Christian Coleman paid almost 15 times what most students paid for a ticket to Saturday’s game in Tiger Stadium between No. 4 LSU and No. 1 Florida.”I just want to experience Florida versus LSU,” the chemical engineering freshman said.Coleman scrambled, like many students this week, to get a ticket. And he paid $175 for the one he found — as opposed to the $12 price of a normal student ticket.Students are buying and selling their tickets for hundreds of dollars this week. While some fans say the money is well worth it, others disagree.”Either I can enjoy the game, or I can resell my ticket for an even higher price,” Coleman said. “I figure I win both situations.”He said his parents spent $2,200 on non-student tickets to the game. The game is more important than money for some students. “It s a big game,” said Conner Uzee, mass communication freshman. “I want to go.” Uzee said he had a student ticket and considered selling it when he heard he could fetch upward of $200 for it. Sydney Joseph, kinesiology freshman, said she thinks it is ridiculous some people would pay that much for a ticket. “I’d rather be at home in air conditioning watching the game rather than pay $200 to get a ticket,” Joseph said. Karolina Ellard, biochemistry freshman, said she also felt $200 was too much to pay for a student ticket. “I’m not paying $200 for a ticket,” Ellard said. “That’s crazy.”Ellard received the purple package as part of the ticket lottery. The purple package didn’t include tickets to Florida. Ellard said she looked for a ticket but couldn’t find one for the price she wanted to pay. She said she understood why some students would ask that much for a ticket.”I would probably pay for it if I had that money,” Ellard said.Brian Dombeck, international trade and finance sophomore, said he also understood why people would charge that much for a ticket. “I personally am sort of a fan of the free market,” Dombeck said. “If people can turn a profit on them, that’s fine for me.”He already had a student ticket but felt the game was worth the prices he’d heard.”I’d say it’s probably worth $150-$200,” Dombeck said.Dombeck said he has seen what prices students are willing pay for tickets even though he has no intention of selling his. He said his girlfriend is selling hers.”She’s got a couple offers for $100,” Dombeck said. “I’m telling her to hold out because I had also heard $300 and $400 for tickets.”Some students are not looking to capitalize on the ticket. Erica Tassin, wildlife ecology sophomore, said she sold her ticket to a friend for $12.”I hate how people sell their tickets for over $12. It’s so ridiculous,” Tassin said. “They’re taking advantage of people.”Tassin said doesn’t want to be in the stadium because it’s going to be “hot and gross.””I’d rather be at home watching it in the A.C. with my family,” Tassin said.Jullian Scarborough, biology sophomore, said she didn’t make any money from the game.Scarborough said she had a ticket but gave it to a friend. She said she was aware of what prices at which the tickets were selling.”I don’t want to get in trouble for selling my ticket,” Scarborough said.
Football: Some students sell Fla. tickets for profit
October 7, 2009