USC Gives Its Side of Ticket Story

I want to respond to T.J. Simers’ column of Sunday, Oct. 21, regarding Sam, a seriously ill USC basketball season-ticket holder who was asked to join Cardinal & Gold (a $2,000 donation) to keep from being moved from his longtime seats.

First of all, as the person responsible for athletic fund-raising, I’d like to publicly apologize to Sam for any unhappiness we might have caused him. Over the years, I have kept dozens of elderly or ill season-ticket holders, who could no longer afford to contribute to the department, in their longtime seats, and this certainly should have been done in this case. Athletic Director Mike Garrett has personally called Sam and assured him that he will keep his longtime seats.

However, it is important to understand that the policy of asking season-ticket holders for donations to maintain their seating priority is not unique to USC. Nearly every major college or pro team does the same thing, either by asking for support group donations or by personal seat licenses.

USC’s policy is stated clearly in our football and basketball ticket brochures each year, where it says, “Seating within a priority section is based on the level of membership within USC athletic support groups.”

Even though people renew their season tickets prior to the deadline, they are not necessarily guaranteed the same seats year after year, whether they are donors or not. Some season-ticket holders’ seats are improved after the deadline, and some are not, depending on their membership in a particular support group. In other words, people renew tickets, they don’t renew seat locations.

We have to maintain a delicate balance between keeping our season-ticket holders happy and raising enough funds to field competitive teams and improve our facilities. As a private university, our scholarship costs are nearly three times those of state institutions.

However, that is no excuse for not taking care of Sam. I apologize again to him and his family, because we do appreciate his longtime loyalty.

It is important to add, however, that for T.J. Simers to call our fund-raising efforts “blackmail” is irresponsible. For him to suggest that USC administrators should be “hauled off in handcuffs” is reprehensible.

Don Winston

Senior associate athletic director, USC