What About My Ticket: Why the New Football Ticket System Hurts Me the Most

By Danielle Bernstein (#1 Commodore Football Fan)

I am a senior who has been a Commodore Football fan longer than you’ve been alive. Sure, I’ve been to maybe six games in my nearly four years here, and maybe I only stayed till the end for half of those, but my support is unwavering! The ‘Dores have no chance without my presence in the beloved Memorial FirstBank Stadium. 

On the evening of Tuesday, October 22nd, my peers and I received a devastating email, rivaling even Diermeier’s with subject lines featuring the text “Dare to Grow.” The student section has reached capacity one too many times. No longer will students have automatic access to student tickets. Starting now, we must register in a system reminiscent of the class registration process that leaves half the student population in tears on a random October day at 7:00 AM. On Friday morning, the entire student body—undergraduates and graduates—will place their fate in the hands of Wi-Fi and their computer’s bandwidth. It is totally out of our control.

I know what you’re thinking:

“This is so wonderful for the football team!” 

“What a win for the franchise!” 

“This is such an inspiring underdog story!” 

No! Stop that! This is not a positive thing! My football enjoyment, my ability to stand in the student section in black and gold and ask my friend who grew up with a Football Dad how many points a goal is, is totally and completely in jeopardy. 

The real victims in this situation are the seniors. We have been here through historic losses and not-so-historic losses because, come on, it was the norm. But now we are finally up, and they’re trying to push us down. Yes, I can only name Diego Pavia and Brock Taylor, but that doesn’t make me any less of a fan! 

And you know what else? This is such a systemic issue. How could I have attended three or more games this season, which was the requirement for priority registration? I’m a woman, after all. Throughout my socialization, football has never been accessible to me. If ever I showed any interest in a game, I would simply be relegated to making those delicious and affordable Tostino’s Pizza Rolls. How could I have started on the same footing as my male peers when this was my reality?! 

I don’t know what the outcome will be Friday at 10:00 AM. All I know is that the decision is deeply rooted in misogyny, betrayal and, likely, principled neutrality.