Clemson Wants To Charge Students To Watch Football
By Ty Duffy
Clemson went to the College Football Playoff final. Now, the school is abrogating tradition, by charging students for football tickets.
Lower bowl tickets will cost students $225, while upper bowl student tickets will remain free. The policy seems like a blatant sop to blunt the impoverished students argument. Though, Clemson’s student president termed it “segregating the stadium based on socioeconomic status.”
Clemson student body prez on proposed students' ticket price: "It's segregating the stadium based on socioeconomic status, & that’s not OK.”
— Aaron Brenner (@Aaron_Brenner) April 13, 2016
More than 7,500 supporters have signed a petition to keep Clemson student football tickets free.
Free football tickets are somewhat of a tradition, at South Carolina’s major public institutions. South Carolina students received free tickets, while paying a $104 activities fee. Clemson students were getting the free tickets without the activities fee, so basically the best deal in the country.
@Andy_Staples Until the new ticketing policy takes effect, Clemson is totally free. There is no athletic fee built into tuition.
— TigerNet.com (@ClemsonTigerNet) April 13, 2016
Students at Coastal Carolina, Winthrop, and College of Charleston pay more than $1,000 per year in athletic fees.
Clemson would be going from zero to one of the highest student ticket prices in the nation. Per these numbers only Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, Ohio State, Oregon, and Florida State (assigned seating) would have more expensive tickets.
Tiger football has probably reached the point, in 2016, where charging students for football tickets is reasonable and justified by demand. Clemson has to pay Dabo somehow. We’d criticize them. But, really, we’d like to go back to point where “segregation based on socioeconomic status” isn’t a depressing, self-evident fact of life.