Free tickets to Big 12 title game

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

The Athletics Department is offering KU students free tickets to the Big 12 Championship Game if Kansas defeats Missouri on Saturday.

A victory would put the Jayhawks in their first Big 12 football title game, which will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The Jayhawks would play either Oklahoma or Texas.

Students can pick up a coupon on Monday starting at 9 a.m. at the KU ticket office. With a coupon and a valid KUID, students can pick up the actual tickets at the KU will-call window at the Alamodome on the day of the game. Students do not need to have purchased to all-sports combo package to be eligible for the free tickets, as the allotment of tickets will be first-come, first-serve. Associate Athletics Director Jim Marchiony said the Athletics Department would pay for the tickets at a cost of $79 a piece. The Athletics Department most recently paid for student tickets in 2005 for the Fort Worth Bowl in Houston.

“There was a really good response, and we thought that it was particularly appropriate because of the support the students have given the football program over the past few years,” Marchiony said.

Marchiony said that of the 8,500 tickets allotted to Kansas, about 20 percent would be given to students. He said 1,716 tickets would be available at first, but more could become available for students to have for free.

“If we can accommodate more students, we will do so,” Marchiony said. “We’ll know early next week.”

Students wanting to sit together during the game should go in a group when they redeem their coupons for tickets at the will-call window in San Antonio.

When students pick up their coupons, KUIDs will be limited to four per student. Marchiony said the Athletics Department made this decision after discussions with Student Body President Hannah Love, Dodge City senior, and Student Body Vice President Ray Whittlinger, Olathe senior.

Stephen Bergman, St. Benedict junior, said that he had been to every home game during the past three years and that he and a group of friends were planning to make the trip to San Antonio.

“When we beat Missouri, nothing aside from death is keeping me from that game,” Bergman said. “I am almost 21 and have been following Jayhawk football as far back as I can remember. This season has been a dream for fans like myself, and fortunately I will get a free ticket.”

Although Bergman was thankful the Athletics Department was giving free tickets to students, he had a backup plan. He planned to buy cheap tickets from Nebraska fans who purchased them before the season began.

“I had planned on trying to find some disgruntled Nebraska fans to sell me some tickets for cheap,” he said.

The ticket offices at both Oklahoma and Missouri said they wouldn’t offer free student tickets to the game. Marchiony wasn’t sure whether the Athletics Department would continue offering free student tickets to postseason football games in coming years.

“I don’t want to commit to anything right now,” he said. “I think we’ll take it year-by-year.”

For whatever bowl game the Jayhawks play in, the first 3,000 students who request a ticket will get a reduced-priced ticket for $50. Marchiony said the cost for those tickets was normally $179. Students can purchase their tickets beginning 9 a.m. Dec. 3 at the KU ticket office or by phone. Students must then pick up their tickets at the bowl game.

Bergman said he would try to be one of the first 3,000 students in line to follow the Jayhawks to their bowl game.

“I will be reaching deep into the checkbook for this one,” he said. “It has been a long time coming, and you simply cannot put a price on how special this team and season has been. I will be right behind them anywhere they go, and I encourage others to join the ride.”

— Edited by Jeff Briscoe

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