The Student Wolfpack Club is implementing a new set of rules and regulations for its ticketing process this season, which includes a minute-based system as opposed to the previous point system.
Club officials are already enforcing the policy, which is the permanent foundation for procedures this year, and said it’s purpose is to encourage more attendance at nonrevenue sporting events such as volleyball, gymnastics and tennis.
“We like to think that we have definitely changed the system for the better in several ways,” Woolard said. “The main part of the change is the fact that many of the complaints we receive each year from athletic teams are that our student members come to the athletic events just to get their points in order to gain better tickets for football and basketball games — and then they leave.”
The athletic department has extended the privilege of block seating at both football and basketball games for club members. They will distribute these seats for each individual game per the new minute-based system.
The more priority minutes a member has accrued translates into better seating at bigger sporting events.
Members’ All Campus cards link with the minute-based system to calculate how much time a member spends at each athletic event.
To earn SWC priority minutes, a member must attend the events designated on the club’s calendar.
To receive credit for attendance, members must swipe in and out of the event with their AllCampus card.
“This system has been put in place to try to get students to stay for the duration of the events,” Woolard said. “The main goal of our club is to support those teams and we feel that this would be a way in which we could do that to our full potential as far as supporting them.”
The club’s football ticket procedure has also changed this year.
Members with more points have the opportunity for better seating at major events. In the past, members with fewer points would be able to “ride off” and sit with another member who has more points and premium seating.
Now, the club ensures that those members who have attended every nonrevenue athletic event have the premium seating at the major events.
SWC members have mixed reactions toward the new policies and procedures.
“The new policy is a better idea. When going to the volleyball games last year, people would go just to get their one point and then leave, but now they have to stay the entire game and support the athletics,” Frances Deschenes, sophomore in parks, recreation and tourism management and two-year SWC member, said. “It encourages people to stay longer at events and enjoy and get into other sports besides football and basketball.”
According to Woolard, members are upset because they feel the board should have made members aware of the changes in advance.
However, Woolard said the main issue concerning the changes is the proper programming of the new card swipers.
“We did not find out until two months ago that they were programmed, so it was hard to let our members know what was going on, since essentially we weren’t even told until two months ago that everything was put in place and ready to go,” she said.
Woolard emphasized that there has been no decrease in membership since the club started enforcing the new policies and procedures.
“I can’t always make it to those non-revenue games and you can get behind on the point system real quickly,” David Balzer, a sophomore in engineering and former SWC member, said. “The people who get points for all those things get better tickets and you’re not even always guaranteed a ticket because of that.”
Regardless of complaints, Woolard said she believes they are in the best interest of the club.
“We feel that these policies and procedures have been put in place for the better of our club,” she said. “It helps us to really ensure that we are really supporting all of our athletes at N.C. State to our fullest potential, which is the mission of our club.”
Established in 1992, the club participates in activities on campus such as Homecoming and the Big Four ACC Canned Food Drive.
Eleven board members, four of which are executive board member positions, govern the organization. The board represents the students and fields any questions they have.
The purpose of the SWC is to inspire school spirit and support the University’s varsity athletic programs. The club’s main activity is to support all varsity sports and to attend most of the home games for nonrevenue sports.
“The Student Wolfpack Club basically brings students together who want to be more than just a casual fan,” Amanda Woolard, president of the SWC, said. “Our goal is to organize, support and help promote all varsity Wolfpack athletic programs.”