Past problems with students camping out for tickets convinced the Athletic Department to modify the procedure to buy tickets to the SEC Championship and a prospective bowl game.
If LSU beats Arkansas on Friday, then the team will play Georgia in the SEC Championship in Atlanta on Dec. 7, and tickets will be available beginning Tuesday, Dec. 3.
The ticket office sent out a broadcast e-mail Tuesday notifying students of the new student ticket purchasing process.
Current full-time University students who would like to purchase tickets to the SEC Championship must bring their student ID to the Athletics Ticket Office to have it scanned.
However, Brian Broussard, ticket manager, stressed the order in which IDs are scanned have no bearing on whether or not students will receive tickets.
The SEC will give the University 15,900 tickets if LSU goes to the championship.
The ticket office will offer students 1,500 of these tickets.
“Last year, we didn’t sell them all,” Broussard said. “We sold 1,245 out of 1,500.”
Broussard said they expect the numbers will be generally the same this year. However, if more than 1,500 students apply for tickets by getting their IDs scanned, then they will hold a lottery and notify winners by e-mail.
If 1,500 or less students apply for tickets, then all applicants will receive them and be notified by e-mail.
The rest of the tickets will be divided among season-ticket holders, Tiger Athletic Foundation members and the general public.
The ticket office changed the student ticket purchasing procedure specifically to avoid students camping out in the stadium parking lot.
“Last year, it was first come, first serve,” Broussard said. “This year, we wanted to get away from camping out. It was not totally fair for students who had other obligations. We felt this would be the fairest way.”
Broussard said the old procedure of allowing students to spend the night in the parking lot was unfair, and the athletic administration experienced a variety of problems.
Also, last year a student camping out for Sugar Bowl tickets threw a garbage can through a window of the Athletic Administration Building, Broussard said.
The administration is concerned about problems, including more vandalism, fights and alcohol abuse. Even rain is a potential problem.
The Athletic Department believes offering students tickets through a lottery will be the safest and fairest procedure.
They will use the same procedure for students to purchase bowl tickets, Broussard said.
The ticket office is on the first floor of the Athletic Administration Building at the corner of North Stadium Drive and Nicholson Drive, next to Tiger Stadium.