Ticket issue trips up students

[Zonald]

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/09/13/Sports/Ticket_issue_trips_up.shtml

By GREG AUMAN, Times Staff Writer

Published September 13, 2006

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TAMPA - Saturday's USF-Central Florida game in Orlando likely won't match last year's attendance of 45,139, then the largest ever to see the Bulls play at Raymond James Stadium. And though USF today will return to UCF a decent chunk of its allotment of 5,000 tickets, the Bulls have made an active push to get more students to Saturday's game.

Questionably active by some standards, even if the drive is well-intended.

Student Government bought two lots totaling 1,250 tickets from UCF at a discounted rate of $12 each - half face value - then went a step further by selling them to students at $5 each, subsidizing the difference of $8,750, with some of that money coming from the Activity and Services fees students pay as part of their tuition.

Monday's initial sale of 500 tickets sold quickly enough that SG called an emergency meeting that night to authorize purchase of another block of 750. Those tickets sold out Tuesday afternoon, with about 150 students still in line when the last seat was sold. Their gripe? Organizers didn't put a cap on how many tickets could be purchased, so long as there was a student ID number with every ticket purchase. As a result, one student representing a group of about 12 fraternities bought blocks of 400 tickets, while others got none.

"I wanted Greek Life to come together to represent USF with one massive push for tickets together," said Charlie Aguirre, who waited in line for 90 minutes before the ticket window opened Tuesday.

Thomas King, a junior and SG's comptroller, filed a memo at Monday's emergency meeting, objecting that rules governing the allocation of student funds had been circumvented in the rush to get more tickets.

Independent of student sales, USF had sold 1,976 tickets, well short of its allotment. But the combined total of 3,200-plus tickets sold is actually the second-largest contingent for a Bulls away game, trailing only last year's bowl debut in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte.

Asked for an update on total sales, UCF assistant athletic director Joe Hornstein was hesitant to give any figures Monday, saying only that he expected Saturday's crowd to surpass the attendance for the Knights' season opener against Villanova, announced as 29,398. Any crowd near that size would fall short of hopes on both sides of the rivalry.

SOCCER SHINES: Both soccer teams have opened the seasons hot, with coach George Kiefer's men winning 2-0 at No. 8 Notre Dame and Logan Fleck's women at 4-1-1 with an upset of ranked Marquette.

The men have two key home dates this weekend, hosting West Virginia No. 10 in the coaches' poll Friday and Pittsburgh on Sunday. Two wins would put USF in control of the league's Red Division nearly halfway through the 10-game league season.

For the women, Tennessee transfer Lindsay Brauer is the Big East's leading scorer with seven goals and three assists, and freshman Jaleesa Scott was named league rookie of the week after scoring the winners goals against Marquette and Stetson.

WELCOME BACK: Women's golf coach Susan Holt leaves this week to take the same job at Notre Dame, and the Bulls are turning to a former standout to guide their team.

Kelly Lagedrost, a 2001 USF grad who has played five years on the LPGA and other pro tours, will step in as interim coach for the fall season.

"It's always been in the back of my mind," said Lagedrost, who won a state championship at Hernando High in 1996. "I've got to learn a lot, and it'll be interesting to jump in headfirst. But I'm excited."

Lagedrost, 27, has played 10 LPGA events this season, made two cuts, and plans to attend "Q School" qualifying in December.

THIS AND THAT: Next week's USF-Kansas football game will be televised locally on FSN Florida. ... If last year is any indication, Orlando police might be busy at the USF-UCF game Saturday. Last year's game totaled 14 arrests and 24 ejections, both more than triple the average from USF's other home games. ... USF will have a site devoted to women's basketball star Jessica Dickson, on the watch list for the Wade Trophy, awarded to the nation's top player. Look for jd25.com next month, around the start of preseason practice.

[Knight_Light]

Here's a more detailed account on the SG Tix fiasco from the Oracle:

http://www.usforacle.com/media/storage/paper880/news/2006/09/13/News/Ticket.Sales.Raise.Fairness.Questions-2269483.shtml?norewrite200609131025&sourcedomain=www.usforacle.com

Ticket sales raise fairness questions

SG's sale of UCF tickets go fast as student groups buy in bulk.

Ryan Blackburn, Contribution from Suzanne Parks

Posted: 9/13/06

The 1,250 discounted football tickets sold by Student Government this week for Saturday's game at the University of Central Florida left some students who waited in line empty handed and questioning other students who bought dozens or, in some cases, even hundreds of tickets at a time.

"From what I've heard here, the first couple of people in line bought huge transactions," said Ticket Office Supervisor Bobby Loman. "I had a lot of people come up and say, 'How were they able to do this?' They should have limited it so every student could have had an advantage. If they had limited it to eight tickets per person, it would have been a little more fair."

Loman said the USF Ticket Office typically caps the amount of tickets allotted to each individual student in much the same way the St. Petersburg Times Forum limits the amount of tickets for its concerts and events, but SG allowed well over the single-digit mark for individual students.

Many of the students who purchased a large number of tickets were members of Greek organizations on campus who anticipated long lines and a limited number of available tickets.

One student, Interfraternity Council Treasurer Charlie Aguirre, said he paid close to $2,000 cash for about 400 tickets.

(See free link for full article)

http://www.usforacle.com/media/storage/paper880/news/2006/09/13/News/Ticket.Sales.Raise.Fairness.Questions-2269483.shtml?norewrite200609131025&sourcedomain=www.usforacle.com

[USFootball]

I didnt know they were having deals as well..."Buy 10 get one free!!!"

[E.T.]

Independent of student sales, USF had sold 1,976 tickets, well short of its allotment.

Very disappointed in BULL Nation !  >

[BullAdrian]

Next time, they should sell 50% off instead of 80% off.  Suppose a ticket is $15 then Greek will not be able to purchase 200 tickets for scalping.  Therefore, It will be lot of students attend and roar in the stadium!!

[USF03]

Next time, they should sell 50% off instead of 80% off.  Suppose a ticket is $15 then Greek will not be able to purchase 200 tickets for scalping.  Therefore, It will be lot of students attend and roar in the stadium!!

They ARE NOT SCALPING!  We, SG, know who bought bulk tickets!  They had to give us names and U-numbers.  We WILL keep tabs on them.

[bullsmania]

There is no more scalping law in florida.  

[puc86]

How exactly is student government going to "keep tabs" on them? Are you going to take roll as the discounted ticket holders enter the stadium? If so how are you going to know who is Ben Dover 123456789 and Haywood Jablomie 190032863?

Next time, they should sell 50% off instead of 80% off.  Suppose a ticket is $15 then Greek will not be able to purchase 200 tickets for scalping.  Therefore, It will be lot of students attend and roar in the stadium!!

They ARE NOT SCALPING!  We, SG, know who bought bulk tickets!  They had to give us names and U-numbers.  We WILL keep tabs on them.

[Mag Pie]

I don't even remember if they took down my U# when I got my tickets.  I asked for 7 and they gave them to me.  I saw a sheet of paper on there with names and U#'s, but many more people had gotten tickets instead of the 5-7 names that were on there.

[___ Eats It]

How exactly is student government going to "keep tabs" on them? Are you going to take roll as the discounted ticket holders enter the stadium? If so how are you going to know who is Ben Dover 123456789 and Haywood Jablomie 190032863?

Ben and Haywood are going?  Those dudes are party animals!