An electronic football ticket distribution system envisioned by student government would eliminate long lines and prevent students from selling tickets if student leaders and the Athletics Department can agree on who will foot the still-undetermined bill.
An option discussed for several years by the Athletics Department Finance Committee, the group that negotiates student tickets with the Athletics Department, the new system would store ticket information on student ID cards, which would then be scanned for admittance to games.
The electronic system would replace the current one, which requires students to show their student ID at a ticket office to receive a paper ticket. It would not be available until next season “at the very earliest,” said Greg Walker, a spokesman for the Athletics Department.
“At this point, cost needs to be looked into further,” said ADFC Sen. Drew Pinson. “That’s basically what it comes down to now: What is it going to cost us?”
Although talks have just begun on the acquisition of such a system, Pinson said the response from the Athletics Department was positive.
Walker said two factors drive interest in a new ticketing system: Preventing long lines and misuse of student tickets.
“If you eliminate people having to wait in line, I think students would be supportive of that,” Walker said. Professors have concerns when students miss class to stand in line, he said.
An electronic system would also ensure that only currently enrolled students would be able to use student tickets, Walker said.
Talks have centered around football at this point, but will probably be extended to include men’s basketball, Walker said.
Walker said the Athletics Department will investigate costs and talk with other universities that have electronic-ticketing technology in place.
“It’s still pretty early in the process,” Walker said.
UCLA implemented electronic tickets for students this year using software by Ticketmaster, said David Lowenstein, director of UCLA’s Central Ticket Office.
“I think our fans like it a lot more because it’s state of the art,” Lowenstein said.
UCLA Senior Associate Athletic Director Ken Weiner said the system is easier for students.
“There haven’t been any glitches in football,” he said.
Pinson also said the new system would end problems the ADFC faces yearly when negotiating student seating and ticket prices.
The main problem during negotiations is the “no-show factor” – students waiting in line for free student tickets but not showing up for games. Pinson cited the home football game against Portland State University as an example, saying 5,700 student tickets were distributed but only 3,300 were used.
“This is our incidental fee being wasted,” he said.
Ideally an electronic system would allow student government to track who uses tickets. If the person is not counted at the game, officials would be able to pinpoint that person and penalize him or her, Pinson said.
Students who were no-shows at games could be ineligible to attend the next game using a student ticket, said Pinson. He said the Athletics Department does not want to see student tickets wasted or seats empty.
As to cost, “it’s unclear whether it would be cheaper,” he said.
A UO Ticket Office representative declined to comment on using a new system.
ADFC members have also mentioned problems with students selling their free tickets online, a move Sen. Kyle McKenzie called “totally illegal.”
But student government, Athletics Department and state officials contacted by the Emerald, could not cite any rules or laws prohibiting selling tickets.
Department of Public Safety Lt. Herb Horner said people are allowed to sell tickets as long as they are not on University property.
“We know people are selling tickets on eBay,” Horner said.
Yet if the seller does not inform the buyer that he or she will need to produce a student ID to use the ticket, it is considered theft of services, Horner said.
Those who are not able to produce a student ID at games have their tickets confiscated. Horner said DPS averages about 45 to 70 confiscated tickets and ID cards per game.
“And those are just the ones we catch,” he said.A Craigslist.com search Tuesday night revealed at least five student tickets on sale for the game against the University of Arizona this Saturday and one student ticket for the basketball game against the University of California, Irvine this Friday.
Sophomore pre-med student Jesse Hough said he sold his ticket to the game against the University of Washington last week through Craigslist.com for $40, after receiving six responses to his posting.
Hough didn’t think it was unethical to sell his ticket because he was asking a reasonable price, he said.
“On Craigslist, they advise you not to sell it for more than they are going for,” he said.
He added that he would be surprised to find out selling student tickets is illegal.
Contact the federal and campus politics reporter at [email protected]