Given the recent success of the MSU football team over the past few years, the demand for season tickets is increasing, and the athletics department is hoping to eliminate single-game tickets in response. The change will affect those beyond MSU students and faculty, and consequently influence alumni and Spartan fans living outside of East Lansing.
For students who own football season tickets, the change will have virtually no effect: the atmosphere at games will still be the same, and season-ticket prices are rising only $4 a game. But for students who choose only to go to a handful of games per season or for those who travel into town for a big game, that option might be stripped from them.
The Spartan Ticket Office already has experienced a large demand for season-ticket packages for the upcoming season — more than 2,000 new orders. The athletics department expects to sell a record-breaking amount of season tickets because of to the strength of next year’s home schedule, arguably the best slate of games the Spartans have ever had. The athletics department normally sells as many season-ticket packages as they can and makes the rest available for single-game seats, but at the rate season tickets are being sold, there might be very few single-game tickets available to sell.
Students who do not have the time or money to purchase season tickets might have the opportunity to attend any games taken away from them.
Although student season-ticket holders sometimes sell their ticket to a single game, these usually are at inflated prices. Not only will the sellers benefit and earn money off of the games, but the buyers are getting cheated, and the university doesn’t make any money off resale. Without any single-game tickets available for purchase, scalpers will only increase their prices and make more of a profit off of MSU football.
Alumni and fans from out of town will also be affected. Some alumni buy tickets to a single game and make the trip to East Lansing only once or twice a year. It is a special occasion for these Spartans, but getting rid of single tickets will take that away.
This side effect also might affect East Lansing’s economy negatively. People who travel from out of town for football games eat, sleep and shop in the city, but if they aren’t able to attend games, they might stop coming to East Lansing.
MSU football is not a professional program, it is a college football team. Alumni should not have to struggle to find tickets to a single game. It is supposed to be an enjoyable event that brings students, alumni and fans together, not an exclusive event for season-ticket holders.
The best option to prevent this is capping how many season-ticket packages are sold. Even if it’s only a limited amount of single-game tickets, there still will be a market for tickets.
When enthusiasm for MSU football is as high as it’s been in years, the athletics department’s decision to cut some fans off from the game they enjoy so passionately — and are willing to spend money on to watch — is not a smart move.
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