For years, the University of Colorado’s Coors Event Center has been lovingly referred to by Kansas University fans as Allen Fieldhouse West.

It’s a topic for TV commentators and newspaper columns, and the Rock Chalk Chant can be heard on TV at the end of each KU victory as if the game were at Allen Fieldhouse Original.

But CU administrators are out to change that in the first year of new CU men’s basketball coach Jeff Bzdelik. It is selling tickets to the KU-CU game only as part of three-game multi-packs. The KU game is the only one that is not offered as a single ticket.

“It’s: A, trying to increase our own attendance; and B, not any different than a few years ago trying to keep Nebraska fans from getting half the house at our football games,” said Dave Plati, CU athletics spokesman.

Nonetheless, if the three-ticket packs aren’t sold out by about Jan. 1, Plati said, single-game KU tickets will be made available.

“We moved up single-game tickets sales for everything but KU,” he said. “Short of having one of the best ticket sales in the history of basketball here, single-game tickets will go on sale.”

Jim Marchiony, KU associate athletic director, said the program is not very different from KU choosing to charge a premium for tickets to KU versus K-State and KU versus Nebraska football games at Memorial Stadium. For example, a ticket to the KU-Florida International game this year cost $35, but the KU-Nebraska game this weekend will cost $75.

“It encourages and rewards season ticket holders,” Marchiony said. “Season-ticket holders are only playing $33 for that ticket, whereas everyone else is paying a premium.”

Marchiony said KU generally does not have tickets to away basketball games to make available to its fans.

Plati said, and Marchiony agreed, that the variable pricing and limiting of who can buy tickets is one way to try and promote a home-court or home-field advantage for the host school.

At least one person contacted Marchiony upset at the CU practice, but overall he said he hadn’t heard much complaining. Marchiony said variations on the practice are becoming more prevalent.

In recent years, the KU game has been the most well-attended of all the CU basketball games.