Giving Away Tickets Now Prohibited at Ford

[ponyte]

I confess. I brought one daughter too many to a game once. Arkpony was generous enough to give me a ticket for her on the Blvd. I very much appreciate Arkpony's generosity but I had no idea we were violating a law/rule. Fortunately, we did the egregious ticket exchange out of site of the authorities and we got away with it.

[SoCal_Pony]

I have notified the proper authorities....

Ponyte you are forewarned!!!

[Col. Nathan R. Jessep]

I emailed Shawn Heilbron yesterday and he contacted the SMU PD. (Shawn said he had even given away some tickets last Saturday on The Blvd.!) Here's the answer I got from Shawn today:

I received an answer from SMUPD and was told that all tickets must be distributed out of the ticket office unless permission is given to do so otherwise. In regards to giving away tickets, they should be given back to the ticket office and they can be redistributed. I guess we all just need to be a little more discreet.
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While I appreciate Shawn's efforts to shed light on this subject for all of us, what really bothers me is the fact that it appears the SMU Police Department is dictating policy for the SMU Athletic Department! WTF?

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Exactly.
Where is the law written that "Barney" can tell people what they can do with 'extra' tickets, even on the SMU campus?

[jtstang]

I confess. I brought one daughter too many to a game once. Arkpony was generous enough to give me a ticket for her on the Blvd. I very much appreciate Arkpony's generosity but I had no idea we were violating a law/rule. Fortunately, we did the egregious ticket exchange out of site of the authorities and we got away with it.

And Arkpony being a noted and respected jurist, no less!!! The scandal!!!!!

[ponyte]

The woos of these criminal activities never end. Guess this will preclude me from getting a political appointment

[mrydel]

I confess. I brought one daughter too many to a game once. Arkpony was generous enough to give me a ticket for her on the Blvd. I very much appreciate Arkpony's generosity but I had no idea we were violating a law/rule. Fortunately, we did the egregious ticket exchange out of site of the authorities and we got away with it.

And Arkpony being a noted and respected jurist, no less!!! The scandal!!!!!

As I sat on the plane on the way to the ECU game, I realized I had forgotten to bring my tickets. After a brief panic about how I would get into the game (stop laughing JT) I just stolled up to Judge Arkpony and was provided with an entry ticket. Last weekend I remembered to bring my tickets, including my extra and gave it away as I had others in the past.

What right does the ticket office have to "redistribute" tickets. Do they resell them, and if they do, would that not be illegal to double charge for a ticket? If I am to give my extra ticket to the ticket office, I want my money back. I will be sure to sell them the one I paid for and not the free one I get with the Letterman's package.

[mrydel]

The woos of these criminal activities never end. Guess this will preclude me from getting a political appointment

I actually think you have just become qualified for a political appointment in the the City of Little Rock Government.

[jtstang]

I agree that this is about the most ridiculous policy in SMU history, which is really saying something now that I think about it.

The solution is pretty simple--the secondary ticket giveaway market is not in front of the stadium, it's on the 'Vard!

[RE Tycoon]

Wow, everyone is getting way to worked up about this policy. My contention is with the posters who gave away tickets to people standing in line to buy tickets or walking towards the stadium. My point was that they were already buying tickets why not let them buy them so SMU eeks out a extra couple hundred dollars a game.

I have no problem with the people who call up friends to get them to go to the game (MM65 and others). Those are your tickets and you can invite whomever you want. The goal is to get people in the stadium, and if they are already in line or are walking towards the stadium why not let them buy a ticket so SMU gets a few extra bucks.

As far as giving the ticket taker your extra tickets, I do it every time I have extra tickets and will continue to. If someone calls it cheating, so be it, schools are doing a lot worse and I'll continue to help out SMU in any way I can. I encourage everyone to do the same.

[Arkpony]

This is absolutely absurd! I buy 4 season tickets each year. NO ONE can tell me WHO to give the tickets to! WHo does SMU/the Barney Fifes think they are? They had no right to tell anyone to whom they can hand some of the tickets they bought. Using common sense will dictate no other conclusion!

Are you telling me that I have to give the tickets back to SMU so they can sell them a SECOND time!???? I've never heard such BS!

Another bewildering policy by our estemmed administration. I ain't gonna let it deter me from handing my extra tickets to whomever I want.

(Shaking head in dismay)

[jtstang]

Objection sustained!

[mrydel]

Maybe they are afraid that if we give them away and they keep selling that they will overbook the stadium and there will not be room for everyone to fit in.

[ponyte]

The woos of these criminal activities never end. Guess this will preclude me from getting a political appointment

I actually think you have just become qualified for a political appointment in the the City of Little Rock Government.

That may be the scariest idea I have ever heard/read! I know I am incompetent but I am not THAT incompetent!!!!

[bubba pony]

Current STUDent hit the nail on the head. what is so hard about this? give your tickets away, sell them for ten times the price but you can not do this tranaction in front of the ticket counter. that territory belongs to the SMU ticket office. all teams have this policy.

[MrMustang1965]

Another email to Shawn and his reply:

Shawn:

Thanks for the reply.

I want to make sure I understand this. Are you saying that the SMU Police Department is determining what is to be done in regards to the sale or distribution of athletic (or any other) tickets on the SMU campus? Shouldn't that be the position of the SMU Athletic Department or whichever department is selling tickets to whatever event (like concerts or speaking engagements, etc.)?

What authority does the SMU Police Department have to dictate such a policy? A police department does not DICTATE policy (or law). It enforces policies or laws which are dictated elsewhere.

Can you look into this a little deeper, please? Thanks!
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Shawn's reply:

An e-mail I got back spoke only to the "re-sale" of tickets, not the act of handing them out without charging. The reason is that we have another distribution point for giving away tickets to faculty and staff in Hughes-Trigg. We also have given out tickets to community groups. Even I have handed out tickets on numerous occasions, including Saturday, on The Boulevard. From what I am told, the rule states that distribution is not permitted. It needs to say re-sale so as not to confuse the two. This is not an athletic department policy. I just want to make sure that what happened to you doesn't happen again.

Shawn Heilbron