by Christina Charie '25 on November 4, 2023
Opinion Editor
Opinion
As the new school year kicks off, many Providence College students are already looking ahead to the upcoming basketball season. Unfortunately, acquiring student tickets is getting more difficult with the heightened excitement surrounding the team’s recent successes.
After the season ticket lottery over the summer, there were many students, even seniors, left without season tickets. While the email sent out stated that single-game tickets would be available, the current situation echoes the chaos that occurred when millions tried to get a presale code for The Eras Tour.
Despite only recent spikes in popularity, the Friars have succeeded in previous seasons before the ones within recent memory. Taylor Swift has also consistently shattered records in past years, which proves that this year something else is playing a role in the exceptional demand for live events.
Raffles and random selections make us feel important. When you get an email containing a presale code, it separates you from the crowd. Access to live events is becoming a form of privilege. Even if the tickets are out of budget, people feel obligated to purchase, especially after waiting in a queue for hours. The feeling of desperation overwhelms us until a confirmation email arrives in our inbox.
Potentially, after a few years in lockdown, people feel that the opportunity to attend crowded events could be ripped away at a moment’s notice. No matter the reason, this year has made one thing clear: it’s time for new ways to allocate tickets. College sporting events and popular tours are going to need different strategies.
The College could implement a policy that increases the number of season tickets available to students by reducing the number of games included. While students might not get to experience every game, it would create a more inclusive system that ensures more students have an opportunity to attend. Additionally, having nights designated for each graduation year would also create an exciting approach that more evenly distributes tickets.
While the policies for tours would be different, many of the same principles apply. With social media users boasting about attending multiple tour dates, it is time for policies and systems that prevent individuals from purchasing tickets after already experiencing a show.
This policy could also solve another major problem with largetours: ticket scalping. With resellers charging over double face value, concerts are becoming economically inaccessible for many in the middle class.
Purchasing tickets should not be stressful and disappointing, but without changes, the overwhelming demand for tickets will continue to plague all live events.