What a difference two years can make.
Since hiring a new head coach and importing a highly-touted recruiting class, ticket sales for basketball at The University of Memphis have increased by more than 65%.
According to Kevin Grothe, associate athletic director, The University has sold nearly 15,000 of the 17,000 season tickets available for the 2001-02 men’s basketball season.
The U of M sold abut 9,000 season tickets the year before second-year head coach John Calipari arrived on campus.
“People are really excited, and can’t wait until Nov. 2, the first pre-season game,” Grothe said Thursday.
A season ticket includes 21 home games, two exhibition games and the Dec. 29 Lady Tiger game against perennial national power Tennessee.
With the tip-off of the regular season not scheduled until Nov. 13, could the Tigers eclipse last year’s totals?
“I think we will top last year,” Grothe said.
In anticipation of Calipari’s first year as head coach of the Tigers during the 2000-01 season, The University sold 15,371 season tickets. The Calipari-led Tigers finished 21-15, with a trip to the NIT semi-finals.
Grothe said the remaining tickets for this season are $250 and are located in the upper levels of The Pyramid. Family pack tickets, also in the upper levels, are available for $150 and must be purchased four at a time. There are 2,500 seats reserved for students at The Pyramid.
According to Grothe, the Tigers lost about 200 seats in the end zone because of changes made for the NBA’s Grizzlies.
