SEAN McDONOUGH: There will be more change to come undoubtedly at Northwestern.
DAVID BRAUN: The task of figuring out where we’re gonna play for two years in between is no easy task.
[sound effect: Northwestern fight song]
Northwestern football’s field has been gracing headlines for months now, with students eager to grab a seat and cheer on the team, now on the lakeside. However, with seating capacity at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium significantly lower, students have been left scrambling for tickets.
Northwestern students can claim a free ticket in the student section to home games at Northwestern Medicine Field, but the line fills quickly. Based on a points system calculated from prior attendance at Northwestern sports games, students are put into a window. The more points you accrue, the earlier your registration time. Once the window drops, students can claim tickets until the student section capacity is filled.
Now, with my busy schedule and occasional lack of efficiency in checking emails, I was left ticketless for Saturday’s 11 a.m. matchup against Wisconsin. With so many other students in the same position as me, I saw this as a perfect opportunity to test the system. What methods were students using to find tickets after missing the claim window? What sources, official or unofficial, worked the best? And most importantly, how could I, a Northwestern football fan, watch my team play on Saturday from the comfort of the student section?
For many, the first stop in trying to find someone looking to get rid of their ticket is the Wildside chat on GroupMe. Wildside is a club that represents Northwestern’s student section. According to their website, they unite NU Athletics and NU Student Affairs. Wildside’s GroupMe chat is home to over 2,000 members and has a page dedicated to ticket questions. In the week leading up to the game, we saw students selling tickets left and right and, in some cases, even holding auctions. But I was left wondering, how legitimate are these ticket sales?
DYLAN FRIEDLAND: Wildside, it’s a little bit tough because we can’t do a whole ton in terms of stopping people from selling tickets and unfortunately, we saw someone message us saying they got scammed.
That’s Medill junior Dylan Friedland, Wildside’s director of marketing and communications. He explained that, while entry into Wildside’s GroupMe requires a Northwestern email, there have been frequent hacks and, as a result, scams on Northwestern students looking to buy tickets.
Now, many Northwestern students are no stranger to scams in these groups. First, they live in an age where phishing is common. But, secondly, these hacks have been occurring in many ways, not only for football tickets but also concert tickets and more. The difference between these scams, however, lies in the presentation. Many scams looking to sell what they believe are concert tickets have the same formatting and occur in locations where you wouldn’t otherwise expect them. But, as scammers catch on to the culture and formatting of texts designed to sell student football tickets, it becomes harder for many students to see through these lies.
FRIEDLAND: If someone’s trying to scam out a Wisconsin ticket, I understand why it’s kind of difficult to tell the difference, especially when there are so many messages.
As I looked more into the psychology behind scams, I noticed optimism bias, where people believe they are less likely to experience negative events. Many psychologists extend this concept to cyberscams, as people believe they are smart enough to detect and avoid these scams. This can exist to a fault, however, benefitting these scammers.
Personally, I was afraid of being their next victim, so I could not bring myself to buy a ticket from someone that I didn’t know online. As a broke college student, I also thought it beneficial to save money on a ticket, as student section tickets were free of charge after all. In talking with Dylan, I discovered that Wildside’s official promotion is to try the standby line. This line is for students who didn’t get a ticket ahead of time to wait on a first-come, first-serve basis for any remaining tickets.
FRIEDLAND: We kind of promote the standby line as the alternative option if you’re not able to get a ticket. We think that the standby line is the best option because there are specific tickets laid out and set out for student in the standby line. And then, of course, if people don’t show up 30 minutes beforehand as well, those tickets go the standby line.
For the prior home game against Indiana, students were let in through the standby line until about 10 minutes before game time. However, I must admit, I’m a rather punctual person who avoids saving things until the last minute. In hearing that students would be let in from the standby line at 10:30, I parked myself in line at 10:15. All that was left from there was to wait. And as the moment of truth arrived, I did in fact get in, as did many more students after me.
As for the game…
JEFF LEVERING: Locke’s gonna keep it, Locke, right side, touchdown Wisconsin!
Well, it’s safe to say that the ’Cats faithful was displeased with this win, with many filing out as the game went on. In August, Axios estimated that regular admission tickets to Northwestern’s new stadium were the second priciest in college football. With a packed crowd, and a sea of Wisconsin fans also in the crowd, I was still left wondering, how does this process differ for Wisconsin fans?
JOEY SHESKEY: For our season tickets, it’s a really big deal. They happen usually in July. You know, it’s at like, 7 in the morning.
That’s University of Wisconsin sophomore Joey Sheskey. A season ticket holder for Wisconsin home games, he made the trek to Evanston for this weekend’s game. In talking with Joey, I discovered that the ticketing process in Madison is a whole different beast. The major differences? For starters, Northwestern students can claim free tickets, while Wisconsin students pay over $200 after fees for season tickets. Additionally, Wisconsin students are entered into a queue once they request to purchase a ticket, and aren’t guaranteed a spot. And when those tickets drop? Badger fans take it to another level.
SHESKEY: I know people who used 12 devices to get 12 different spots to line. I had three personally.
But not all hope is lost for students who don’t get their hands on season tickets. Wisconsin has their own forms of students selling their tickets. But instead of a GroupMe, it tends to be Snapchat groups for various grade levels.
SHESKEY: Unfortunately, a lot of students buy student tickets or season student passes solely to then sell them for, you know, a profit.
While Northwestern students are adjusting to a new ticketing culture this year, it’s clear that this issue extends far beyond one school. It’s clear from my experiences and those that I talked to, however, that there are plenty of different solutions. Quite frankly, I came out thankful that my solution was a 20-minute wait in line and not a mad dash for season tickets or an unfortunate scam.
So what are the takeaways for NU football fans? While the remaining home games will be played at Wrigley Field, without free admission for students, there’s still next year to look ahead to. For starters, do as I say and not as I do, and check your email for when football tickets drop. This entire hassle could have been avoided with some added planning. But if you do find yourself scrambling for a last-minute ticket, feel free to trust a friend looking to get rid of their ticket. But frankly, the savings were a relief. I, for one, would much rather wait in line for up to an hour as opposed to spending $20 or $30 on a ticket. Alas, to each their own, because at the end of the day, we’re all just trying to enjoy the game.
For WNUR News, I’m Gabe Shumway.
