Block ticketing
I recently attended the game against Mississippi State. I arrived an hour early as I always do to watch warm-ups from the front row of the South End Zone Student Section. About 15 minutes before kickoff, one person told me they had the first three rows in a block and that my friends and I would have to move. I assume them to be members of a fraternity.
Most of this “block” hadn’t shown up when the teams were taking the field. I guess they’re bigger fans of partying than they are of Yellow Jacket football. A few groups of students began to move down to the open bleachers [and] were met with threats of violence.
The block had finally filled up about midway through the first quarter. I’m glad these “true fans” decided to show up and cheer on their team. Most of the game they talked or yelled obscenities instead of paying attention to the action on the field. By the fourth quarter most of them had left.
I believe the football block ticketing program at Georgia Tech is flawed. These frats can be given block tickets higher up in the student section where they can converse, show how “hard” they are, pass their flasks around and leave early all they want.
Instead, the Athletic Association allows big empty holes at field level during kickoff for a televised game. I’m sure it looks really good to a possible recruit watching the game at home. It also brings up the issue of UGA fraternity members being in our student section for last year’s game.
The true fans that are cheering from kickoff to the final snap should be close to the field where they could most effectively support their team.
Nathan Denison
Fourth-year ME