A student section at The Pit could cost UNM students $200 each in student fees.
ASUNM wants to bring a student-only section back to The Pit. Senators are looking into increasing student fees to do so.
"We really don't want to do that," student Sen. Erin Muffoletto said. "The student fee review board will deal with that."
Alex Resovsky, a UNM student, said student fees shouldn't be raised for everyone.
"That's not fair for people that don't like basketball," he said.
Muffoletto said the Associated Students of UNM is trying to find ways to increase Lobo spirit. She said having a student-only section would increase student attendance at basketball games.
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She said ASUNM is researching seat prices at The Pit and working with UNM's Athletics Department.
"We are trying to see how possible it is," she said.
Student Sen. Jacque Garcia said it's not an easy process. She said ASUNM's goal is to have both baselines at The Pit be student only-sections.
Garcia said baseline seats are expensive, and it will be difficult to get those seats reserved for UNM students.
"It will be hard to fight the general public who are willing to pay," she said.
She said a lot of people have season tickets to the games in those seats, but anyone can sit in the student section at The Pit.
She said ASUNM is also trying to get students into basketball games for free.
"If it were free, more students would go," Garcia said.
Muffoletto said the tickets to men's basketball games should be free because they are free for the women's games.
"They are free for the girls," she said. "Why not the guys?"
Student tickets for men's basketball are $5 for anyone with a Lobo ID. For important games, baseline tickets cost $16.
Garcia said ASUNM is going to host an open forum with the administration and UNM's Athletic Department in April to discuss the possibilities for the student section.
"We are waiting to finish our research before we present them with what we want," she said.
Garcia said ASUNM hopes it will have enough student voice and student representation to present a proposal to the panel.
Muffoletto said ASUNM is conducting a poll asking for students' opinions about the student section. It's very important to have student support, she said.
Mark Hume, a UNM student, said he thinks the student section is a good idea, and more students would attend games if there was a student-only section.
Hume said it wouldn't bother him if student fees went up.
"I can understand UNM not giving it to us for free," he said.
Hume said his grandparents are season ticket holders.
"Those seats are expensive," he said. "The Pit would lose a lot of revenue."
Joel Miller, a UNM student, said it would only be fair for student fees to go up if tickets to the games were free.
"Raising the fees and offering the seats for free would bring a better turnout," he said.
Matt Ladd, president of Lobo Howlers, said the student-only section would bring pride and tradition back to UNM.
He said The Pit is not student-friendly.
"As students, it doesn't feel like we're wanted there," Ladd said. "We don't get a lot of respect."
He said the Lobo Howlers want signs and flags to be permitted again at The Pit. He said there is not enough support for UNM athletics.
UNM students deserve a student-only section at The Pit, Ladd said.
Muffoletto said ASUNM hopes to have the student-only section established by the end of this semester.
