Basketball Tickets

luxlibertas
Sat, 03 Feb 2007 21:04:47 +0000

Funny you should ask, as the ticket system is currently the hottest/most controversial issue on campus. We are in the midst of Student Body President elections and all the candidates have ticket policies as a major part of their platform.

In the past, the system has been that you had to get up early on a Saturday to stand in line (often for hours) to get a wrist band. Wrist bands had numbers, and the tickets would be distributed beginning at some random number. If you went with friends you could get seats together. It required much more effort to get up early and wait in line for hours, but if you were dedicated, you generally had little trouble getting tickets.

This year, the system switched to an online lottery system. Everyone registers for the games they want, and people are randomly picked to get tickets. If you are picked, you receive two tickets, the second one you can give to a friend. However, you cannot sit with a large group, only one other person. Since there is no disincetive to registering (don’t have to wait in line, get up early, etc.), almost everyone registers, making the odds very small. I have registered for every game and only received tickets to one game. I have been able to go to 8 or 9 though, mostly through going with friends who have received tickets. The system is not based on seniority, with the exception of the Duke game, when graduating Seniors receive priority. Under both systems, tickets are free for students.

Most of the controversy has stemmed from the people who see themselves as “real fans” being frustrated over fans they see as less loyal getting tickets over them. People think this has contributed to a less than optimal atmosphere in the Dean Dome, as many people who don’t really care that much have received tickets and are there–There is no way of ensuring that only the most passionate fans receive tickets. The counter argument is that it is unfair to expect people to be up early at a specific time on a Saturday to receive tickets. Many people who see themselves as “real fans” have jobs or other obligations that do not allow them to line up for tickets then, and thus saw the bracelet system as unfair.

What will happen remains to be seen. The vast majority of the student body is dissatisfied with the online system, but the administration seems to be rather committed to it. Several of the candidates for SBP favor a hybrid system that would combine the old and new systems, but the degree of influence the SBP would even have is not totally clear. It should be interesting to see how this develops…

Hope that helps.