With 84 days until the home opener, the Ball State University athletic department said it anticipates a higher football attendance this season, despite selling less than 100 tickets at Wednesday's Summer Kickoff.
Cody Lantz, associate ticket master, said between six to 12 season tickets were sold at the two-hour event, which was the first time the public could buy them.
"You can't gauge the success of this event only on how many orders we had," Lantz said. "I thought we did pretty well passing out brochures about ticket prices."
People couldn't buy single-game tickets at the Summer Kickoff or before the event. Previous season ticket holders could buy season tickets, Lantz said.
Approximately 100 people, including coach Brady Hoke, attended Wednesday's event located outside the Ball State Federal Credit Union on Oakwood Avenue. Hoke said he expected this type of turnout at the Summer Kickoff. He also said the event helps gets Muncie residents ready for the 2007 season.
"This is just another way to get people interested for the football season," Hoke said. "We need to do our job embracing the community, along with the whole university, because we're part of that umbrella."
Last season the Cardinals averaged 15,061 people per home game, including a school-record 23,813 at the Indiana University game Sept. 9.
Lantz said Wednesday's event was a small part of selling tickets and he expects a large attendance because of the ticket office's new campaign.
"We're spearheading a large amount of sales and our interns are calling and selling tickets to large groups of people," Lantz said. "It's a little more than we have done in the past."
Lantz said more people working in the ticket office compared to previous seasons is the reason for the new strategy. Currently the ticket office employs a graduate assistant, a full-time intern and three part-time interns, all of whom sell football tickets over the phone, he said.
In addition, Lantz said there will probably be a few more events similar to Wednesday's Summer Kickoff before the Cardinals' season opener Aug. 30 against Miami University.
Along with the ticket office, Hoke said the stadium construction increased community interest in the football team.
The $13.7 million construction project began following the 2006 season and includes a new press box with luxury suites and club seats.
"I know the people in the community who go down Tillotson and McGalliard look at what is going on over at the facility and the stadium," Hoke said. "This is something that can be very special for us when you look at the stadium and you look at the impact it will have on the whole university."
Prior to the Summer Kickoff, the ticket office sold all 16 suites and more than 100 of the 160 club seats for the upcoming season, Lantz said.
A club seat costs $500 for an entire season and isn't available for individual games. Currently, club seats are only available to previous season ticket holders, but will become available to the public if all those season ticket holders decline to purchase the new seats, Lantz said.
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