A proposed UW-Madison plan to revoke season tickets from unruly fans may affect the way students buy and sell tickets. At the crux of the issue is the stipulation that season ticket holders are responsible for the actions of any person who occupies their seat.
With the growth of online ticket sites such as eBay and the increased usage of flyers to advertise ticket sales across campus, ticket sellers find that they can make more money selling tickets to people they do not personally know. It is common that the transaction is made without the seller coming into contact with the purchaser.
People are going to be more reluctant to sell a ticket to somebody if they don't know how they're going to react or how they going to act,\ said Lieutenant Bill Larson of the UW Campus Police. He added that this should have a good impact because season ticket holders will be more selective when selling their tickets.
Despite the potential for ticket prices to peak, UW-Madison School of Business Dean Michael Knetter does not expect any changes in ticket prices.
""My guess is that [the Athletic Department] thought this through and that there will not be any adverse consequences,"" Knetter said.
The proposed policy, which will be acted on at the Athletic Board meeting next month, would apply to all season ticket holders at UW sporting events on campus.
""We hope that it will at least raise the level of awareness that certain types of behaviors have consequences,"" Senior Associate Athletic Director Vince Sweeney said. ""This kicks in when there's some serious issues, like when you're transported to detox or when you throw hard objects at others.""
""I don't think we should have to pay for other people's stupid actions,"" said UW-Madison junior and UW football season ticket holder Tami Clark. ""But otherwise [the policy] will help keep some people in line.""
UW-Madison sophomore Matt Weil, who sold a number of his football vouchers last year, said he should not be responsible for the actions of those he sells his tickets to.
""If you're an idiot at the game, then it's your own fault,"" he said.
He added students will continue to sell tickets online because they can make a lot of money.
""Especially for tickets that sell for $100, I think [season ticket holders] will just sell it to the highest bidder.""
Season ticket holders that are ejected from a sports event will receive a warning letter from Athletic Director Barry Alvarez. At the end of each sports season, UW Police and the athletic department will review each case, and if they find severe misconduct, may decide to restrict the season ticket holder's ability to purchase tickets in the future.
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