Advice for Sitting in "Section 17" - Student Section

[jseelke]

Hello all - I did what could be one of the better ways to get Duke Tickets - joined the Iron Dukes at the lowest rate and participated in the ticket exchange. Fortunately I got tickets for this Sat to see Zion beat up on the "second place" team in his recruiting battle.

I am taking my nearly 10 year old daughter. Needless to say, back in my student days I would get their early to get a front row seat (or any seat in the middle section). But that can't happen with my 10 year old. So some questions:

1. How early should one get to the game to get a decent seat?
2. Are the seats in section 17 in a certain part of the student section, or is it first come first serve?
3. Parking suggestions for the game (I just missed out on passes on the secondary market)

Any advice is appreciated. Am excited to go to the game..

thanks
john seelke
Trinity 96

[OldPhiKap]

Hello all - I did what could be one of the better ways to get Duke Tickets - joined the Iron Dukes at the lowest rate and participated in the ticket exchange. Fortunately I got tickets for this Sat to see Zion beat up on the "second place" team in his recruiting battle.

I am taking my nearly 10 year old daughter. Needless to say, back in my student days I would get their early to get a front row seat (or any seat in the middle section). But that can't happen with my 10 year old. So some questions:

1. How early should one get to the game to get a decent seat?
2. Are the seats in section 17 in a certain part of the student section, or is it first come first serve?
3. Parking suggestions for the game (I just missed out on passes on the secondary market)

Any advice is appreciated. Am excited to go to the game..

thanks
john seelke
Trinity 96

FWIW, I just sent a friend up to a school break game a few weeks ago (Princeton) with his 9-year old son. They got in line 20 minutes before the doors opened (or about 80 minutes prior to game time). When they went in, an usher put the kid on the front row and my friend right behind them. Could see them on every possession down on that end of the floor, they were about at the foul line dead across from the Duke bench. My friend said that the usher did the same for another father/son pairing that ended up right next to them in the same configuration.

After the game, the players gave high-fives to all the kids. So don't leave too early.

Your mileage may vary.

Oh, and I wouldn't call it a "seat" -- it's a marked place to stand. Wear comfortable shoes.


Can't help on the parking, sorry. Have a great experience!!!!!

[UrinalCake]

How much did you pay for the lowest level Iron Duke membership? And what are the chances of actually getting tickets from that method?

[uh_no]

FWIW, I just sent a friend up to a school break game a few weeks ago (Princeton) with his 9-year old son. They got in line 20 minutes before the doors opened (or about 80 minutes prior to game time). When they went in, an usher put the kid on the front row and my friend right behind them. Could see them on every possession down on that end of the floor, they were about at the foul line dead across from the Duke bench. My friend said that the usher did the same for another father/son pairing that ended up right next to them in the same configuration.

After the game, the players gave high-fives to all the kids. So don't leave too early.

Your mileage may vary.

Oh, and I wouldn't call it a "seat" -- it's a marked place to stand. Wear comfortable shoes.


Can't help on the parking, sorry. Have a great experience!!!!!

assuming it's the usher in the corner by the band, yeah he's great. He helped newton out last year as well.

[PensDevil]

For the Yale game, the ushers were saving the front row for kids at the grad student end as well.

Typically the non-student section 17 ticket holders are let in at 60 minutes before tip. There is a line marked on the bleachers at some pint as you move toward center court. How far in varies. You can move only to that line and no further (even if there is room more towards the center). At some point very near tip off, the ushers will let everyone move past the line more towards center if there is still open space.

How early to get in line? There's only so much front row room available. So if lots of people with children are in line ahead of you, the row will fill in quickly. Once it gets much pass the baseline, being in the front row is only going to help so much, as you're still looking down at a pretty hard angle and have some floor seats to look through as well, along with ushers and security standing people walking in and out. It will also depend where the do-not-pass line is drawn. During the Yale game it was just inside the baseline, as there was am area from there to midway between the foul line and three point line marked off for the families of the halftime entertainment. Side-note: I think the jumprope squad from Indiana (?) brought every extended family member with them and took up lots of space. Very few seemed to care about the actual game and even fewer wore any kind of Duke gear.

[CDu]

How much did you pay for the lowest level Iron Duke membership? And what are the chances of actually getting tickets from that method?

The lowest level Iron Duke membership is $100 per year. It gets you on the email list for bleacher ticket availability, which has a virtually 100% chance of getting a ticket (with the caveat that it is a bleacher ticket).

It allows you to jump into the ticket exchange. It also puts you at the lowest priority level for getting a requested ticket from an Iron Duke seat (i.e., the seated upper section). No idea how likely it is to land a ticket that route, but I'd guess the answer is "pretty unlikely."

[duke2x]

How much did you pay for the lowest level Iron Duke membership? And what are the chances of actually getting tickets from that method?

You don't make the donation for basketball tickets only. It's really hit or miss. I've gotten the Ticket Exchange twice in 10+ years. One call was at 4:25 for a 7:00 game for GT in 2015. As far as unused GA tickets, Duke can be very disorganized about selling them for ACC games even when the students tell them there will be extras. I'm not expecting weeknight games against BC or Wake to have GA extras; those seats will go empty.

[throatybeard]

To sit, attempt not.

[devilirium]

Hello all - I did what could be one of the better ways to get Duke Tickets - joined the Iron Dukes at the lowest rate and participated in the ticket exchange. Fortunately I got tickets for this Sat to see Zion beat up on the "second place" team in his recruiting battle.

I am taking my nearly 10 year old daughter. Needless to say, back in my student days I would get their early to get a front row seat (or any seat in the middle section). But that can't happen with my 10 year old. So some questions:

1. How early should one get to the game to get a decent seat?
2. Are the seats in section 17 in a certain part of the student section, or is it first come first serve?
3. Parking suggestions for the game (I just missed out on passes on the secondary market)

Any advice is appreciated. Am excited to go to the game..

thanks
john seelke
Trinity 96

I was there for the Princeton game. You should be fine. Standing in that corner nearest the pep band I noticed one thing. No one cheered. Maybe all of the standing takes it out of ya, but get that section going if you can.

[jseelke]

Thank you all for the advice. Hoping that this game I can get my daughter and I up closer. As for the questions about iron dukes and tickets - yes I pay about 100-150 for the chance for the ticket exchange.

I was a bit surprised at access til student section seats as
I didn’t recall that when I was there - I’m sure it was the case in some
instances as I think my first game was in the bleachers (in 1986
visiting as an 8th grader).

Excited to be back

[uh_no]

I was there for the Princeton game. You should be fine. Standing in that corner nearest the pep band I noticed one thing. No one cheered. Maybe all of the standing takes it out of ya, but get that section going if you can.

students were gone already, unfortunately. should be more lively moving forward.

[devilish]

Thank you all for the advice. Hoping that this game I can get my daughter and I up closer. As for the questions about iron dukes and tickets - yes I pay about 100-150 for the chance for the ticket exchange.

I was a bit surprised at access til student section seats as
I didn’t recall that when I was there - I’m sure it was the case in some
instances as I think my first game was in the bleachers (in 1986
visiting as an 8th grader).

Excited to be back

Welcome back! My first game was in ‘86. I’ve sat/stood in just about every different section of Cameron. The bleachers are truly special. Enjoy.

[jseelke]

Hi all - thanks for the great advice. I am going to send a note to Duke BB and Duke Athletics as much of what you all wrote came through. We arrived for the game around 6:30 and got in line (got our tickets from the Box Office). Was a little worried when we were split up and were able to enter up above "not the main doors, but by those with medical issues area" and then had to determine how to get downstairs. My daughter and I raced down the stairs to Section 17, walking through by the grad student section. The ushers there immediately pointed to my daughter and had us stand right by midcourt (at a line where the student section is). Anyone who watches or rewatches the game and sees a bright pink hat - that was her! All in all an amazing experience in Cameron.

[OldPhiKap]

Hi all - thanks for the great advice. I am going to send a note to Duke BB and Duke Athletics as much of what you all wrote came through. We arrived for the game around 6:30 and got in line (got our tickets from the Box Office). Was a little worried when we were split up and were able to enter up above "not the main doors, but by those with medical issues area" and then had to determine how to get downstairs. My daughter and I raced down the stairs to Section 17, walking through by the grad student section. The ushers there immediately pointed to my daughter and had us stand right by midcourt (at a line where the student section is). Anyone who watches or rewatches the game and sees a bright pink hat - that was her! All in all an amazing experience in Cameron.

Great! I think it see her in all of the Top Five highlights:


https://twitter.com/dukembb/status/1081778387960692736?s=21