Standing in line to get tickets for the Arizona State University game a few weeks ago, sophomore Leo Kreider anxiously looked over the several heads in front of him in the EMU.
“Almost,” he said.
Slowly shuffling forward, he breathed a small sigh.
“I don’t like waiting in line,” he said. “I’m not very patient.”
The line for the battle against Arizona State didn’t quite wrap all the way around the skylight as it had for previous games, but it was still at least a 20-30 minute wait. Kreider admitted to skipping class and waiting in line for an hour to get tickets for the Stanford homecoming game the week before.
“This actually wasn’t that bad,” he said.
But students who want to have a ticket to the Civil War game against Oregon State University in their hands by the end of today should not expect a small line. They may also not want to risk waiting until Tuesday.
The 6,098 student tickets have never gone out in one day, due to lack of computer capacity. But with added windows at the Athletic Ticket Office at the Len Casanova Center this year, tickets could all be taken today, assistant director of ticket sales Ben Havn said.
“I would say it’s possible. We could get all 6,098 tickets out in one day,” he said. “I can’t guarantee anyone can get tickets Tuesday morning.”
Tickets for all of the football games this year were available until at least the day after distribution. Tickets for the Stanford game ran out the morning after and Arizona State tickets were still available for almost three days.
But some students aren’t willing to take any chances for Civil War. Freshman Jeremy Tesar said he and a group of about 15 friends plan to snatch a prime spot in line Sunday night — equipped with tarps, food and plenty of warm clothes.
“We really want tickets,” he said.
Today, both the EMU Ticket Outlet and Athletic Ticket Office at the Casanova Center are prepared for constant lines of avid Duck fans starting hours before 9 a.m., when windows open. The Casanova office has six windows and computers this year, two more than last year before the renovation. And Havn said he aims to keep all six windows open all day.
Havn said peak times for lines are normally in the morning, lunchtime and at hours when classes have just ended. He estimated an hour or two as the maximum amount of time people will have to stand in line at the Casanova office.
But those who choose to wait indoors at the EMU ticket office, which opens only two windows, should be willing to endure much slower lines.
Senior Adam Woodworth, a loyal Duck fan who has worn a watermelon on his head to show spirit and traveled to UCLA to watch the Ducks play on Nov. 10, planned to be in line at 6:30 a.m. today. He said sometimes he goes too early, but the process of “getting in line” itself becomes part of the fun.
“We never get out that early except to get tickets to an Oregon game,” he said. “But it’s fun. We usually just shoot the breeze and get some coffee.”
He added that although he needs to make it to his 11 a.m. class today, he’s doesn’t mind waiting a few hours to get Civil War tickets.
“It’s a big game,” he said. “It’ll be worth the wait.”