Fans pay the price for personal seat licenses

Now is the chance for anyone in Columbus with extra pocket change - and lots of it - to join the latest sports craze. Nationwide Arena and Ohio State's Schottenstein Center want your dollars to buy personal seat licenses. For $4,000 you can own one of the 4,500 seat licenses at the Schottenstein Center, said Andrew Arthurs, seat license director for the center. There are also licenses available for $7,500 and $15,000, he said. At the Schottenstein Center, a men's basketball seat license will guarantee the owner the same seat for 40 years, Arthurs said. The license will also carry season tickets for women's basketball and men's hockey at no extra charge. That person will also have priority at their seat for most other events, such as concerts, he said. The Schottenstein Center license also guarantees admission to the Huntington Club, a private dining room at the arena for seat license holders, Arthurs said. OSU will buy back a seat license for 70 percent of the price paid for the seat, he said. Also offering a seat license is the new Nationwide Arena, which will house the new NHL hockey team. A seat can be reserved through a $100 deposit, said Steve Johnston, a spokesperson for Nationwide Insurance. The price range for these seat licenses is undetermined, but the average price will be $2,000. Some could be offered for $1,000 or less, he said. At Nationwide Arena, a seat license guarantees holders the right to purchase season tickets for the hockey team for as long as the team plays there. However, the seat owner might not have an advantage for other Nationwide Arena events, Johnston said. Johnston said competition with OSU for seat sales is very low. "We understand there are limited entertainment dollars out there," Johnston said. But it provides more choices for Columbus, he said.