The 7,000-seat College Park Center was sold out for the last two men’s games, but fans didn’t fill up the seats.

Athletics director Jim Baker is aware of the issue, and he said he’s trying to fix the fact the $78-million center hasn’t filled up in any of the four basketball games played since the grand opening on Feb. 1, the day Baker also took over.

“We’re giving away 7,000 tickets, and we’re only filling 75 percent of the seating,” Baker said while speaking at a luncheon for season ticketholders and athletic club members on Tuesday.

“We need to fill 100 percent of the seating for the last few games.”

Baker encourages people to show up for the last few games at College Park Center this season and is telling people that if you buy a ticket but can’t go, give your ticket to somebody else.

Before Baker arrived at UTA, he said he wanted to build momentum going into next year. The men’s basketball team will host the University of Oklahoma at the College Park Center, and Baker is trying to get UT-Austin, the program he came from, to play there as well.

“We had great student attendance these last few games, and they helped out by bringing great energy to the arena,” he said. “It felt like the energy they brought helped give the men’s team a win during the first game at College Park Center.”

The grand opening on Feb. 1, a soldout doubleheader that was expected to fill the College Park Center to capacity, had an announced attendance of 6,228 — 750 less than anticipated.

“Those people who did buy tickets did not show up,” university spokeswoman Kristin Sullivan said.

Saturday’s Homecoming game against Texas State also sold out, but almost 1,000 less people attended the men’s basketball team’s 20-point win. Baker said Saturday’s weather, which didn’t get above 40 degrees, may have prevented people from showing up.

Attendance for the women’s games haven’t been close, filling the arena with 648 and 1,008 fans in their two home games.

Before Baker took over for Pete Carlon two weeks ago, he said he would reach out to several student organizations to try and persuade them to go to games at the center. Baker said he hasn’t personally done that yet, but the UTA administration has.

“[Vice President for Student Affairs] Frank Lamas has been doing a great job, and he has been a big part of getting students to come out,” Baker said.

Mechanical engineering senior Ben Engstrom showed up to watch a game at the center, and he said he liked what he saw.

“It was a great facility and was nice and very impressive,” Engstrom said.

But some UTA students, like kinesiology major Preston Dean, have yet to appear at a game because of their busy schedules.

“I don’t have time, but I would like to go,” Dean said.

This summer, UTA expects to complete construction of the College Park District in the 27,000 square foot allotment next to the center that will contain restaurants, Vandergriff Hall and The Loft apartments that will create more of an urban environment, Sullivan said.

Baker said that will help drive traffic to the new arena.

“All the retail that will be on campus will bring more students,” Baker said. “We will be able to build on that.”