Alabama Adapted Athletics to Start Charging Admission

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For the first time, the Alabama Adapted Athletics program will start charging admission for events taking place at Stran-Hardin Arena on campus.


Stran-Hardin Arena is home to the University of Alabama men's and women's wheelchair basketball teams
(photo by Elliott Lapin)

Between the men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams, Alabama will host six weekend tournaments/showcases (with most of those events featuring both teams). The price for a ticket to one of those events is ten dollars per person or 50 dollars per person for a full season pass.

“We’re at a point now where the product we’re delivering is something that I think warrants ticketing,” said Alabama Adapted Athletics Director of Operations Davis Faulkner.

See also: Men's Wheelchair Basketball Season Preview

Faulkner cited the sparkler/pyrotechnic effect show that accompanies pregame player introductions as an example of something the program will use the additional revenue to improve and add more of.

There are also planned seating expansions – both of sideline seating and second floor VIP seating -- which Faulkner said the additional revenue will also help facilitate.

“We’re trying to find a way to really mirror that athletics model of the kind of things that you would expect when you go to an athletic event at Coleman (Coliseum) or Bryant-Denny (Stadium),” said Faulkner. “We’re going to try to inject the funds into things like that to make the fan experience and the student athlete experience even better.”

The ten-dollar admission price for a weekend event was decided upon after looking at ticket prices for comparable sports, like soccer or volleyball, on campus.

Ticket holders get access to all games taking place throughout the weekend. For college tournaments like the UA Early College Classic (which is taking place on Jan. 19 and 20), they can also watch all the other intercollegiate games taking place among non-Alabama teams at Stran-Hardin Arena.

See also: Tyler McKay Returns to Alabama to Take Over Wheelchair Tennis Program

Faulkner is aware of the potential fallout.

“There’s always that concern that charging people for something that has been free in the past is going to disgruntle fans a little bit,” he admitted. “But we definitely think that the product we’re putting forward is going to merit the cost of admission.”

See also: Women's wheelchair basketball schedule

The first event of the season (not counting the Oct. 13 RGK Tide Tipoff exhibition which is free to attend) is the ABC Medical Classic where the men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams will play two games each on Oct. 28 at Stran-Hardin Arena.

 

Stran-Hardin Arena is home to the University of Alabama men's and women's wheelchair basketball teams
(photo by Elliott Lapin)

See also: Men's wheelchair basketball schedule

The other events are the Jalapenos Invitational on Nov. 11, the Powerade Invitational on Dec. 8 and 9, the UA Early College Classic on Jan. 19 and 20, the Hollister Invitational on Feb. 23, and the UA Online Invitational on March 1 and 2.

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