Michigan State University s guide to the 2010 men s basketball seat adjustment

2010 Michigan State Men s Basketball Seat Adjustment Michigan State University s guide to the 2010 men s basketball seat adjustment

Letter from the Athletic Director...1 Seat Adjustment Overview - Spartan Points...2 Seat Allowances - Maintaining Season Tickets...3 Seat Selection Process... Men s Basketball Wait List - Season Ticket Information...5 Seat Locations - Seat Adjustment Timeline...6 Breslin Center Diagram...7 Courtside Seating...8 Spartan Fund - Annual Membership - DonorNet...9 Spartan Points Verification - Spartan Points Examples...10-11 Questions and Answers...12-13 200 Spartan Way East Lansing, MI 882-005

2010 Michigan State Men s Basketball Seat Adjustment Letter from the Athletic Director Dear Spartan: What a remarkable time to be a Spartan! The 2009-2010 men s basketball team looks to continue the momentum from last season that brought a Big Ten championship and national runner-up finish to campus. All Spartans can be very proud of the commitment to excellence and winning the right way that Coach Izzo has established with the basketball program at Michigan State University. The seat adjustment brochure outlines the 2010-2011 men s basketball seat adjustment program to assist you in making preparations over the next several months. After significant in-depth research and discussion with various stakeholders and focus groups, we are confident that this seat adjustment plan will positively impact MSU Athletics ability to remain viable and competitive in the Big Ten and nationally. The brochure is designed to provide you with important information on all aspects of the 2010-2011 seat adjustment. The system is explained in more depth, including the introduction of a new customized Spartan Points priority system and the criteria factored in point accumulation. You will also find the timetable for the seat adjustment, important dates of note and premium seating information. We are keenly aware that seat reallocation is a significant and emotional issue. We have given major focus in putting a plan together that carefully considers the needs of Michigan State University and our loyal stakeholders, like you. MSU Athletics operates a self-sustaining budget of $75 million, with more than $10 million supporting the academic and athletic endeavors of our deserving student-athletes through scholarships. Without funding from the state government or the university s general fund, MSU Athletics must rely heavily on the success of football and men s basketball. Approximately 92% of all athletic department revenues come directly from the sports of football and men s basketball. The future financial viability and competitiveness of our 25 sport athletics program depends on our strategic utilization of all revenue opportunities associated with these two sports. Thank you for your dedication and loyal support of Spartan Athletics. We welcome your comments and questions throughout this process. Sincerely, Mark Hollis Director of Athletics 1

Seat Adjustment Overview Prior to the 2010-2011 men s basketball season, Michigan State University Athletics will conduct a seat adjustment within the Breslin Center. The seat adjustment is being conducted in order to ensure that season ticket holders and donors are seated in accordance to their overall investment in MSU Athletics. In June 2010, the seat adjustment will commence. Season ticket holders will self-select seats online at an appointment time determined by their Spartan Points ranking as of May 1, 2010. Seat selections will remain in effect until the next seat adjustment, scheduled for summer 201. All current men s basketball season ticket holders will be awarded Spartan Points and ranked in priority order based on the following criteria: Factors Determining Spartan Points: Consecutive Years as a Season Ticket Holder in your name1 3 points per year, per sport Consecutive Years as a Spartan Fund member (formerly RYF)2 2 points per year Lifetime Giving to Athletics3 1 point per $100 Lifetime Giving to University 1 point per $1,000 Irrevocable Planned Gift to Athletics5 1 point per $1,000 (based on allowable charitable deduction) Spartan Points: Spartan Points reward the longevity, loyalty, and generosity of supporters to MSU Athletics. The person with the highest point total will be ranked #1. Donors can receive points for various donations criteria and season ticket holders are rewarded for consecutive years of purchase. Consecutive Years as a Season Ticket Holder: Three (3) points will be awarded for each consecutive year of season ticket purchase in your 1 name for men s basketball, football, ice hockey, women s basketball, and volleyball. Years of purchase will be determined based upon data available through the Spartan Ticket Office. If a year of purchasing season tickets is skipped, your consecutive years as a season ticket holder drops back to one (1) when you purchase season tickets again. The purchase of Go Green Cards or student season tickets will not count toward season ticket purchase. Consecutive Years as a Spartan Fund member: Two (2) points will be awarded for each year of consecutive membership to the Spartan Fund 2 Lifetime Giving to Athletics: One (1) point will be awarded for each $100 gift made to the Spartan Fund. 3 Lifetime Giving to University: One (1) point will be awarded for each $1,000 gift made to the university (excluding athletic gifts). Irrevocable Planned Gift to Athletics: 5 2 (formerly the Ralph Young Fund). If a year of donating is skipped, your consecutive years as a Spartan Fund member drops back to one (1) when you rejoin. One (1) point will be awarded for each $1,000 of the charitable deduction allowed as a result of a Contact the Spartan Fund to discuss and document your charitable remainder trust so you may determine your available points. charitable gift annuity (CGA) or a charitable remainder trust (CRT).

Seat Allowances The 2010 Seat Adjustment will implement a seat allowance that permits a standard of four () season tickets, with the exception of the top two Spartan Fund annual membership levels. Men s basketball season ticket holders will be able to renew the quantity of seats purchased for the 2009-2010 men s basketball season, provided the quantity is not in excess of the following seat allowance limits listed below. Men s basketball season ticket holders with less than the standard of four () season tickets will be allowed to renew the number of seats purchased in the 2009-2010 season. Those with less than four may request additional tickets up to the standard of four by adding their name to the wait list. All season tickets will be based on availability. Annual Membership Level Seats Allowed 1 Ambassadors ($50,000 and above) Annual Membership Level 8 Captains Club ($1,000 - $1,999) Seats Allowed Champions Circle ($25,000 - $9,999) 6 Green and White ($500 - $999) Scholarship Level ($10,000 - $2,999) Sparty Club ($250 - $99) Directors Club ($5,000 - $9,999) Ralph Young Club ($100 - $29) Honorary Coaches ($2,000 - $,999) Season Ticket Holders, Non-Spartan Fund Donors 1 New gift club as of January 1, 2010 Example: *Subject * to availability and Spartan Point totals Joe Spartan is a Honorary Coach who purchased six (6) seats in the 2009-2010 season. For the 2010-2011 mens basketball season, Joe has three options: 1) Increase his annual membership to the Champions Circle to renew his six (6) seats. 2) Increase his annual membership to Ambassadors to renew his six (6) season tickets and join the wait list to request two (2) additional season tickets. 3) Remain an Honorary Coach and renew only four () seats. Maintaining Season Tickets Following the 2010-2011 men s basketball season, annual membership levels must be maintained each year to retain seats. Season ticket holders who choose to decrease their annual membership level between seat adjustments may have the number of allowable season tickets purchased reduced. As a reminder, all parking requests (basketball, football, and hockey) will be dependent on annual membership levels to the Spartan Fund. Transfer of Tickets During the 2010-2011 Seat Adjustment, MSU Athletics will permit season ticket-holders to transfer up to four () season tickets. There will be a $500 per ticket contribution required in order to transfer season tickets. The deadline to transfer tickets is December 31, 2009. Important note: Spartan Points cannot be transferred to the new season ticketholder. Accordingly, the location of the transferred seats will be dependent on the new account holder s Spartan Priority Points for the 2010-2011 men s basketball season. The season tickets must be transferred to a new entity/address separate from the existing ticket holder. For tax purposes, the $500 per-seat contribution required to transfer seats will be treated as a seat-related gift and subject to the IRS 80/20 ruling (80% of these contributions would be tax deductible under IRS guidelines). Please consult your tax advisor regarding IRS regulations. 3

Seat Selection Process MSU Athletics is proud to be able to offer season ticket holders the most efficient and customerfriendly tool available to facilitate the customers desire to self-select seats. The online seat selection process is based upon a 3-D seating diagram of the Breslin Center, developed by Ballena Technologies. Season ticket holders will be able to go online, view sections of the Breslin Center and, more specifically, available seat locations before self-selecting. The Seat Adjustment is being conducted online to provide customers the convenience of self-selecting seats from their home. Appointment Times Season ticket holders will be provided with a pre-determined appointment time based on Spartan Points priority order to go online and select from available seats. Each season ticket holder will be notified in advance by mailing and/or e-mail notification of their appointment time to select their seats. Should a season ticket holder not be available for their seat selection appointment time, a proxy can be assigned on their behalf to select seats. If an appointment time is missed and no proxy is assigned, a season ticket holder may log-in at anytime after their appointment time until the end of the seat selection process to choose seats. Online Selection June 15 - July 15, 2010 Specific instructions will be provided to each season ticket holder when appointment times are mailed. At the assigned appointment time, a season ticket holder will log-in to the online seat-selection program. Season ticket holders will be able to review selected seats, make changes to seat locations if necessary, and then confirm and finalize self-selected seats. Season ticket holders will be able to view season ticket prices and scholarship seating gifts associated with any available seat location (only lower bowl seating will require a scholarship seating gift). Customers will not make payments for their season tickets and/or scholarship seating gifts during the online selection process. Please renew your season tickets through the Spartan Ticket Office and any scholarship seating gift through the Spartan Fund. Seat selections will be subject to seat allowance limits (see Seat Allowances chart on pg. 3).

Men s Basketball Wait List The wait list is the best opportunity to be notified if any season tickets become available for men s basketball. The wait list consists of those requesting additonal tickets and those who do not currently possess men s basketball season tickets. If seats do become available, requests for additional or new season tickets will be filled in Spartan Points priority order after the season ticket renewal deadline. Customers on the wait list will be able to request up to four () season tickets, yet cannot be guaranteed tickets due to limited availability. Those who are requesting to be placed on the wait list must do so by February 1, 2010. To put your name on the wait list, please visit www.msuspartans.com. Utilize the Spartan Ticket Office drop-down box in the upper right hand corner and click on the Men s Basketball link. Locate and click on the link titled Basketball Season Ticket Waiting List / Mailing List and fill out the form provided. New Season Tickets Individuals who currently do not possess men s basketball season tickets must join the wait list in order to be notified about available tickets. New season tickets will be allocated in Spartan Points priority order and subject to availability. Additional Season Tickets Men s basketball season ticket holders for the 2010-2011 season who are interested in obtaining additional season tickets must join the wait list. Additional season ticket requests will be reviewed along with new season ticket request in Spartan Points Priority Order after the seat selection process. Additional season tickets will likely be located in the upper bowl and are subject to seat allowance limits and availability. 5

Seat Locations All season ticket holders will choose from available seat locations during their seat selection appointment time. The order of seat selection appointments will be determined by Spartan Points ranking. The season ticket holder earning the highest Spartan Points total will be ranked #1 and will select their seat location first. Seat locations for the 2009-2010 men s basketball season cannot be guaranteed in the 2010 Seat Adjustment. Lower Bowl Seating Seats within the lower bowl of the Breslin Center require a scholarship seating gift (donation per seat) in addition to the season ticket price. Scholarship seating gifts count towards Spartan Fund annual membership and are currently set at $125, $250, or $00 per seat depending on seat location (see seating map on pg. 9). Current plans are for this pricing structure to remain in effect through the 2010-2011 season, but are subject to change. Lower bowl seating options will be based on availability and cannot be guaranteed to all Spartan Fund membership levels. Upper Bowl Seating Seats in the upper bowl will be available for selection during the online selection process and may be chosen at anytime, if available. ADA Seating Current practices for ADA Seating will remain in effect and will not be affected by the Seat Adjustment.

Breslin Center Diagram* 2009-2010 Scholarship Seating Zone A $00/seat 1 Zone B $250/seat 1 Zone C $125/seat 1 *As of 2009-2010 men s basketball season. Prior to the 2010-2011 men s basketball season, the Breslin Center will be re-numbered. 1 Prices subject to change 7

Courtside Seating Minimum Qualifications for Courtside: $250,000 lifetime giving to athletics (2 seats) Courtside seats will be adjusted prior to the 2010-2011 men s basketball season and will coincide with future seat adjustments. Seats will be adjusted separately from the online process. MSU Athletics will contact courtside seat holders regarding seat adjustments. 8

Spartan Fund The Spartan Fund is the fund-raising arm for Michigan State University Athletics. Every dollar raised is used to support the academic and athletic endeavors of over 800 student-athletes. Currently, more than 13,000 loyal and dedicated alumni, friends, and fans support the Spartan Fund each year. The Michigan State Athletics Department is a self-supporting entity that receives no funding from the State of Michigan or the University which is why membership to the Spartan Fund is critical to the success of Michigan State Athletics. Annual Membership Spartan Fund annual membership levels and Spartan Points totals for men s basketball season ticket holders will be based on donations made from July 1, 2009 - May 1, 2010. Season ticket holders are encouraged to make their 2009-2010 contribution before May 1 rather than the traditional June 30 renewal deadline. The May 1 deadline is due to the required time needed for self-selection of seats and renewing season tickets with adjusted seat locations. Please note that giving to the Spartan Fund is the quickest way to earn Spartan Points. Decreasing your Spartan Fund annual membership level will result in a decreased ability to earn Spartan Points quickly. DonorNet In late Fall 2009, all men s basketball season ticket holders will be able to view their Spartan Points totals online and make additional contributions to increase Spartan Points totals. Please visit http://msuspartans.com/spartanfund and click on the Give Now icon to set-up your DonorNet account. DonorNet gives patrons the opportunity to view their complete giving history with the Spartan Fund as well as Spartan Points totals. DonorNet also provides the ability to make gifts online or e-mail the Spartan Fund with any questions. By making a gift online, you can be assured that your gift will be counted immediately toward your Spartan Points total. Contact the Spartan Fund staff today if assistance is needed to set-up your DonorNet account. Note: Gifts made late or arriving after May 1 will not count toward Spartan Fund annual membership levels and Spartan Points for the 2010 Seat Adjustment. To ensure your gift counts, please consider making contributions weeks prior to the May 1 deadline. 9

Spartan Points Verification November 2009 February 1, 2010 In November 2009, season ticket holders and donors will be given notification of Spartan Point totals and rank. The 2010 Seat Adjustment will be based on the accumulation of Spartan Points through May 1, 2010. Season ticket holders and/or donors who find a discrepancy with their Spartan Points total, may request a review by the Spartan Fund. Requests for review must be made in writing and sent to the Spartan Fund for review. The deadline to appeal Spartan Points totals is February 1, 2010. Spartan Points Examples Example #1 Season Ticket Holder #1 has purchased four men s basketball season tickets for 20 consecutive years. He has been a Spartan Fund member for years and his lifetime giving to athletics is $2,000. His lifetime giving to the university is $10,000. Spartan Points Factor Points Awarded Points Earned Consecutive Years as a Season Ticket Holder 3 points per year, 60 (Football, Men s Basketball, Ice Hockey, Women s Basketball, and Volleyball) per sport Consecutive Years as a Spartan Fund member (formerly RYF) 2 points per year 8 Lifetime Giving to Athletics 1 point per $100 20 Lifetime Giving to University 1 point per $1,000 10 Irrevocable Planned Gift to Athletics* 1 point per $1,000 0 *based on allowable charitable deduction Spartan Points Factor Points Awarded Points Earned Consecutive Years as a Season Ticket Holder 3 points per year, 66 (Football, Men s Basketball, Ice Hockey, Women s Basketball, and Volleyball) per sport Consecutive Years as a Spartan Fund member (formerly RYF) 2 points per year 20 Lifetime Giving to Athletics 1 point per $100 120 Lifetime Giving to University 1 point per $1,000 28 Irrevocable Planned Gift to Athletics* 1 point per $1,000 0 98 total points Example #2 Season Ticket Holder #2 has purchased two men s basketball season tickets for 5 consecutive years, two football season tickets for 15 consecutive years, and two volleyball season tickets for 2 consecutive years. She has been a Spartan Fund member for 10 years. Her lifetime giving to athletics is $12,000. Her lifetime giving to the university is $28,000. 23 total points 10 *based on allowable charitable deduction

Spartan Points Examples Example #3 Season Ticket Holder #3 has purchased four men s basketball season tickets for consecutive years. He has not contributed to the Spartan Fund or the university. Spartan Points Factor Points Awarded Points Earned Consecutive Years as a Season Ticket Holder 3 points per year, 12 (Football, Men s Basketball, Ice Hockey, Women s Basketball, and Volleyball) per sport Consecutive Years as a Spartan Fund member (formerly RYF) 2 points per year 0 Lifetime Giving to Athletics 1 point per $100 0 Lifetime Giving to University 1 point per $1,000 0 Irrevocable Planned Gift to Athletics* 1 point per $1,000 0 *based on allowable charitable deduction 12 total points Example # A Spartan Fund donor has been a member for 5 years and has established and documented an irrevocable planned gift to MSU Athletics generating a $20,000 charitable deduction. Her lifetime giving to athletics is $7,525. Her lifetime giving to the university is $17,000. She has not purchased season tickets in any sport. Spartan Points Factor Points Awarded Points Earned Consecutive Years as a Season Ticket Holder 3 points per year, 0 (Football, Men s Basketball, Ice Hockey, Women s Basketball and Volleyball) per sport Consecutive Years as a Spartan Fund member (formerly RYF) 2 points per year 10 Lifetime Giving to Athletics 1 point per $100 75 Lifetime Giving to University 1 point per $1,000 17 Irrevocable Planned Gift to Athletics* 1 point per $1,000 20 122 total points *based on allowable charitable deduction 11

Questions and Answers 1. Why is a Seat Adjustment necessary? Approximately 92% of the athletics department revenues are associated with football and men s basketball. As budgetary resources for MSU Athletics have become increasingly reliant on donations, scholarship seating contributions, sponsorships and ticket revenue, it is important to have a system in place that properly stewards those who are supporting the program. MSU Athletics is a self-supporting entity, receiving no financial support from the university. Each year contributions provide scholarship support, help pay for facility upgrades, and support operational budgets for 25 varsity sports. The Seat Adjustment program gives season ticket holders the opportunity to improve seating based on their overall investment in the program. The Spartan Points Priority System is intended to promote fairness, reward the loyalty of long-time supporters, and encourage current and future contributors to give to Spartan Athletics. 2. Is there a website to view information regarding the Seat Adjustment? Yes. Please visit www.msuspartans.com/ seatadjustment. This website will be available for viewing beginning early October. 3. Why is the Seat Adjustment taking place now? There has not been a seat adjustment in Breslin since 1995. We have many new contributors, as well as donors that have increased their giving level since that time, and we have received ongoing demand to conduct a seat adjustment. The future financial viability of our entire athletics program is dependent on rewarding donors based on their giving level and season ticket holders based on their years of loyalty. We have one of the premiere NCAA Division I basketball programs in the nation. It takes resources to maintain this level of excellence.. Who was involved in the creation and review of the Seat Adjustment process? MSU Athletics has been researching various programs across the nation for the past two years in anticipation of our need to move toward a consistent system to determine seat locations. We have had discussions with our internal and external stakeholders throughout this process. In addition to athletic department personnel, Spartan Fund donors, season ticket holders, the Athletic Council, the Athletic Director s Advisory Council, University Advancement, MSU administration and the Board of Trustees have all had input in this process. 5. What others universities/colleges utilize a Seat Ajustment? Numerous schools adjust their seating on a regular basis, including: Kansas, Maryland, Indiana, Louisville, Virginia, Duke, UCLA, and Memphis. Many of these schools conduct a seat adjustment on an annual basis while others will stagger their seat adjustment process. 6. How often will a Seat Adjustment take place? A Seat Adjustment will occur in men s basketball every four () years. The next seat adjustment is scheduled to take place prior to the 201-2015 men s basketball season. 7. What is the Spartan Points Priority System? It is a method for MSU Athletics to track and reward donors and season ticket holders in accordance to their overall investment in the program. All Spartan Fund benefits (parking, post season ticket access and location, seat assignments, etc) will be distributed in accordance with this system, beginning with the 2010 Seat Adjustment. 8. What is my Spartan Points ranking, and how is it in relation to others? How can I improve my ranking? Beginning November 2009, the Spartan Fund will be able to provide members with online access to this information. In the meantime, to determine where you fall in the Spartan Points Priority Order, please contact the Spartan Fund (517) 32-610 to check your current ranking and your points in relation to others. The best way to improve your ranking is to make a contribution to the Spartan Fund. 9. Do I need to possess season tickets in all five sports to qualify for Spartan Points? No. A season ticket holder can earn Spartan Points for consecutive years of purchase in each qualifying sport that they possess tickets in. If a season ticket holder possesses season tickets in basketball, three Spartan Points will be earned for each consecutive year of season ticket purchase.

10. How will the seat selection process take place? The 2010 Seat Adjustment will utilize the services of Ballena Technologies to assist in the seat adjustment process. The Seat Relocation Management System (SRMS) will implement an online experience for season ticket holders to choose seats at a specific time. Each season ticket holder will have a scheduled time to log-in and provided 30 minutes to choose their seats. A Customer ID and PIN# will be provided to season ticket holders for log-in purposes. A 3D view of the Breslin Center from each individual seat will be available for previewing before choosing self-selected seats. Appointment times will be staggered every five minutes. Within a 30 minute period there may be as many as six other season ticket holders logged-in and choosing seats. Schools utilizing and/or scheduled to use Ballena Technologies include: Cal U., Indiana, Louisville, Marquette, Minnesota, South Carolina,Virginia, and Wake Forest. 11. Will I purchase season tickets and make a donation during the seat selection process? No. Season ticket renewals will be mailed and made available online by the Spartan Ticket Office. To renew online, please visit: www.msuspartans.com. The Spartan Fund will mail a renewal for any scholarship seating gift and/or any donation requirements. You can donate online by visiting: http://michiganstatedonornetpac.com. 16. I sit with the same people every year. How can we remain seated together? 12. Will I be able to view seats in the Breslin Center prior to the on-line seat selection? Yes. Patrons must make an appointment to view seats in the Breslin Center during non-event days. The Breslin Center Ticket Office entrance is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. For a schedule of events please visit: http://breslincenter.com. 13. Is there an option to select my seats if I am unavailable during my appointment time and/or do not have access to a computer? For those who are unable to access a computer, a notarized proxy must be designated to assign seat locations. To request a proxy form, please contact the Spartan Fund at (517) 32-610. 1. What if I miss my appointment time? Those who miss their scheduled appointment time may log-in to self-select seats at anytime after their appointment time has begun. Please note that if you miss your scheduled appointment time, other season ticket holders will self-select seats at their appointment time and preferred seats may not be available. 15. Will I be able to stay in the same seat location as I have in the past? Individuals within groups must file a written request from all individuals in the group with the Spartan Fund by April 1, 2010 to schedule an appointment time together. The appointment time will be assigned based on the individual with the lowest Spartan Points priority ranking. 17. I have purchased season tickets from my neighbor and have paid his/her the scholarship seating gift as well. Do I receive Spartan Points credit? No. The account holder that purchases the season tickets from the Spartan Ticket Office would receive credit for consecutive years of purchase as well as any scholarship seating gift. 18. If I do not purchase season tickets for a year, but purchase season tickets in the future do I still receive Spartan Points for consecutive years of season ticket purchase? No. Season ticket holders must maintain season tickets each year to earn consecutive years of season ticket purchase Spartan Points. Previous seat locations cannot be guaranteed. Your Spartan Points ranking will determine when you will select seats and your seat location. You may find that your ranking may improve your seat location. Questions? Contact the Spartan Fund Phone: (517) 32-610 www.msuspartans.com/spartanfund

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