Students go great lengths to get Duke tickets

With the UNC vs. Duke men’s basketball game quickly approaching on Saturday, many students are willing to do almost anything to get a ticket.

Numerous Facebook posts can be found asking for tickets to the game in exchange for money or through trade.

One student, who wishes to remain anonymous, said he had four different offers for his Phase 3 ticket, and he sold it for $140.

“I know it might be wrong, but I know I can make money off of students who have never been to a Duke game, and I have already been to two,” he said.

The student said he has sold tickets to the Duke game in previous years. He said he finds it astonishing how much people are willing to pay.

“It was so crazy that they were willing to pay $200 for a Phase 5 ticket,” he said.

Mayukh Sircar, the student attorney general for the UNC Graduate and Professional Schools, said in an email that exchanging tickets like that is a violation of the Honor Code.

“Any prohibited transfer, barter or resale of these tickets is strictly prohibited, will be considered a violation of University policy and will render the tickets void,” the statement said.

Sophomore Nissa Coit said she wasn’t aware that buying or selling student lottery tickets was a violation of the Honor Code and that she didn’t see an issue with students selling them.

“I’ve seen a lot of posts, like people are selling their car for a ticket,” first-year Daniel Lee said.

Senior Saad Khan said he understands where the University is coming from. He believes the Duke game should be treated differently than others.

“I think in this case either you make it more successful for people to get in the game so you don’t have that problem, or you don’t police it,” Khan said.

“There’s a lot of people where (buying a ticket) might be their only opportunity to go.”

First-year Jenni Anna said she believes the University puts restrictions on selling and buying student lottery tickets so the process is fair to everybody. She said if people cannot afford to buy a ticket to the game, then it would be unfair to them if others were allowed to buy and sell their tickets from the lottery.

Khan said the need for Duke tickets intensifies as a senior. Many of his friends did not get a ticket for Saturday’s game and have been trying to get them.

“I do know seniors who didn’t get Duke tickets or haven’t gotten Duke tickets at all, and I feel bad for them because it’s not really fair,” Khan said.

Khan said he believes every student should have the opportunity to go to a UNC-Duke game before they graduate. He said he wishes the University would make it more accessible for students to go to the game because it is such a big part of UNC’s culture.

“I think that people who want to go to the game should go to the game — bottom line,” he said.

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