Beat The Rush Ticket Sales Begin For 1996 Olympic Games In Atlanta

Fifteen months before athletes go for the gold in Atlanta, it’s time for Olympic fans to go for the green.

Tickets to the 1996 Atlanta Games are on sale today, through mail order forms that will be distributed beginning at dawn at thousands of retail stores across the country, mainly groceries that sell CocaCola and Home Depot stores.

The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, counting on strong demand to meet tight budget projections, is making about 36.5 million mail order forms available and trying hard to dispel fears that VIPs have already gobbled up the prime seats.

“There is realistically a chance” for the general public to get tickets to the top events, said Scott Anderson, ACOG’s chief ticket official. “We have set aside tickets in every price category for the general public.”

Overall, ACOG has a record inventory of 11 million tickets to the 1996 Games, although tickets were made available months ago to National Olympic Committees, corporate sponsors and other bigwigs. They bought about 4 million, leaving 7 million for the general sale at prices ranging from $6 (plus tax) for an early round baseball game to $636 for the opening and closing ceremonies.

The number of tickets remaining for such choice events as the opening ceremonies or basketball finals is a tightly guarded secret.

Publicity for the ticket launch has been at fever pitch in Atlanta, and Anderson said ACOG has been deluged with calls from people seeking information.

It is unclear, however, how much interest there is elsewhere in the country. A poll published Friday by The Atlanta JournalConstitution said that, among nonSoutherners, 51 percent of those asked could not even say where the 1996 Olympics will be.

But the word is spreading.

Kathy Neyer of Lancaster, Pa., said she probably would pick up an order form today and get it in the mail soon.

“From what I’ve heard, it sounds like my best bet is to make my decision and send it in right away,” said Ms. Neyer, a certified public accountant.

The ticket sale hasn’t been heavily publicized in her area, and she knows about it only because a friend in Atlanta sent her a newspaper insert, Ms. Neyer said.

“I haven’t seen much around here,” she said.

For now, tickets will be available only through the mail order forms contained in the brochures. Payment - by check, money order or Visa card - is required at the time of the order.

Mail orders received in the first 60 days will be put in a pool and will be selected in random order. About half the 542 sessions are expected to sell out.

Even though the sessions themselves are awarded randomly, the seats will be assigned in the order the applications are received. So there is an advantage to getting your order in early.

ACOG will confirm ticket assignments in September, and deliver the cardboard by the spring of ‘96.

Some people don’t like the idea of having to shell out the bucks more than a year ahead of the event.

“That’s a lot of money to tie up so far ahead of time,” said Kirk Tracey of Atlanta, sales manager at a car dealer.

“I don’t know what’s going to be happening in my life a year and a half from now,” Tracey said, adding he’ll resist the ticket sales hoopla today. “If I don’t get to go, I’ll turn on the tube and watch it there.”

ACOG, which must sell about 6.3 million tickets to meet its budget projection of $261 million in ticket sales revenue, clearly is hoping folks such as Tracey are a distinct minority.

Anderson said organizers expect a flood of orders this week and then another at the end of the initial 60-day period, with a steady flow in between.