Virginia Tech Announces “Courtside at Cassell”

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BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech Department of Athletics unveiled plans for “Courtside at Cassell” on Friday. This exclusive opportunity to enjoy premium courtside seating at Cassell Coliseum will be available in time for the 2015-16 basketball season. Construction is set to begin this summer and be completed by October.

“We are thrilled to further enhance our fan experience at Cassell Coliseum,” Tech Director of Athletics Whit Babcock said. “Courtside at Cassell should only strengthen the home-court advantage our teams already enjoy, while providing some of our most passionate Hokies’ fans an improved perspective from the best seats in the house. The revenue we generate from this initiative will help to offset some of the escalating student-athlete scholarship costs and new Cost-of-Attendance measures recently adopted by the NCAA.”

“Courtside at Cassell” will consist of approximately 14 brand new four-seat tables which will line the court across from the team benches and along the baseline. Each four-seat table will consist of upgraded luxury seats and will be priced at $20,000 for the men’s basketball season plus the cost of season tickets. A significant portion of the investment is tax deductible and adds to donors’ Hokie Club point priority totals.

Members of the media who previously occupied these courtside seat locations will be relocated above the team tunnel in sections 16, 17 and 18 to a newly constructed and expanded area. The ADA wheelchair-accessible seating area will also be relocated from the baseline area to above the team tunnel with convenient access to concourse level amenities. The number of ADA accessible seating locations will more than double as a result of this renovation. Radio and TV media will remain on the floor.

Any season ticket holders impacted by the construction or relocation of the media and ADA seating expansion will be contacted by the Virginia Tech ticket office and offered the option of comparable season ticket locations free of charge for the 2015-16 season as a result of this potential inconvenience. Approximately 70 season ticket holder accounts in sections 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 will be impacted. No other sections of the coliseum will be impacted.

“Courtside at Cassell” patrons will receive in-seat concierge service featuring complimentary menu items. Other amenities will include reserved VIP parking, a private entrance to the arena, select ACC game Chalk Talks with coaching staff, complimentary pre-game Bowman Room access, as well as invitations to other exclusive events and functions.

Space is extremely limited, so Hokie Club members are encouraged to express their intent or desire to purchase as soon as possible. Interested parties should contact the Hokie Club at 540-231-6618 or email [email protected] to express your intent or to receive additional information.

Availability and priority in the ordering and selection process will be based on the Hokie Club point priority ranking.

The new seating plan will affect all sports in Cassell Coliseum. Additional information will follow regarding opportunities for purchase for women’s basketball season as well as courtside use for volleyball and wrestling.

23 Responses You are logged in as Test

  1. All will not be sold. So – at begining of each game, draw student tickets (electronically) from those already there and upgrade them for the game to fill these unsold new seats – give them concessions, special “Courtside at Cassell” t-shirts, whatever. Help get buy in from students (and paying parents) versus an us versus them, “elite” seating that, according to Whit, will in reality pay athletes.

  2. I like it. Low Risk, High Reward. even if it costs 5 K to make changes, then you sign up only a couple tables, you are making cash that wasn’t previously there. and not like us complaining on the boards are the one this type of thing was intended for.

  3. Don’t like it…try selling out the arena before you go all Lakers on hokie fans. whiff……

    1. Agreed. Entry point should’ve been lower. Then you can escalate in future years. Hokie MBB fans are a fickle bunch…myself included.

    2. Agree. Doesn’t enhance the fan experience or improve the game atmosphere at all. Gonna be bought by big dollar donors and not used for most games. Just a money grab by the AD. I’m disappointed.

  4. I think this is Whit’s first misstep. I’m all for floor seating for MBB, but there is no way I’m plunking down $20k for the privilege. I think he will be sorely disappoint with all the unsold and/or empty seats around the court.

    I hope I’m wrong, but it’s hard enough just to get butts in the seats without an extra $20k.

    1. That was my first thought as well, but Whit seems like a thorough guy and I’m assuming has some data to back this up!

      1. $20k for floor seats. 80% reported as charitable donation. Assuming 30% tax rate, that yields a $4,800 savings on your taxes (20,000 x 80% x 30%).

        So net out of pocket is still $15,200 (20,000 – 4,800). Still not chump change.

        I hope he has some or finds some takers…I just don’t see it. Not at that entry point.

        1. Fwiw….if you are dropping 20k, you are in 40% and may we’ll be paying alternative minimum tax…..and if you are AMT….20 K, while a lot, is certainly “doable”. I agree with NokieHokie, that Whit must feel he can get these sold. He said at the O&M tour there are 40 some people waiting for suites in Lane.
          Certainly banking on Buzz building something.

  5. The Students need to have sections close to the floor like Cameron and Michigan State- who by the way, win with this seating arrangement. Come on Whit.

    1. While I agree with the sentiment, the seating arrangement has nothing to do with winning…

    2. Have been hearing that sentiment for years. Whit was asked at O&M tour about it. He said that was not even on his priority list. He likes Students sitting behind visitors goal….translation: “it’s not happening in Cassell”

  6. Prob my first dissappointment with Whit…but all else says he knows what he is doing…
    I was hoping for better methods to get the students/others in great seats for weekday games…the empty seats on TV is crazy when the no-shows season tic holders dont come…let any one sit where they want after the 15:00 minute mark any game…if you show up with your ticket in hand and someone is in your seat – they will have to move…ITS SIMPLE!

  7. if you sell a table of four to Bobby Knight, be sure the chairs are fixed to the floor!

  8. I would love to see re-seating to put the students all across the length of floor a la Cameron

    1. I’m not sure I get the value either. Wouldn’t it have been better just to have more seats side by side at courtside? Maybe we could get Jack Nicholson or some other high-profile bb lovers to start the trend, like at a Lakers game…

  9. Are there any renderings of how these seating changes will look? Any other reseating ideas in the works?

  10. It sounds really cool, I just hope Whit has secured the purchases in advance… I trust Whit completely, so I’m sure these will get filled!

    1. That’s a lot of money to watch basketball games! Wouldn’t it have been good to include the news that some purchases have already been secured, if in fact they have? Something like, “Out of a total of 56 seats/14 tables, VT already has commitments on 16 seats which is 4 full tables.” Seems that would be good marketing to help sell the rest of them.

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