Though this Saturday’s Big Chill at the Big House is sold out, some students aren’t pleased about a change in the student ticket policy for the outdoor hockey game at Michigan Stadium between the Wolverines and Michigan State University.

When officials first announced the Big Chill last January, the Athletic Department initially planned on having the student section — located in sections 25-32 in the northwest corner of the stadium — be a general admission area. However, after experiencing problems with general admission seating at the Big House for Spring Commencement in May, the Athletic Department changed its policy, according to Athletic Department spokesman David Ablauf.

“At graduation, it became very obvious that people would not fill the sections to capacity and there was concern from a security standpoint about getting all students adequately seated,” Ablauf wrote in an e-mail.

Tickets to the game were included in both football and hockey student season ticket packages for $5. Students were also able to purchase additional tickets for $10 each.

In March, when the initial e-mail about purchasing tickets was sent to students, the Athletic Department intended to allow general admission seating in the student section. The Athletic Department sent an e-mail to all student ticket holders in July, however, to tell students about a change in the policy.

“We originally indicated that student seating would be general admission within the student area,” the e-mail read. “Due to our experience with general admission seating at graduation in May, we have decided to use reserved seating for this event. This will ensure your seats for this once in a lifetime special event.”

Now, students who bought their Big Chill tickets in conjunction with their football season tickets will be seated in the same location as their football groups.

Students who bought their tickets with their hockey season tickets will be seated with their hockey seating group in section 33 — located in the north end zone.

Finally, those who purchased additional tickets will be seated in sections in the end zone bordering the student section.

Kinesiology and LSA junior Steve Davenport said he bought extra tickets for his family and was disappointed when he realized he wouldn’t be able to sit with them at the game.

"I bought seven extra tickets because in case they were separate I knew (my family) would be sitting together, but I’m also sitting with my football seating group," Davenport said. "So, I knew if I wasn’t sitting with them I’d have someone to sit with. I was hoping they’d be sitting with us."

LSA senior Jasmine Hentschel said a friend bought her a ticket because she was abroad when the tickets went on sale last spring. She said the fact that their tickets weren't together would be a nuisance, but wouldn't deter them from sitting together at the game.

"That’s going to be a pain," Hentschel said of the seats being in different sections. "I’m sure we’ll figure it out though the same way that people do with football (games), unless that’s not possible for some reason, but I can’t imagine that that will be the case."

Meanwhile, LSA sophomore Nicole McIntyre said she didn't realize that a Big Chill ticket came with her football season tickets, so she bought an extra ticket herself. Once she realized that she had the ticket that game with her football tickets, McIntyre said she planned to give the extra ticket to a friend to sit with them, but due to the change in policy she changed her plans.

"It’d be better if it was in the same section because then I wouldn’t have to sell it to a random person," McIntyre said.

Still, Ablauf said the Athletic Department has only received a handful of formal complaints from students.

“We got a few inquiries, but I’d say fewer than 20-30 and they understood once we explained again the information in the e-mail,” Ablauf wrote.