Attendance at Arizona Athletics events soared this fall, with student turnout for volleyball and soccer games reaching unprecedented levels thanks to ZonaZoo’s revamped priority points system.
Attendance at the UA volleyball matches increased significantly, with over 800 more fans attending games against Arizona State on Oct. 9 and Kansas on Nov. 8.
The UA soccer match against Kansas on Oct. 17 attracted more than 300 more students among the record-setting attendance of 970. It was the second-highest turnout for soccer this season.
The surge is primarily due to a new ZonaZoo initiative sparked by demand for student tickets to the Duke-Arizona matchup on Nov. 22. To guarantee a spot in the 2,200-seat student section, ZonaZoo members had to accumulate points by attending other sporting events, including soccer, volleyball and women’s basketball.
This fall, Arizona Athletics, in collaboration with ZonaZoo, implemented a priority points system for ZonaZoo Red members to manage the high demand for tickets to the much-anticipated top-25 basketball matchup with Duke.
“(It) has really brought more energy to events like volleyball and women’s basketball,” said Sydney Schumer, executive director of ZonaZoo. “It’s great to see students supporting teams that don’t always get as much attention.”
The results were clear: student attendance at the women’s basketball matchup against UNLV was nearly sold out; it was sold out for the men’s winning basketball games against Canisius (93-64) and Old Dominion (102-44)
The ZonaZoo was at total capacity for nearly the entire game against Old Dominion on Nov. 9, 2024, which offered double points to students who stayed until the final buzzer. Arizona won 102-44.
The ZonaZoo, Arizona’s student section, implemented the new priority point system earlier this fall to generate more interest in less popular Arizona Athletics events.
“The new priority points system was all about boosting student attendance at women’s basketball, volleyball and soccer,” said Schumer. “It’s a great way to engage students in events they might not have thought to attend before.”
Holding the Duke game as the carrot worked for students like Andrew Alexander.
“Since my freshman year, we haven’t had a non-conference opponent this big playing inside McKale,” the senior said. “(Duke) is a historic program, so I am super excited to see them come to McKale.”
Alexander attended women’s volleyball, soccer, and basketball games for the first time in his four years at UA.
“Before this year, I’d only ever been to men’s basketball, football and baseball, so it was a really different experience for me,” Alexander said.
With ticket prices exceeding $200, the student section was the least expensive option for ZonaZoo students.
“I hope students can take away from this system that there are some really good teams at Arizona that aren’t football or men’s basketball,” said Schumer. “We are a very well rounded (school) and we have a lot to offer students.”
The Duke matchup is sold out; the student section is also filled up.
Arizona fans await tip-off against Stanford University on Feb. 4, 2024. No. 11 Arizona won 82-71
“In my four years at Arizona, this is the most excited I’ve been for a home game,” said UA senior forward Will Menaugh, a walk-in to the basketball team. “I can’t wait to see the Zoo packed this Friday; our fans have been amazing so far this season.”
ZonaZoo is optimistic about resuming the point system initiative in the future, although there are no plans to bring it back for the spring.
Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
