Post by hifigator on Dec 7, 2010 14:30:02 GMT -5
Here's an interesting issue:
badgerherald.com/oped/2010/12/05/the_worst_people_on_.php
Some Wisconsin fans are all up in arms with others who only bought tickets to resell them.
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mytake:
There are two separate issues getting confused, and for the record, I don't have a solution, but I do recognize the problem.
Students have a somehow "subsudized" advantage in securing tickets over the general public. For that matter, even many boosters don't have the same options. But these are limited tickets. So is it the "fair market" or not? Well, it's really 2 separate "fair markets." The students must follow their rules. Sometimes this means camping out in cold bleachers for a day or two. Sometimes it means spending hours on the phone, getting busy signals. Often, it involves a degree of luck. But the bottom line is that the University has some limited number of student tickets available for purchase. If Wisconsin does it like Florida does, then tickets are only available initially to student season ticket holders. Then they are available on some sort of first come, first served system to those who qualify. If, after that, tickets remain, then they are made available to any remaining students. As far as ticket distribution is concerned, that is about as fair as you can be, within the parameters of having student tickets to begin with. If you have an objection and think that students should be treated just like everyone else, then I have no problem with it, except that you would then have to treat boosters no differently, since that would eliminate students altogether, as there are essentially zero students who are significant boosters. I don't see major universities selecting this route.
Now the second question is whether the students should then be able to do as they choose with their tickets. Personally, if they are operating within their own rules, competing with other students for the limited number of tickets, then I think they should be free to choose what they wish to do with their tickets. Yet I understand the consternation that "lesser" boosters feel when they are denied tickets, only to then have to purchase them on the secondary market from a student who was essentially subsidized.
The solution that most Universities have already installed or are implementing, tickets must be claimed in person at the stadium. That has some legisticand structural expenses, but severely limits the scalping of such tickets. The vast majority of students who sell their tickets to such games, don't even make the trip. Simply requiring them to show up in person, will aleviate much of those issues. But is that "fair?" I ask you. Personally, I don't have too much of a problem with such a policy.
But what I don't agree with is the policy whereby you must go into the stadium immediately upon claiming your ticket. Incidentally, that was the policy used for the College World Series and is the policy in place for assorted other "Will Call" windows. While this does virtually, entirely eliminate any selling of said tickets, I still think it causes too many problems. For one, it simply creates a rush at the window, prior to kickoff/tipoff. It also makes it significantly difficult for larger groups to go in together. Also, there is no option for those who legitimately "can't" go to the game. There are times when people get sick. There are times when people have family emergencies. There are times when people have travel issues. Etc.. Now I understand that most of these people are in the vast minority and are not represented among the Wisconsin students mentioned here. But the point is that many institutions are working towards such a system to prevent just what these Wisconsin students are attempting to do.
Now given these market forces, what system can you all come up with which most fairly addresses the concerns of everyone -- from students, to alumni, to boosters and the general public?
badgerherald.com/oped/2010/12/05/the_worst_people_on_.php
Some Wisconsin fans are all up in arms with others who only bought tickets to resell them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mytake:
There are two separate issues getting confused, and for the record, I don't have a solution, but I do recognize the problem.
Students have a somehow "subsudized" advantage in securing tickets over the general public. For that matter, even many boosters don't have the same options. But these are limited tickets. So is it the "fair market" or not? Well, it's really 2 separate "fair markets." The students must follow their rules. Sometimes this means camping out in cold bleachers for a day or two. Sometimes it means spending hours on the phone, getting busy signals. Often, it involves a degree of luck. But the bottom line is that the University has some limited number of student tickets available for purchase. If Wisconsin does it like Florida does, then tickets are only available initially to student season ticket holders. Then they are available on some sort of first come, first served system to those who qualify. If, after that, tickets remain, then they are made available to any remaining students. As far as ticket distribution is concerned, that is about as fair as you can be, within the parameters of having student tickets to begin with. If you have an objection and think that students should be treated just like everyone else, then I have no problem with it, except that you would then have to treat boosters no differently, since that would eliminate students altogether, as there are essentially zero students who are significant boosters. I don't see major universities selecting this route.
Now the second question is whether the students should then be able to do as they choose with their tickets. Personally, if they are operating within their own rules, competing with other students for the limited number of tickets, then I think they should be free to choose what they wish to do with their tickets. Yet I understand the consternation that "lesser" boosters feel when they are denied tickets, only to then have to purchase them on the secondary market from a student who was essentially subsidized.
The solution that most Universities have already installed or are implementing, tickets must be claimed in person at the stadium. That has some legisticand structural expenses, but severely limits the scalping of such tickets. The vast majority of students who sell their tickets to such games, don't even make the trip. Simply requiring them to show up in person, will aleviate much of those issues. But is that "fair?" I ask you. Personally, I don't have too much of a problem with such a policy.
But what I don't agree with is the policy whereby you must go into the stadium immediately upon claiming your ticket. Incidentally, that was the policy used for the College World Series and is the policy in place for assorted other "Will Call" windows. While this does virtually, entirely eliminate any selling of said tickets, I still think it causes too many problems. For one, it simply creates a rush at the window, prior to kickoff/tipoff. It also makes it significantly difficult for larger groups to go in together. Also, there is no option for those who legitimately "can't" go to the game. There are times when people get sick. There are times when people have family emergencies. There are times when people have travel issues. Etc.. Now I understand that most of these people are in the vast minority and are not represented among the Wisconsin students mentioned here. But the point is that many institutions are working towards such a system to prevent just what these Wisconsin students are attempting to do.
Now given these market forces, what system can you all come up with which most fairly addresses the concerns of everyone -- from students, to alumni, to boosters and the general public?
