As the hype surrounding Memphis' regular season home game with Louisville reached a fevered pitch, U of M Junior J.P. Catalano prepared to settle into his student section seat. Five minutes before the game began, an usher told him he would have to move.
That's because his seat was given to a booster.
"I was irate because I stood in line at 7 in the morning for those tickets and was told I had to sit in the highest section," says Catalano, "I was disgusted at the fact I pay tuition and attend the school and can't sit with my fellow students and show spirit."
Reserved basketball tickets for University of Memphis students are not always used as student tickets. In fact, some students are being turned away from those "reserved" tickets so boosters can sit in the student section.
At the National Invitation Tournament against Vanderbilt, Catalano received one of the reserved tickets bought by Coach Calipari and family. When he arrived 15 minutes late to the game, he was told his seats had been given away.
"I can't believe this," says Catalano. Aren't student sections meant for students?"
When told the situation, Associate Director of Athletic Business and Finance Bill Loften said that the FedEx employees were wrong in making the students move.
"The seats should be reserved for the students even if they don't arrive until the last second of the game," Loften said.
Loften says that he will follow up on this situation at the end of season wrap up meeting with the Forum.
Other students have noticed this problem but are more understanding of why the boosters would be allowed to sit where they want.
"I understand the boosters are important, and we wouldn't be able to have such a nice campus if not for their contributions," says recent transfer student Anthony DiGiosaffatte." We have to take care of them so they will donate money."
Senior pre-med student Andres Diaz says that it is wrong for the students to be asked to leave the student section.
"The whole point to being a fanatic is showing spirit with your classmates not without them," says Diaz.
FedExForum did not return phone calls made to find out why the seats were being given away to boosters. Bill Loften seems to be the answer in solving this problem for The University of Memphis.
