United States: Florida basketball’s game on Tuesday against Tennessee is one of the biggest home games in years. Because of this, tickets were hard to come by.
Many students had trouble getting in. UFPD officers turned away groups of students at Gate 3 of the O’Connell Center and moved some out of the student section before the game started.
The Gators ticket office had USD 35 tickets for fans to sit in the student section, but normally, the lower bowl seats are only for students.
But, UF students are not back from for the spring semester until Jan 13 and thus, the ticket office felt it prudent to sell tickets in the student section for the remaining games against Tennessee, North Florida, and Stetson. A UF spokesman said that 900 student tickets were available for the Tuesday game.
As reported by the gainesvelle.com, Freshman Lucas Garcia said he was not made aware of this. Sitting outside the O’Connell Center for 45 minutes, the business administration major was informed by UFPD that no students were going to be allowed into the building.
‘I can’t say I feel completely comfortable,’ said Garcia. “If they had put that in the email, it would have given me the push to come earlier.”
But yes, some of the students came early enough all in preparation for the exams. Senior Angel Cannon got to the O’Connell Center by around 5:00 PM Tuesday. Before entering this school he has never faced any problem to get in. Like Garcia, Cannon was not informed that the student tickets were available for the game.
To be precise, Cannon described it as “absolutely frustrating.”
‘This is primarily a university’ It should be prioritizing students instead of anyone else, because we’re the ones who go to the games. We are the one who pays tuitions,” Cannon said.
He went on and pointed out the fact that the ‘‘Rowdy Reptiles’’, are actually the loudest supporters in the stands.
“If you want to win home games you have to have a rowdy crowd and if we don’t have students in that student section then why do you even call it a student section?” Cannon wondered.
The economics major and accounting minor said the game was the ‘highlight of his week’ and said he returned to Gainesville a few days before the showdown.
“I had just come back from a trip, and once I was free, I was like, ‘I got to be back in the university, and really enjoying my last year as a senior,” Cannon said.