Monika Graf has never missed a home Duck football game. That is unless a golf tournament requires her presence elsewhere.
The University senior and four-year member of the Oregon golf team received the mass e-mail about the BCS National Championship Game tickets shortly after the Ducks demolished Oregon State on Dec. 4. The University knew how many students would want to attend the game in Glendale, Ariz., so the Division of Student Affairs was offering student packages that included airfare, tickets and accommodations.
Graf disregarded the possible ticket packages until Oregon had officially been named a contender in the BCS game. When official word got out, Graf decided to explore the available tickets. Unfortunately, she found prices that were a little out of her range.
“I would’ve paid $500 for a ticket,” Graf said. “But when I searched for a student ticket, they were all sold out.”
The next cheapest ticket she found was $835. And in terms of seating sections, she would’ve been up in the nosebleeds.
Although $835 may seem like an outrageous amount of money, especially to any college student, it was miniscule compared to some of the prices BCS tickets were going for.
Graf found the average tickets were $1500 to $2000, but that was far from the most unreasonable. Aghast, she found a 20-person suite near the 20- or 30-yard line for an outlandish $85,000. Not only could that amount cover tuition for an in-state resident at the University, it could also leave a little extra for a new car, a decent boat or even an exclusive trip to Europe. Whatever the money could idealistically be substituted for, one thing is clear: The BCS game is not just an event for an Oregon Duck or an Auburn Tiger; it’s an event for anyone who believes in the true spirit of the underdog.
Although Student Affairs had the right idea, many students didn’t need an all-inclusive package; they just wanted a ticket. This left students such as Graf to search for tickets throughout various sites on the Internet. And, consequently, made them discover the ridiculous price of most tickets.
Some sites didn’t just want buyers to dish out tremendous amounts of money for a ticket. V.I.P. tailgates and parking passes cost at least $150.
Although Graf did not come out with a ticket, it won’t prevent her from supporting her unstoppable Ducks during tonight’s game. Graf, as well as many University students, will have to settle watching their football team battle Auburn from the comfort of their living rooms.
Many wonder what campus will be like if the Ducks come out victorious. The Eugene Police Department plans on doubling its officers on patrol that night to ensure Eugene stays as calm and collected as realistically possible. But what will be the long term effects on the University community if the Ducks claim the BCS Championship? Will more money pour into our already well-off student athletic programs that are already in line to receive the gracious gift of the new Casanova Center?
Graf, a student-athlete, taught me something about the Pac-10 Conference that I never knew.
She explained that if a Pac-10 school goes to a bowl game, earnings are split equally throughout the conference. Thus, money goes to support each school in the conference, not just the school participating in the bowl game. It was eye-opening to hear that our success helps out our other neighboring schools instead of greedily helping only one.
Apart from Oregon’s bowl appearance in terms of money, Graf believes the exposure that Oregon will receive from the game will benefit the school as a whole.
“Kids from the East Coast will hear of Oregon and want to check it out,” Graf said. “In terms of diversity, it will open doors across the country not just the Pacific Northwest.”
Even if the Ducks fall victim to the claws of the Auburn Tigers, the publicity of the game will strengthen athletic and academic programs as more students apply to the University in the following years.
Yet, no matter the outcome, fans like Graf will still be proud to be a Duck. The Eugene community is built on a solid, Duck-loving foundation. As long as that exists, there will always be more ducklings en route to Eugene.
The moral of the story is ticket or no ticket, Duck pride follows through every fan’s veins.
The time has come: Let’s go Ducks!
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