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Sept. 22, 2006
CHARLOTTESVILLE – As the Virginia men’s and women’s basketball teams prepare for the beginning of preseason practice, season ticket sales are already underway with ambitious goals in place for the first season of basketball in the John Paul Jones Arena.
The new arena has almost twice the seating capacity of the Cavaliers’ former home at University Hall and the season ticket goals reflect the opportunity presented by the additional seats in the John Paul Jones Arena. The sales goal for men’s season tickets is 8,000 and the goal for women’s season tickets is 2,000.
Through the close of business on Thursday (Sept. 21), 5,680 men’s season tickets and 639 women’s season tickets had been sold. Last season’s figures were 4,297 season tickets sold for men’s basketball and 1,137 for women’s basketball.
The season ticket priority seating deadline is Oct. 6.
“These are aggressive goals for season ticket sales,” Virginia Executive Associate Director of Athletics Jon Oliver said. “We are working toward building championship programs in both men’s and women’s basketball and we need the help of our fans.
“The John Paul Jones Arena is a wonderful venue and we’re hopeful our fans will want to be a part of our inaugural season in this beautiful building. The arena is designed to provide an exciting atmosphere for collegiate basketball and we want our fans to enjoy and contribute to that atmosphere.”
A special free concert for men’s and women’s basketball season ticket holders is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 11, at the John Paul Jones Arena. The “Countdown to Tip-Off” event, scheduled on the eve of the teams’ season-opening doubleheader, will feature “Earth, Wind and Fire,” the popular R&B musical group, along with bass guitarist Wayman Tisdale. The Virginia basketball teams will also be introduced at the event.
The Virginia women’s and men’s teams open their 2006-07 seasons at the John Paul Jones Arena on Nov. 12. The women play Old Dominion and the men host Arizona.
Season tickets can be ordered on line at www.virginiasports.com or by calling the UVa athletics ticket office at 1-800-542-8821 or 434/924-8821. Fans can also order season tickets by stopping at the athletics ticket office in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The Virginia men’s team’s 2006-07 schedule includes 17 home games featuring some of the most accomplished programs in college basketball.
Three of the top teams in last season’s final NCAA RPI rankings – Duke, Gonzaga and Arizona – visit Virginia’s new basketball home during the upcoming season and the Cavaliers are scheduled to play nine home games against teams that participated in postseason play last year. Stanford joins Arizona and Gonzaga as the featured non-conference opponents coming to the John Paul Jones Arena, while Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami, North Carolina State, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest join Duke as ACC opponents visiting Charlottesville this winter. The Cavaliers also play non-conference opponents American, Hampton, Longwood, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Morgan State and North Carolina-Asheville at home.
The UVa women’s team will face several nationally prominent opponents at home during its first season in the John Paul Jones Arena.
In addition to hosting longtime intra-state rival Old Dominion in their home opener, the Cavaliers also welcome back former UVa All-American Dawn Staley as she returns to her alma mater as head coach at Temple. Also returning to Charlottesville are former Virginia assistant coach Geno Auriemma and his five-time national champion Connecticut Huskies, and former UVa player and assistant coach Audra Smith who is now in her third year as head coach of Alabama-Birmingham.
The Cavaliers are also scheduled to play non-conference opponents Cleveland State, Liberty, Marquette and Seton Hall, while Boston College, Duke, Florida State, Maryland, Miami, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest are the ACC opponents visiting UVa. Maryland won the national championship last season and Duke reached the Final Four.