Spring Break
New system prevents trading football tickets
Unused tickets may go to waste
RAISA HABERSHAM
Issue date: 4/30/09 Section: News
University students who do not receive football ticket packages in the fall will not be able to attend home games.
The new electronic ticketing system, approved by the Athletic Association Board of Directors in February, will not have a donation bank in the fall that would put students on a waiting list for unused home game tickets.
However, the Athletic Association plans to implement a donation bank system - possibly beginning fall 2010 - allowing students to donate unused tickets for home games. Once the donation bank is in place, students who donate tickets will not be reimbursed, said Tim Cearley, director of ticket operations for the University Athletic Association, in an interview last week.
Associate Athletic Director Craig White said the new system, which loads tickets on student MyID cards, will disperse tickets more effectively.
"Two good things have come out of [the new system]," White said. "We have created more student tickets that were limited due to a certain allocation and we eliminated the secondary market - students getting tickets and selling them to non-students."
With the new system, students will not be able to sell their tickets or give them to friends.
"Your ID has to match you," White said. "You can't give it to another student. It is a University violation and you could lose your student ID."
"We will have scanners and they will be able to tell if the ID is current," Cearley said.
A problem not resolved by the new ticketing system is that of "split ticket" packages.
"Ticket packages may be split in order to accommodate as many students as possible," Cearley said.
About 20 percent of the more than 92,000-seat stadium will be allocated to students - 18,026 tickets.
"You must be a full-time student for two consecutive semesters to be eligible to receive [full home season] tickets," Cearley said.
To maintain student ticket priority, all undergraduate students must be enrolled for a minimum of 12 hours at the end of the spring and fall semester drop/add period, Cearley said.
The new electronic ticketing system, approved by the Athletic Association Board of Directors in February, will not have a donation bank in the fall that would put students on a waiting list for unused home game tickets.
However, the Athletic Association plans to implement a donation bank system - possibly beginning fall 2010 - allowing students to donate unused tickets for home games. Once the donation bank is in place, students who donate tickets will not be reimbursed, said Tim Cearley, director of ticket operations for the University Athletic Association, in an interview last week.
Associate Athletic Director Craig White said the new system, which loads tickets on student MyID cards, will disperse tickets more effectively.
"Two good things have come out of [the new system]," White said. "We have created more student tickets that were limited due to a certain allocation and we eliminated the secondary market - students getting tickets and selling them to non-students."
With the new system, students will not be able to sell their tickets or give them to friends.
"Your ID has to match you," White said. "You can't give it to another student. It is a University violation and you could lose your student ID."
"We will have scanners and they will be able to tell if the ID is current," Cearley said.
A problem not resolved by the new ticketing system is that of "split ticket" packages.
"Ticket packages may be split in order to accommodate as many students as possible," Cearley said.
About 20 percent of the more than 92,000-seat stadium will be allocated to students - 18,026 tickets.
"You must be a full-time student for two consecutive semesters to be eligible to receive [full home season] tickets," Cearley said.
To maintain student ticket priority, all undergraduate students must be enrolled for a minimum of 12 hours at the end of the spring and fall semester drop/add period, Cearley said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 52
wait...
posted 4/30/09 @ 6:59 AM EST
Will we not have the same student sections?
Sad Alum
posted 4/30/09 @ 7:51 AM EST
This is a terrible terrible system. Most people who get season tickets don't WANT to go to all 6/7 home games. Many students want to go to half the games and give the rest to a friend who didn't get any. (Continued…)
this sucks
posted 4/30/09 @ 8:57 AM EST
I'm with you sad alum, why change a system that was working fine?
This is horse shit...NO ONE, NO ONE, NO ONE will use that banking system and simply give up their tickets! This is one of the most inefficient ways one could think of to allocate tickets. (Continued…)
DawgFan
posted 4/30/09 @ 9:00 AM EST
While I am really happy to see the end of student ticket scalping, I am sad that we'll most likely see some sparse attendance at a few games.
Most students cannot attend every single game, and students should be allowed to pass on tickets to other students or their friends. (Continued…)
good
posted 4/30/09 @ 9:16 AM EST
The student sections will be the same, just general admission within those sections. I'm glad it will stop students from selling their tickets at outrageous prices!!
DAWG
posted 4/30/09 @ 9:19 AM EST
It's funny people are so quick to fuss at athletics...it was OUR Student Government who decided this!!!!!!
student
posted 4/30/09 @ 9:58 AM EST
A stupid decision by the Athletic Association. One of the few perks of being a student at UGA was being able to make a little cash by occasionally selling football tickets to wealthy out-of-towners. (Continued…)
CoastalDawg
posted 4/30/09 @ 10:12 AM EST
Were STUDENTS, the ones who pay the bills @ UGA even consulted about this system? The more I see of government, and believe me this is another example, the more distressed I am concerning the fact that "we the people" have been totally eliminated from the loop. (Continued…)
Mollz
posted 4/30/09 @ 10:16 AM EST
Sure scalping was there, but not everyone charged outrageous prices. I know I that I personally charged face-value for plenty of tickets in the past couple years. (Continued…)
IBDawgfan82
posted 4/30/09 @ 10:57 AM EST
That's just a brilliant move by the Athletic Dept...make a system where no one else can use the tickets so they will go to waste. People are not going to turn tickets they wont use back in because they won't care. (Continued…)
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