For students wishing to exchange their student tickets for general admission tickets and for those who want to see the football team play on the road, the student ticket lottery provides a crucial service.
"Over 80 students entered the Nevada lottery," student body president Grant Schmidt said. "Not a huge request, but for those people that it's helping out, it's worth it."
The system allows students who are not going to a home game to exchange their student ticket for a general admission ticket for a friend, who can then pay the difference.
"The tricky part," Schmidt said, "is finding someone who isn't going to a home game."
The exchange lottery usually occurs two weeks in advance, although for the Nevada game it was held only one week in advance due to time constraints.
"It gives students enough time to make plans without worrying about the dangers of scalping," Schmidt said.
Away games, meanwhile, follow a completely different process.
"Away game lotteries are not an exchange at all," Kat Burke, board manager for the Student Union Board (SUB), said.
Instead, students have the opportunity to bring in up to four student IDs and enter them in a lottery to win away game tickets. If students win, they may buy the tickets at face value.
The lottery operates on a "first come, first served" basis, Burke said.
"The Michigan lottery went unbelievably well," Burke said. "We sold all the tickets we had available."
In fact, the demand for tickets dwarfed the supply, with 1,611 students entering the Michigan lottery and only 145 tickets available.
"That's the horrible thing, we're completely dependent on what the host institution is willing to give us," Burke said. "We took everything they offered."
The popularity of the ticket lottery program is nonetheless a good sign.
"It's a great service," Burke said. "It's a great chance for students to go out and support our team."
A different campus group oversees each lottery. The Classes of 2010, 2011 and 2012, each run a lottery, as do the Hall Presidents' Council and the Graduate Student Union.
"We're very appreciative to the football team and the ticket office for this opportunity," Schmidt said. "It's a great opportunity for students. You never know when you'll have someone who needs it."
It's possible that some students who want to exchange tickets are not able to do so, Schmidt said.
"Not everyone knows we have this program," Schmidt said.
As long as students come to the lottery and don't miss the date, however, they can easily exchange student tickets for general admission tickets. Students simply need to remember to come to the lottery.
"I know there were some situations where people missed the lottery," Schmidt said. "We unfortunately can't exchange tickets after the lottery is over."
