ORLANDO, Fla. — University of Central Florida alumni are stepping up to help the school sell more than 17,000 tickets to the Fiesta Bowl. That's the school's ticket allotment for the Jan. 1 game.
WFTV reporter Berndt Petersen talked to some graduates who cannot make it to the game in Arizona, but are helping military personnel get seats in the stands.
Section 229 at Bright House stadium is Dan Lykens' home away from home.
"That view is awesome over there. We love it!" Lykens said.
It's where he sits when the UCF Knights play. He's barely missed a game since he graduated 34 years ago.
"Nineteen seventy nine. Grass parking. First football team. I was a season ticket holder at the very beginning and a lot of changes. Lots of excitement. We've been following it for a long time," he said.
But he can't follow the team to the Fiesta Bowl and UCF needs to sell 17,500 tickets to its first BCS bowl game.
Selling those tickets does present a challenge, which is why the university came up with the idea for fans to buy and donate seats to the big game.
"We understand that not everybody can make it out to the bowl game. We really appreciate our fans who have stepped up to make donations on behalf of the men and women of Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. It's a really nice gesture," said Chad Binettte of UCF.
Lykens is one of the people making that gesture. He said it made perfect sense to buy and donate a pair of tickets.
"Even though they can't make the trip out there, they want to support the program, support athletics, support the college. And, being a veteran and talking to my Navy veteran folks, it's a great way to support these guys and give them a chance to enjoy a good BCS bowl game," he said.
At last word, UCF had distributed 5,500 tickets of the 17,500 it needs to sell.
WFTV
