Recently an event occurred that, since my graduation, has inspired as much anticipation in me as Christmas did when I was younger: I received my application for alumni football tickets.
When I saw that little letter in my mailbox I was ecstatic. I immediately ran upstairs to write a check for the 100-plus dollars that should probably be going to a down payment on a house but instead is going to provide me the opportunity to see my beloved Buckeyes play. Alumni tickets provide me and many other people their only affordable chance to get to see the Bucks play live and in person. Anyone who’s ever seen a game at The Shoe knows that watching it on television is a poor substitute at best.
As I sat there, visions of Script Ohio and touchdowns running through my head to the accompaniment of “Hang on Sloopy,” my dreams came crashing down. My thoughts returned to last year when I went through this same process only to have my Alumni ticket denied to me. Apparently there just weren’t enough to go around. Now I wasn’t too heartbroken last year when I didn’t get my tickets. It was my first year applying for them so I knew I was at the low end of the totem pole. It wasn’t until I started talking to friends that I realized how bad the problem was. Out of 10 alumni I talked to, a whopping two of them received their alumni tickets, and one of those that did receive their tickets isn’t even a member of the Alumni Association.
Granted, this sample is a bit biased because at the time we’d all been out of school at most 3 years, but an 80 percent rejection rate is still pretty ridiculous. And I know the problem wasn’t just limited to those of us fresh from school. I have heard stories of people who, despite faithfully paying their dues for more than 20 years, were denied as well. Now I know the Alumni Association spokespeople are always touting how great it is for keeping in touch with friends and networking, and they’re right. But let’s be honest: probably 99 percent of people just graduating from OSU join it for their shot at football tickets. I know that’s why I did. But what’s the incentive to keep paying for a service when I’m denied the one thing I joined for?
I have a feeling that if things remain the same this year I’m going to have to reconsider how I’m spending my money. So I guess you can say that this is my plea to the Alumni Association, the ticket office and even the ghost of Woody Hayes if it will help. Please, please, please get things straightened out so Buckeye Alumni like me aren’t denied the chance to see our team play. You can’t give me four years of some unforgettable moments in Ohio Stadium and then expect me to go cold turkey.
Josh Funk College of Engineering ’05
