Last season for University of Michigan football, I missed the deadline to purchase student tickets. Not wanting to miss out on what turned out to be a championship season, I tried to buy tickets elsewhere. I first tried StudentSeats, a student ticket exchange app for college students in the United States, after hearing about a friend who had been scammed. However, it was too expensive to buy tickets from this app as there are a limited number of tickets for sale and additional fees are added.
Next, I tried GroupMe chat for student tickets, which was recommended to me by my roommate. GroupMe is a messaging app for large groups, similar to text message threads. The UM ticket chat seemed pretty secure at first. My roommate added me to a message thread and filled out the form with my proper name. The app’s best practice to prevent fraud is to submit a photo of your Mcard at the time of sale to prove you are a genuine student. However, if you accidentally send it to a scammer, they can impersonate you in another chat.
This left me with limited options. If you buy tickets on an exchange like StudentSeats, you can pay an additional $20 to $50 in fees, but don’t worry about getting scammed by GroupMe or annoying everyone you know by asking if you’re selling tickets. I hope you don’t have to worry about it. Upcoming matches.
My situation is not unique. I made sure to buy season tickets this year, but many students did not. This includes freshmen who could only purchase a pack of four tickets instead of a full season pass in the first season. This problem will be exacerbated by increased enrollment and stagnant seats. Demand for tickets will continue to increase, and so will fraud and ticket fees on apps.
Students, especially new students, are at a disadvantage due to the lack of a centralized ticket market. The Michigan Athletics Department needs to step in and create a platform where Michigan students can buy and sell athletic tickets. The app regulates the market, increases match-day security, and protects students from falling victim to scams. Given that Michigan Athletics already has security systems and ticket transfer platforms in place, it should be relatively easy for the university to step in and protect students.
I admit that putting this plan into action is complicated. The University of Michigan will need to both develop and implement the platform, which will require funding and significant time. But in the long term, this platform makes the most sense for the University of Michigan and its students.
Ideally, Michigan Athletics would embed buy and sell options on the Michigan Athletics website, leading to a platform specifically for UM students. Currently, students can only transfer tickets if they know the recipient’s email address or phone number. This new platform will essentially work like StubHub or Ticketmaster and will build on the current transfer system. Students put their tickets up for sale with a desired price and negotiate with prospective buyers. Once a ticket is purchased, it will be forwarded and Michigan Athletics will send the payment to the seller’s bank account. These tickets will still require Mcard verification at the gate to ensure only students are using the tickets. Given that Michigan Athletics account setup requires layers of security such as DuoMobile and email verification, students will have complete confidence that their tickets are genuine.
Because the app is expensive to develop and maintain, Michigan Athletics must charge a fee on ticket transactions to cover that cost. The platform not only serves as an additional security measure for ticket transfers, but also as a way for universities to strengthen their public image, potentially benefiting the controversial administration. Additionally, costs must be kept low because of Michigan’s obligations to students. Gaining a great experience at a football game is one of the attractions for students to pay tens of thousands in tuition fees. We need a seamless and cost-effective way to sell tickets.
However, creating this platform will inevitably replace student venture MaizeTix, a ticket-buying and selling website for Michigan State students. It’s not a great thing for the University of Michigan to eliminate its student business, especially since this business uses funds from the university’s Center for Entrepreneurship. However, this student-run company is not working well for students. Currently, Michigan vs. Michigan State collegiate football tickets are on sale for $90 on GroupMe. At MaizeTix, it’s $144.75. Why should the University of Michigan preserve student ventures if the ventures do not benefit students?
The creation of a centralized student ticket exchange system will assist UM students and enhance online security. It is a security liability for someone to impersonate a UM student, even for low-stakes purposes such as attending a football game. If the status quo continues, ticket fraud will only increase along with registrations. The University of Michigan is leaving students vulnerable to an unregulated market, and it’s time for them to step in and do something, both for the well-being of their students and for the security of the entire UM system.
Eliza Phares is an opinion columnist who writes about UM’s administrative policies and campus life. She can be reached at ephares@umich.edu. Her column, “Campus Conversations,” appears every other Thursday.
