Between ebay, Ticketsnow and Stubhub there are about 2,000 tickets to the Michigan-Ohio State game on November 17 currently for sale. Not one of the tickets sold on these sites will anywhere close to the $60 face value of the ticket.
Michigan’s policy on selling tickets is pretty clear. First, they can not be sold on University property at all although the authorities generally look the other way at all the activity outside Crisler before the game. Second, the back of your ticket states “This ticket shall not be sold above face value..” and it is understood that your tickets could be revoked if your caught selling for more than face.
Looking closer at some of the available tickets on StubHub I saw 4 together…in my section, in my row. Bollocks! Given the location I have to assume that some season ticket holder is selling his soul these beauties to make a tidy profit.
I get that a) the real cost of these tickets is very high, especially those facing the maximum required donation, b) times are a little hard out there, c) folks should have the right to try to make a buck, d) there are times when people just can’t make the game or live out of town. But…..by putting those tickets out on the market means I could end up sitting next to 4 pickled (yet well-to-do) Buckeye fans.
I’m torn on this one, I’d be curious to hear other people’s takes. Are you no longer a Michigan Man if you sell your Ohio State tickets to complete strangers?
UPDATE: I reached out to the Michigan Superfan to get his thoughts on this matter, you can see his takes in the comments below. He is of course is the undisputed authority on M fandom.
5 Comments
James
As a student, I have always purchased extra sets of season tickets for friends. I usually just give away the crappy non-conference games for free and then sell the ND/OSU tickets to cover the cost (plus a little for the effort of course). But I do not think I could sell *my own* ticket at any price.
Demetrius Dew
No I don’t think an M Man should sell his ticket or any ticket in his possession too the enemy (other team). Likely scenario, what if it is 4th and 3 on the 48 yard line Ohio State has the ball with 1:30 left in the game, and we (Big Blue) have a 4 point lead. Jim Tressel has no other choice but to go for it to make a National Championship appearance. In this instance we need every Michigan fan in their seats screaming their heads off to pump up the defense to get stop and win the game. Now if you sold your seats to an Ohio State fan or any other non Michigan fan you did not do your part to ensure we would win the game. 12th Man plays an important part in every close game.
Fielding Y
Having UM/OSU tickets is not an opportunity to make money. It’s an opportunity to participate in the greatest rivalry in the history of college football. It makes me sick to see ‘fans’ take advantage of their tickets. And yes, I hold Michigan to a higher standard.
mvictors
MVictors asked SuperFan his take, here you go:
Absolutely not. Michigan fans should:
1) never sell their home seats and
2) never sell them to people they don’t know that probably aren’t Michigan fans. That’s why you get so much scarlett in the Big House. I’ll give my
tickets away to Michigan fans before I sell them to any of the enemy.
That being said, the Athletic Department and their prices and the seat license fees are really ultimately responsible for this. You see, when you
can buy your way into the Big House, if you don’t care where you sit, for $5 for every game other than Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Ohio State, and then get into the rest of the games for face value or slightly above, it’s a little hard to blame the casual fan for dropping their tickets on an auction site when they can end up making money on their season ticket package…and still probably pick up a reasonably priced seat the day of the game. I warned the Athletic Department about this at their town halls before the seat license went into effect…but of course we knew it was happening no matter what.
Would I ever do it? Absolutely not. I was offered $5,000 for my 1998 Rose Bowl ticket…but there are some things more important than money. I would
never support it, but financially I understand it. It doesn’t make it right, but I understand it.
WaltS
If tickets are resold, I believe it would behoove the Athletic Department to establish an auction site for season ticket holders who cannot use specific game tickets. The Athletic Department would be entitled to deduct a service fee for the service and/or retain any sales proceeds that exceed face value, thereby benefitting the student athletes and not serve the mercenary interests of non-Michigan season ticket holders. If the tickets are not sold on the auction site, then the Athletic Department would have the authority to donate the tickets for a charitable cause and the season ticket holder would receive a tax deduction for the face value of the ticket.
The ticket holder would be entitled to a credit against future ticket purchases in the amount of the sale, less the service fee, not to exceed face value.
Moreover, there should be a strict prohibition against scalping, with zero tolerance, resulting in cancellation of season tickets for violators, thereby assuring that the student athlete/Athletic Department benefits from ticket sales.
GO BLUE