Students should take priority with Clemson football tickets in 2020

Clemson football should limit tickets this season to just a select few.

We are days away from Clemson football announcing what their stadium capacity will be in 2020, but what they should do, will upset people who believe they are entitled to more.

2020 has been a year that no one expected to ever experience. As technology and science advance we took for granted the fact that society could be leveled to the proportion that it has and with that comes changes.

Clemson football is not immune to those changes.

You should expect to see between 16,500-19,000 fans in Death Valley this season – obviously a far cry from the 81,500 that the stadium officially holds. However, normal season tickets holders should not be among those allowed in Death Valley this fall.

Hear me out before you start the name-calling and cussing.

Just like NFL tickets, major college football tickets have become a sign of wealth for many. When you look at what people have to donate to booster clubs just to have the option to buy tickets, you get into tens of thousands of dollars for many people.

Attending Clemson football games has become an ego booster for many people.

When you are an entity like IPTAY, you have to be careful of whose feet you step on or you will lose many of your high dollar donors; many of whom expect to have their egos massaged along the way. We saw over the weekend how upset people were when IPTAY announced that anyone keeping their donations in place would receive 100 points – which could take people decades to achieve otherwise.

There is only one way to make sure everyone is on the same playing field – award no tickets to any season ticket holder in 2020. Ensure that all tickets go to player’s families, coach’s families, athletic department personnel, recruits, and more importantly the Clemson student body.

Attending sporting events is one of the most memorable times for many college students and this should not be taken away from them all because people with money want to flaunt it during a time when many people are just trying to put food on the table.

Death Valley has one of the best atmospheres in college football and students are a huge part of that. At times when older fans are sitting on their hands and not actively participating in the home-field advantage that makes Death Valley incredible, the students are screaming, yelling, jumping, and cheering – it is paramount that they be in the stands supporting their classmates.

The decision on who gets tickets has gotten easier as more than 22,000 season tickets have been freed up by IPTAY donors that have requested refunds for 2020-2021, which in itself is crazy. Clemson alumni and fans pride themselves on being a “family” and right now the family needs understanding from them more than ever not upset adults who want to take their proverbial ball and go home.

Whatever is done in 2020 will undoubtedly upset a few folks. Hopefully, IPTAY and the athletic department will move forward regardless and do what is best for the students and student-athletes who are the future of the organization and the athletic department.