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Ombu This is the analysis of the Oin. budsman Committee on the prob. leMn of ticket distribution for USC. UNC game. The purpose of this report is to explain the situation and sequence of events resulting from ticket dis tribution methods for the Univer sity of South Carolina vs. Univor sity of North Carolina basketball game, d r a w appropriate conclu sions from the analysis of the cir cumstances surrounding the game and suggest possible solutions to future problems that may be cre ated by similar athletic events. Written at the request of both student and faculty members of the University of South Carolina, this subjective analysis proposes to bring to light many of the com. plaints of student, faculty a n d staff members and to dispel rumors circulating about ticket availability and distribution. Since this particular game was the home climax to a successful season, tickets for the game were very much in demand by members of the Carolina community and by the general public. The knowledge that only a limited number of tick ets were available for the game provoked much tension in both stu dent and nonstudent circles, caused rumors regarding tickets available and created a mass gatlhring of students (estimated at 800-1,000) overnight waiting for tickets Sun day, February 23 and M o n d a y, February 24. CONIPIAINTS Student complaints as we en countered them were as follows: 1. Limited distribution of stu dent tickets was unfair. 2. Payment of athletic fees dur ing registration entitled each stu dent to a seat at e a e h athletic event including the USC vs. UNC basketball game. 3. Tickets w e r e distributed to students in an unfair manner. 4. Students were allowed more than two tickets each, violating current athletic department rules. 5. Students should have been al lowed more than two ticekts each with presentation of proper identi Yo to he Pu whei dsmen fication for collecting such tickets. 6. Ticket distribution to students w a s conducted in an unorderly fashion. 7. Better student seats were not available on a first-come, first. served basis as has been stated by the athletic department. 8. Tickets were to be distributed during class time. 9. Students were allowed tickets without presenting c o r r e c t fee cards. 10. Married students could not take their spouses. Faculty and staff complaints as we encountered them were as fol lows: 1. The cost of faculty tickets should have been less than the cost of tickets for the general public. 2. More tickets should have been available to faculty members and their guests. 3. Student behavior w i t h re gards to ticket distribution was ir ritating. .1. Methods of distributing stu dent tickets were responsible for students' cutting classes. Certain individuals and organi zations on the Carolina campus were instrumental in helping to r e d u c e the pregame tension of many students, and their efforts were commendable. Coach Floyd has expressed a desire to work with a student committee in pro vi(ling a better ticket distribution plan for the future. Movie enter tainment provided for the students staying up all night on the Russell House patio eased student tension somewhat. The distribution of free refreshments by Slater Food Ser vices was very much appreciated by students waiting on tickets. The athletic department should he commen(led for permitting the game to be televised. This greatly reduceI strain from limited num hers of tickets. We do not believe that at any time up until 6:30 a.m., Monday, that it was too late to change dis tribution methods in order to break up the large (2,000 plus) tense gathering in which incidents could have broken out and become poten can't Jp thei t your re youi help us help The American Repoi pe 'Mass G, tially harmful to all concerned. The system of ticket distributior also promoted resale of tickets be tween students; especially involve( were those in a position to acquirf extra tickets. A number of thos( tickets were also sold to the gen eral public at prices from $.5 t< $35. Rumors were that tickets sol( for as high as $85. Five togethei were allegedly sold for $400. Ir addition to being against stat( law, this practice also denied somio students the right to see the game The legislature set a poor examphi ais they reportedly sold tickets too IWe have encountered rumors tha many, guest tickets were sold t< friend(s, some for as much as $5( be the M.We MOne RedCrossG rtr et On' rithering' AITITUDES Attitudes varied from excitement and friendly groups to irritated in dividuals who thought the situa tion was "ridiculous." In general most thought the "whole mess" was "unfair since students had paid for admission to the games and therefore should he allowed to see them. The legislature should not be allowed to go." Several people including Coach .Dietzel fruitlessly tried to arrange lines. When tickets were finally handed out several thousand people t packed the area. At least one racial > incident flared. Girls, boys, every one was pushed against the glass Russell H u u s e wall. Pinkerton ,re can. are. ublic good () e hicket agents gave up all efforts to main tain order and stood on tables and ledges with students. They punched anything looking like fee cards to get rid of the tickets. At 9:05 a.m. the allotment of student tickets was gone. Five thousand, five hun dred and fifty tickets were handed out in less than an hour and a, half. During the night almost every student leader was contacted. All agreed tha' something should be done, but none seemed eager to try to correct the existing situation. Many had been away for the week end, and some were even in the mob most of the night. The staff contacted stated, "It's too late to do anything; anyway this is the method desired by the students." Student coasensus that morning certainly did not support that ar gument. Most students favored an enforced class distribution as was tried (luring football season. SITUATION Distribution methods used by the athletic department for basketball tickets has differed for varying groups. Students received t i c k e t s for games on a first-come, first-served basis without regard to class status or any other means of controlled release. No consideration had pre viously been given to time sched ules for student ticket distribution in order to avoid unruly, large -Tathering of students or chaos. The number of students' tickets issued was limited. Up to the Virginia ,ame leftover student tickets were placed on g e n e r a I sale to the public. The faculty and staff were per mitted to purchase season seats or buy available tickets for each ensuing basketball game. Tickets are limited in distribution by avail ability. Players are given tickets in ac cordance with basketball rules. The NCAA specifies that each home player on a team should receive two tickets. Each player on the away team receives 25 tickets gen erally to be dealt with by the ath letic department concerned. Sev. enty-two tickets were issued to ath letes at the roost. Basketball play 6 juImper-dress by siro p)etitf keep its 'lhapie. Lo dIouble-b.ultonIeII 11 Nav wiAVhiL.re Distri] ers were issued tickets according to the above rules. They were not prevented from collecting addition al tickets by using still valid identi fication to pass through conven 'ional student ticket distribution lines. The band was handed the num bvr of tickets they requested with Som1e1 allowance for dates. All mem bers of the band were not Carolina students as a few high school stu dents are badly needed to play cer tain instruments. Carolina students i the band under the present sys tem were able to use their student's identification to collect additional tickets in normal student ticket lines as t h e i r identification re maine-d valid for such purposes. Hand members, however, received no compensation for their time and -fforts as band members at basket ball games. In general, guests of the Univer sity received tickets from the Uni versity president. The at,letic de partment also was permitted to bring prospects to games as guests of the University. At the UNC game a minimum number attended. Also at the UNC game, prime stu dent seats were given to members of the S. C. Legislature. The general public was to be al loweul to) purc-hase any left over tickets. Though there were none available for t h e Virginia a n d VNC games, many received tickets from indirect sources, i.e., resa-. TIUXET IllSTRIBUTION T h e general numerical break. dtown of tickets issued for the Vir ginia vs. USC and University of North Carolina vs. U S C games Was as follows: (Incidentally, students pay $12 per semester from activity fees to the athletic department.) Virginia UNC Students 6.700 6.550 Faculty 800 800 Prospects 75 8 Guests 54 54 Legislators 0 :58 Band 60 90 Roost athletes 72 72 Opposing team 400 400 Gamecock Club 4.140 4.070 General public 0 0 The UNC game was unusual in many respects. Because of the ex itement and tension surrounding the game as a result of the team': national standing, students started /L fre. hihriehe <iot how: jr'. petite 2nd( floor . 2 i.00 bution gathering on t h1 e Russell House patio for tickets at 5:30 p.m., Sun day for the .Monoay distribution of student tickets. Though lines ex !sted Initially, t h e y disappeared after several hours. About 2:00 a.m. the crowd still remained at an estimnated )%M) studnts. Because of the large number of students and the tension, little respect for atuhiority seemed to exist. In sev eral cases olice waved students tO mTOe -41' back. Stu14-nits waved-( back and crowded closer. The area ecarnow ittered with paper, cups, newspapers and nu merous beveraire b o t t I e s. Boys pushed through the crowd and of fered dlonuts and hourbon and cola for salv. Property damage (blank ets, mattresses. and Russell House chairs) occurred. CONCLI SION The tensi')n generated by t h e t cket s c a r e caused stud-nts to rally in large numbers at the Rus sell House patio. T h e situation could w%#-ll have lent itself to a riot situation. Th'lle imited number of tickets and the intenst- <h-sire fo,r tickets pri,muiotl'd scalping of tickets at high prices (against S. C. law). Tihe system of handling admission to the. games 'lid little to stop this. Lf-gislators' selling t i c k e t s at prces over the legal value did not set a goe(d example. The staff was not f I e x i b e 'nqough ti change UNC distribution too avo)l the situation as it existed. We feel there w\as sufficient time to consider and use one of several plans available to avid the gath. ering: 1. I stribution of tickets at sev eral different points. '.2. Distribution by the last two digits of s t u d e n t identification numbers. .',. Distribution a'crding to class Status, etc Some students had a c c e r, s to mere tickets than others by unfair means. The situation lent itself to agi tatien. A trained person could have caused a great deal of trouble by capitalizing in the uneasiness. The situation was not totally the fault of students. No effort was made by the administration to alter it. Unless the ticket distribution is changed in the future, similar in stances can be expected to occur. A Fine Film Attraction STARTS WED. O FASLJS RICHARD BURTON s.oo ELIZABETH S1U11TAYLOR .copow Quoetesadi eld hght toi read fr,om begin mnig to end~ I couild not possily be mlor e pleased' S CHARtL MS SI~cHut 7. creator of Peanuiits Cloth. $4 95~ * Paper $1 '' At aui bocoksto- , f'Hrpwr &% Rvnt