session.

[houstontxbrave]

I am not getting the chance to go to STL this year. This will be only my 3rd miss since it went to STL. The only times I ever recall ever having seats not in the end zone or on the baseline was the first year when it was in the old Kiel Center or when the event was in the Old Arena when hardly anyone went.

But I will tell everyone I will never ever buy tickets again through either the Univerisity or through the Valley, simply because if you say you are a Bradley fan you will get an endzone or baseline seat near the top of the lower bowl.

Anytime I ever go back to the Valley Tourney I will buy my tickets off the street or at the window and buy on a per session basis.

Bradley has gotten the short end of the stick for a long time seatwise in the Kiel/Savis Center and I am done with it. Sure you might save a bit of money for an all session seat but who cares when that seat is obstructed or you could litterally have better views from the upper level.

Btw the other two tourney's Ive missed were Jacksons shot and Franklins shot... someone on BU will do something miraculous this year... thats a likely book it