re: TAF will be requesting to sell some of the student section...

This is just a guess on my part, but I think the students are attending. They're just cramming themselves into the sections closer to the west sideline. I remember when I was a student there were always people sitting in the aisles closer to the band. Maybe that's not happening, and they're just not showing up, but my guess is the actual number of students attending is more than what you'd think it is based on that picture.