SOS not happy with students

[Gamecock_girl_west]

Probably offers little solace to your misery/traumatic experience of the student section leaving early, but... it is happening everywhere this year- UGA, LSU, Bama, UF, Oregon, Michigan. You turn on some of their games in the 4th quarter and their student sections are pretty sparse. Perhaps it is a generational thing. My guess is Spurrier huffing and puffing about it on his radio show is probably not going to change a thing. Especially this weekend against Wofford.

[ColaCock]

Originally Posted by Luke Skycocker

So what is your grand solution, to bring it back to the glory days?

I think a start would be taking it back to the "waiting in line" solution.

While there are a few ways around it, I think it forces people to take responsibility for that ticket and earn it rather than clicking a mouse.

For example, how many threads on CockyTalk or Facebook do you ever see of complete heartbreak over not getting a Student Ticket? Does it even happen anymore? I remember waiting in that being a really stressful situation especially when it was later in the week and I hadn't had my chance.

Have you ever sold any of your Student Tickets? That was common practice for big games when I was in school (don't read that as "when I was in school")...the demand was there. People would get really upset when they didn't get a ticket and I can distinctly remember having our group of friends split when a game started...the ones who got Student Tickets...and the few who didn't.

If you are beating a team by 45 points...by all means, start the party up. However, what on Earth could be more exciting outside of the stadium? If it is alcohol, then the students need to get more creative.

[ColaCock]

Originally Posted by bigdog2003

You don't scan out, you automatically lose your right.

Boom. Roasted.

It isn't like they are being punished. They don't HAVE to attend the games in the first place. It is a privilege, not a right.

I would even be for allowing one exception per year...for say, Wofford or the like. Leaving early in a full 60 minute battle with Tennessee? Unacceptable.

[lake-cityCOCK89]

im curious where all the "the students can do what they want, its a free country, we pay for our STUDENT tickets" crowd is.

when some of the posters like myself mentioned this after the tennessee game you would have thought we were trying to steal from babies.

[ColaCock]

Originally Posted by Nureye

I hope we never go back to the days of ripping down goalposts after beating NMSU...or anyone really.

That was kind of his point that you missed. It was New Mexico State but that win was so sweet and being there for it was at the top of a Gamecock fan's chart...at the time.

Now.........after some success, very little on the big scheme of things mind you, we can't stay for a close battle against Tennessee- an SEC team who would always whip our asses. Students are suddenly too good for it or something, it appears. Or a noon game...or one that is hot (surprise coming....) in late AUGUST and SEPTEMBER.

[Metalrush24]

Originally Posted by ColaCock

Boom. Roasted.

It isn't like they are being punished. They don't HAVE to attend the games in the first place. It is a privilege, not a right.

I would even be for allowing one exception per year...for say, Wofford or the like. Leaving early in a full 60 minute battle with Tennessee? Unacceptable.

if there was a system like that, you would have to have more exceptions..


I don't leave early, but if an emergency came up and I had to leave early, then I'd leave early.. which means under a no-tolerance policy I would lose my tickets the rest of the year..

[cocksfan76]

what about allowing re-entering only for a certain period. Say for example until the start of 3rd quarter. That would allow the partiers to re booze/smoke up then go back to enjoy the 2nd half but not allow for a revolving door. and really who cares if the students pass tickets to another through the gate. the tickets are technically free to students anyway right?

[Flameout12]

Originally Posted by LakeMonticelloCock

Speaking of the young ladies. When did brown cowboy boots with black dresses become the latest look? Every girl at a Carolina game has the exact same attire on it seems. The black dress has always been in, but not sure when the cowboy boots took over

Need some pics...

[Fear#5]

Ok I'm a 3rd year student and the only game I've left at halftime my time here was East Carolina this season and only because my girlfriend was complaining (go ahead and make jokes). But i am disappointed with my fellow students. Arkansas game i was expecting students to leave at halftime due to the high number of Greeks that just came to the game to hear the awards announced at halftime. Tennessee game though, i was really disappointed with them because it was such a close game and Tennessee's last few drives were towards the student section and the extra noise should have been there. But there are a few points I'd like to make.

Yancey i know you've said save tickets for students who want them but guess what, the past two games had lower deck seats available so if they really wanted them they could have. And yes i know it's sad that those tickets weren't claimed.

The wait in line system for tickets is outdated and easily beaten by "unloyal" fans so i say a ticket system like last year's is the best option with a greater reward for more loyal fans. Have a game by game request system and the students who go to more athletic events are basically guaranteed a ticket. I'm not talking about just athletic events that are football, basketball, and baseball like last year's though. Make all sports count, like soccer, volleyball, softball, etc. Show who the students are who care most about Carolina athletics and it would build attendance at the non-revenue sports.

Concerning students leaving early, i like the idea of having to scan your Carolina Card if you leave early. For example, have separate ticket scanner people scanning students cards that are leaving early as they leave. I say put those scanners in place until the beginning of the 4th quarter. If the students wanna leave then, just give them that choice. If you leave before the 4th quarter more than twice in a season, revoke that students tickets for the rest of the year.

[renegade_doc]

Originally Posted by Fear#5

Concerning students leaving early, i like the idea of having to scan your Carolina Card if you leave early. For example, have separate ticket scanner people scanning students cards that are leaving early as they leave. I say put those scanners in place until the beginning of the 4th quarter. If the students wanna leave then, just give them that choice. If you leave before the 4th quarter more than twice in a season, revoke that students tickets for the rest of the year.

Would never work. Scanners have no way of differentiating between who is a student and who isn't when they are leaving. All you have to do is say that you aren't a student and don't have a card. They have no way of knowing if you're leaving from the student section or another section.

[ColaCock]

Originally Posted by cocksfan76

what about allowing re-entering only for a certain period. Say for example until the start of 3rd quarter. That would allow the partiers to re booze/smoke up then go back to enjoy the 2nd half but not allow for a revolving door. and really who cares if the students pass tickets to another through the gate. the tickets are technically free to students anyway right?

I am all for allowing re-entry.

Also, I can remember some tickets for students were designated for the North EZ and some for the East section...they wouldn't let you just sit anywhere so we would always have to take 6 people into the North EZ stands and have one person leave with all 6 stubs to hand off to another student with East tickets so they could get into the North EZ.

[Luke Skycocker]

Originally Posted by bigdog2003

You don't scan out, you automatically lose your right.

People will be waiting an hour to get out of the stadium after the game. Seems like that would encourage some people to leave 10 minutes early or so to avoid this.

[jared]

For everyone suggesting the "wait in line for your ticket" idea, unless you want a near empty student section, you might want to drop that. Like I said, there are many here that don't value Carolina football that much. Therefore, they wouldn't care enough to wait that long in a line.

[ktguen]

From a student:

In my opinion it's a DIRECT correlation between all the day kickoffs we've been having. Noon games are (9 times out of 10) less enthusiastic. That's not just students, it's EVERYONE. So yes when you only have 2 night games a year they aren't going to be as riled up and excited.

I will also admit students now are spoiled by the wins. Most aren't lifetime Gamecocks and don't remember how it used to be.

Also to note, we are not the only team having this issue.
RT @joshjurnovoy: @ikhurshudyan UF student section has had similar issues all season

[Luke Skycocker]

Originally Posted by Fear#5

Concerning students leaving early, i like the idea of having to scan your Carolina Card if you leave early. For example, have separate ticket scanner people scanning students cards that are leaving early as they leave. I say put those scanners in place until the beginning of the 4th quarter. If the students wanna leave then, just give them that choice. If you leave before the 4th quarter more than twice in a season, revoke that students tickets for the rest of the year.

This is the best solution I've seen, but you could still dodge the scanners. Just rush through the gate and they can't stop you.

[Metalrush24]

Originally Posted by renegade_doc

Would never work. Scanners have no way of differentiating between who is a student and who isn't when they are leaving. All you have to do is say that you aren't a student and don't have a card. They have no way of knowing if you're leaving from the student section or another section.

students get wrist-bands and have a Carolina card..


they don't get in with tickets in the lower decks, they use their CC



the way you do it is create a gate to the rest of the stadium letting students in or out then at the entrance, only allow students to come in and out.



It's not a perfect system, but it's doable.

[treys1986]

The student section this year is absolutely pathetic. I was a student from 05-09. Never left early. People left early then, but it wasn't at halftime. Ever game this year, except UGA, the student section has been NOTICEABLY thinner after halftime. And it keeps thinning for the rest of the game.

[ReadR00ster]

Originally Posted by Luke Skycocker

People will go out of exits other than the student section. Or they would say that they aren't students and bought their ticket. Lots of ways around that

You have get your ticket scanned after the game from inside the stadium or you lose your ticket privileges. That is the only thing that is going to work.

[ReadR00ster]

Originally Posted by Luke Skycocker

No, but it is not nearly as big of a difference as you make it out to be.

Yes it is. Because if it wasn't Spurrier would have said something about it sooner.

[GTjacketcock]

Originally Posted by renegade_doc

Would never work. Scanners have no way of differentiating between who is a student and who isn't when they are leaving. All you have to do is say that you aren't a student and don't have a card. They have no way of knowing if you're leaving from the student section or another section.

One thing I will suggest if we have another student ticketing forum is to have event staff scanning people's cards when the game is over to get those people an extra loyalty point. This would congest things as people are leaving the stadium, but it seems like the only real way to reward those who stay.

Also, after we implement this first change, we need to get rid of season tickets for students. If students aren't worried about getting tickets each week, they won't be as likely to stay the entire game to get the extra loyalty point. And if we do end up keeping the season ticket system, we need to start charging at least $5 per ticket. That may kill attendance at games like Wofford, but quite frankly I would rather see fewer people show up and stay the entire game than a lot of people show up and the half leave in the second quarter.