CAA Dismisses Rumors of Crooked Duke Distribution

With prized Duke tickets on the line, some UNC students have come forward this week to say they heard rumors that the number -- allegedly chosen earlier this week -- would be assigned at about 4 p.m. Wednesday.

The number chosen Saturday -- 55,774 -- seemed to verify the rumor, and the fraternity members were some of the first to receive tickets.

But Kerry Slatkoff, director of the CAA's Ticket Distribution Committee, said allegations that the number selection process was tainted to benefit Lambda Chi members is completely false. "The whole thing is absolutely and positively untrue," she said. "All of this is strictly based on people who don't have the factual basis. This is a rumor, nothing but a rumor. It's not provable fact at all."

Slatkoff said the number was chosen at about 5:45 p.m. Thursday by those who usually preside over the process -- she and Department of Athletics employees Shane Parrish and Clint Gwaltney. "We are the three who chose this number," Slatkoff said. "I did not even tell Adam (Livengood), who is my co-director, until about 5:45 a.m. Saturday."

But senior Hunter Fritz said members of his fraternity, Delta Upsilon, and his colleagues at the ROTC were talking prior to Wednesday about the fraternity planning to get the best number at 4 p.m. "Everybody at my house knew about it," he said. "A lot of people in my fraternity knew about it."

Fritz said the rumor shows that the ticket distribution system is flawed.

"It's too much of a coincidence. I think this just proves that students shouldn't be running this," he said Sunday. "It should be done by professionals."

Another anonymous source said he had heard the same rumors through a friend of his, who is close to a Lambda Chi member. "I think a lot of it is political, and CAA has been screwed up all along."

Junior Daniel Brand, a member of Lambda Chi and the Ticket Distribution Committee, said he received accusatory e-mails that blamed him for the alleged rigging of the system. "You don't know how upset I was about these allegations against me and my fraternity and CAA because in no way did I do anything," he said.

Brand said the rumors started from a group decision made by seniors in his fraternity to get bracelets in a pack. The seniors were placed eighth and higher in line, but only by coincidence, he said. "Maybe the seniors said, 'Hey, that's the time to go,' but they have no ties," he said.

Brand said the seniors were communicating over the fraternity's listserv. An e-mail sent by member Phillip Kennedy on Tuesday reads, "We need to plan a time to go get Dook bracelets tomorrow late afternoon, if possible. Anyway, let's get a group to go together so we can sit and hate Dook together, one last time. I suggest around 4 p.m. Talk amongst yourselves, then let's make something happen to that effect."

"(CAA) is not a corrupt organization, and we're not a corrupt fraternity," Brand said.

Gwaltney confirmed that he was present Thursday when the number was chosen using Microsoft Excel. "We did it Thursday," he said. "To my knowledge, it's got to be coincidental."

Editor Matt Dees contributed to this report.

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.