The priority points system for Butler men’s basketball season ticket holders will remain in place as Butler makes its move to the Big East Conference.
The current system has been in place for six seasons.
The system, which rewards donations to the university with priority seating access, has given Butler a boost in making resources available to student-athletes, said Matt Harris, manager of fan development.
“When people make a gift to the Hinkle Campaign, that counts toward their priority points,” Harris said. “It has helped smaller things over the last few years: the football field renovation, the new (baseball and softball) hitting facility, the track renovations. Those are all things that we were able to do because of people’s gifts.”
The priority points system gives a bonus point to longtime season ticket holders, but the bulk of the points are earned via recent donations.
Each donation of $100 over the past year is worth twice as many priority points as a similar donation made in the four years prior.
Additionally, each year of consecutive season ticket ownership is worth one priority point per year, according to the Butler athletics website.
As Butler men’s basketball has grown in reputation, Harris said the demand for seats dictates how the priority points system functions.
“We don’t have a donation requirement for any seat,” Harris said. “If demand increases, the number of points necessary to get a certain seat is going to be higher.”
Harris expects this demand to go up when the Bulldogs join the Big East, but he said it all comes down to one thing.
“I would expect that the move to the Big East would be a small part in increasing demand, but winning consistently is still the biggest factor,” Harris said.
Although the system does reward the largest long-term donors, Butler does not have a minimum donation requirement to buy season tickets.
“People who have made that commitment (to donate) are rewarded with the opportunity to buy better seats, but people who don’t want to make a gift or can’t afford it for whatever reason can still buy tickets,” Harris said. “Nobody is left out.”