UMaine ticket plan irks fans

The University of Maine has announced a new three-game ticket package focusing on rivalries and involving three different Black Bear teams.

But the package also means fans won’t be able to purchase single-game tickets for Black Bear men’s hockey games against Hockey East rivals Boston College, Boston University and New Hampshire.

To see Maine’s games against Boston College, Boston University or New Hampshire, fans will have to buy the three-game rivalry package, which includes men’s and women’s basketball games, for $33 apiece, or purchase a hockey season ticket, which are still available.

Some longtime Maine hockey fans feel slighted and also irritated by the fact there was no advance warning they wouldn’t be able to obtain single-game tickets to those games.

Jody Theberge of Hermon and Jonathan Carr of Bar Harbor were among those waiting in line in the early morning hours Monday to obtain single-game tickets for those UNH, BU and BC games, only to learn the bad news.

Both indicated they were among several people who had been in contact with the athletic ticket office last week and were never informed that they couldn’t obtain single-game tickets to those games.

They were among several people who took time off from work to wait in line.

“Just because I’m a hockey fan doesn’t mean I’m a basketball fan. And I don’t have the time to go to basketball games. My wife, kids and I prefer hockey. Hockey has a lot more action. It’s harder-hitting,” said Theberge. “This would be like going to Fenway Park to buy Red Sox tickets and being told I also had to buy Celtics and Bruins tickets.

“If they want to get people to go to basketball games, have promotions for them. Offer half-price tickets,” said Theberge, who feels it is wrong for hockey fans to be blackmailed into going to basketball games.

Carr agreed, writing in a letter to the NEWS, “Having already taken one day off from work, many of us weren’t thrilled with the prospect of taking a second day off from work, and getting up at the crack of dawn, to stand in the cold and wait for tickets that were now [almost] twice the usual price [having been bundled with tickets that we were not necessarily interested in to begin with].”

Newly named Maine senior associate athletic director Blake James explained the positive aspects of the ticket packages.

“It’s an opportunity for fans to get tickets to some of the best games in these sports. We also want to continue to build on our rivalries with these schools,” James said.

James also pointed out, “we want to reward our season ticket-holders and bring an awareness to our entire sports program.”

James said single-game tickets are still available to 11 of Maine’s 18 home hockey games. In addition to the five games against BC, UNH and BU in which tickets aren’t available, he said a Nov. 16 game against UMass-Lowell and a Feb. 21 game are sold out.

Carr complained there was no advance warning to the ticket changes.

“I have no problem with the university attempting to bolster support for other athletic programs by bundling basketball tickets with hockey tickets, but perhaps the ticket office should do a better job communicating their intentions to the fans,” wrote Carr.

James, who has only been on the job for two days, said he didn’t know the timetable of events.

Theberge said two future solutions would be to put together a package deal involving just hockey games or have a random drawing “so at least we’d have a shot at getting tickets to the more desirable games.”

James said he’s sure these suggestions will be discussed in the future.

The rivalry packs go on sale Oct. 27.

The Boston University pack will cover the Nov. 1 hockey game against Boston University, the Jan. 21 women’s basketball game against America East rival BU and the Feb. 18 men’s basketball game against the Terriers.

The Boston College pack includes a choice of the March 5 or March 6 hockey game against the Eagles, the Nov. 11 men’s basketball game against the University of Vermont and the Feb. 28 women’s basketball game against UVM.

The New Hampshire pack features the choice of a Jan. 30 or Feb. 1 hockey game against the Wildcats, a Jan. 14 women’s basketball game against UNH and a Feb. 11 men’s basketball with New Hampshire.

A season ticket for hockey costs $296.50, a savings of 75 cents per game over single-game tickets.