The FAMU Box Office’s distribution of student tickets was anything but smooth this past week, according to FAMU students.
Ticketmaster opened student tickets to the homecoming football game on Oct. 19. Students were instructed to log on to FAMU Ticketmaster and add their free student tickets to their phones.
An email from the FAMU Box Office to the university explained that student tickets to the game are “first come, first serve.”
No information was provided in terms of how many tickets would be available for students.
When the day came, many students experienced long wait times accompanied by website crashes.
General admission tickets have been sold out since Oct. 5, according to FAMU Box Office.
Student tickets were the last tickets to be distributed.
Jahem Toure, a fourth-year construction engineering student, says he could not wait by phone to grab a ticket.
“I was like No. 1,300 in line,” Toure said. “I work a 40-hour work week and do school full time. I wish I had the time to wait for a ticket, but I was one of the unlucky ones, I guess.”
The university’s box office is run and operated by the Office of Business and Auxiliary Services. According to their website, the Office of Business and Auxiliary Services oversees other services like the business center, campus bookstore and dining services.
Yeabsira Mulu, a third-year health administration student, says that it doesn’t feel like the students are a top priority for the Homecoming game.
“I pay tuition here,” Mulu said. “I should not have to wait in line or race to get a student ticket that I ultimately paid for with my tuition.”
Student tickets have been offered through Ticketmaster in previous years, but this year there were many more accounts of students needing help getting their tickets online.
FAMU’s Homecoming game is popular among students, alumni and the Tallahassee community. Last year, more than 19,000 people attended the game, according to HBCU Game Day.
People travel and spend considerable money to experience this timeless Rattler tradition. Students wait all semester to let loose and enjoy the week.
Reselling is popular in today’s sports world. Stubhub, TicketSmarter, and Vividseats are some of the most used ticket reselling sites — tickets to Saturday’s game range between $144 to $225, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
The Famuan attempted to contact FAMU’s Office of Business and Auxiliary Services for a comment, but received no responses to emails.