Update: After this story was published, USU announced it would provide an additional 1,000 student tickets for the Aggies’ game against the Utes.
When Utah State Athletic Director Diana Sabau walked over to the student section at an Aggie soccer game last weekend, she wasn’t met with pleasantries.
Instead, many in the group known as the Hurd turned away.
Those students say Sabau and USU had already turned their backs on them.
Utah State recently took away about 1,000 student seats from two sections at Maverik Stadium, Hurd President Dallin Wilson said. Those tickets are now being sold to the public at an increased price, leaving some students frustrated and without a spot in the Aggies’ football stadium.
And students expressed frustration that they were not notified of the university’s decision until after the first week of the season.
“Ever since Diana got into her position, it’s just felt like a slap in the face, slap in the face, slap in the face after everything,” said Utah State student Zach Stewart, who joined in that form of silent protest last weekend.
Sabau and the athletic department did not respond for comment for this story.
But in an email sent to students last week, USU said: “While the student ticket allotment at football, basketball and other sports has changed, our approach has not. These adjustments reflect recent historical demand for student tickets at each sport, increasing the student ticket allotments for some sports and decreased for others to better support student interest and demand. These changes affirm our commitment to the Hurd while also ensuring our crowds are as large as possible.”
The decision comes as Utah State welcomes the No. 12-ranked University of Utah to Logan for the first time since 2012. While the average attendance for USU games for the last five years has hovered around 19,353 fans — about 76 percent of capacity — the Utah game is expected to be a sellout.
On Stubhub, tickets are running anywhere from $100 to $900 to get in. In section 116, where Wilson said student tickets were taken away, the average ticket price sits at $121.
“She just looked to make a quick buck off the Utah game,” USU student Jacob Benson said. “I don’t feel heard right now, you know? I kind of feel like we’re just put on the back burner for money.”
Some Aggie fans said they believe the decision will backfire — in both the short and long term.
“Maybe they’ll make some money. But really, it opened the door for Utah fans to come in and take those seats,” said Britton Fine, a recent USU graduate.
Utah State offensive lineman Wyatt Bowles would certainly like to see more blue than red in the stands on Saturday.
“I have seen what they’re doing with the tickets,” he said. “The only thing I can say is the USU Hurd is a really big part of this stadium, and something that I personally enjoy quite a bit. So whatever they can do to get those kids in there would be awesome.”
Some worry that reducing the number of those tickets will harm the student experience and fan culture in Logan.
“I don’t know if [Sabau] really grasps the tradition that has been built here over the years that has made Utah State a name for itself,” Benson said. “Even though we’re not a huge school ... I don’t know if she just sees the tradition of Utah State that a lot of people come here for.”
This is not the first time Sabau and Utah State have drawn criticism in recent months. After the school fired football coach Blake Anderson and three other athletic department employees, some upset Aggie boosters said they would withhold donations.