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Prepare to pay for Texas tix

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BY MELISSA LEE / Lincoln Journal Star

Wednesday, Oct 18, 2006 - 05:31:52 pm CDT

Someone — anyone — help this guy get a ticket. Home from his fifth tour of duty in the Middle East with the U.S. Navy, all Keith Kemper wants to do is see the Huskers play.

He adores Nebraska football but has never been to a home game. And he’d love to take his 4-year-old son to Memorial Stadium Saturday to watch the Blackshirts (maybe) roll over the Texas Longhorns.

Kemper’s dad even placed a want ad in the newspaper. So how many offers do you think they’ve gotten?

Story Photo
In this 2004 file photo, Husker fan Jason Madsen looks for game tickets. (LJS File)

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“No calls yet,” Kemper reported good-naturedly from his family’s home in St. Edward.

“I was just trying to get to the game, but apparently so is everyone else.”

So even a guy in the Navy can’t get a pair of tickets for some father-son bonding. Seems there’s not much hope for the rest of Husker Nation. Update on Kemper's ticket situation

Indeed, demand for tickets likely hasn’t been this high since 2001, when NU took on both Oklahoma and Notre Dame at home.

This week’s local classifieds feature ads from fans begging for seats. And Web sites like eBay and ticketexpress.com offer a plethora of options — all for a price that would seemingly make most Nebraskans gulp.

A pair of end zone seats for $399. Two tickets on the 45-yard line for $355. A student ticket for $86. Four seats together for $1,600 (plus shipping, natch).

Face value on a single ticket to Saturday’s game, by the way, is $65.

So what could possibly move these crazy cornheads to shell out hundreds of dollars when the experts in Vegas are favoring last year’s national champions by at least a touchdown?

“They’re two winning teams. There’s this romantic aura about it,” said Eric Wicherski, co-owner of Huskerboard.com, an Omaha-based site where fans can buy and sell Husker merchandise and discuss anything scarlet-and-cream.

“This is just good, old-fashioned football. People are willing to pay the price.”

Wicherski himself is seeking two tickets and would pay up to $250 for a pair.

Kemper hasn’t decided how high he’d go, but he does know he’s prepared to pay much more than face value.

A few cash-strapped fans have had to rely on, ah, alternative methods.

One man strolled into Husker Headquarters, 1120 P St., and offered sales associate Jamie Emal $50 for her ticket. Another guy offered $25 cash plus a dinner date.

Emal, a 22-year-old Southeast Community College student, said thanks but no thanks. Her entire family’s rolling in from Kearney, and she’s not about to miss this matchup.

“It’ll be really exciting,” she said.

Among the T-shirt logos flying off the shelves at Husker Headquarters: “It’s time to separate the men from the boys” and “Peace, love and hate Texas.”

Nebraskans aren’t the only ones geeked about this game. One Longhorn fan posted on a Texas football message board that he’d agreed to drive to Lincoln, pick up a friend’s new piano and haul it back — all because the friend had agreed to buy him a ticket.

Tyler Schwartz, an SCC freshman, had offers as high as $120 for his ticket, but he made the charitable decision to sell it to a buddy for the same price he bought it for: $100.

A friend was considering selling her ticket for $200, Schwartz said.

Even though he’s a self-described poor college kid, that number’s still eye-popping.

“It’s getting to be ridiculous.”

Reach Melissa Lee at 473-2682 or mlee@journalstar.com.


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Scalping wrote on October 18, 2006 7:33 am:
" I thought it was illegal to sell the tickets more than face value? "

 Ron Jeremy wrote on October 18, 2006 7:41 am:
" If I had tickets, I would sell them for whatever I could, as well. If I can make over $900 on 2 $65 tickets, heck yes I would. Everyone thinks this is going to be a competitive game...I will watch Nebraska get beat down from my own living room. I think Texas will "separate the men from the boys," as the t-shirt says. "

 CS wrote on October 18, 2006 8:20 am:
" How is this not scalping? And what is the deal with the 'mandatory' donation for seats below nosebleed? A guy I work with explained how he priced a set of tickets at 100 apiece in the high middle around the 44, and mentioned a mandatory 'donation' of 1000 per pair. No wonder the Husker Nation is self supporting-too bad lots of fans that like the game instead of the prestige tied to owning a set of seats can't get into the game. I wonder how many of the sell outs are REALLY sellouts; is it all just on paper? Good Grief. Too bad the volley ball team schools the football team every year-they could use that kind of support. "

 confused? wrote on October 18, 2006 8:28 am:
" Isnt scalping tickets illegal here in Lincoln? "

 UNL student wrote on October 18, 2006 8:55 am:
" I called the ticket office yesterday, there was a recording that said they had scattered SINGLE seats still available for this Saturdays game available to the public for $65 each. If you arent dead set on sitting w/; someone its a less expensive option. "

 Ron Porkmor wrote on October 18, 2006 9:34 am:
" I sold my nosebleed seats for $300 for the pair. What makes that even better is the tickets were given to me for free. "

 thieves wrote on October 18, 2006 10:09 am:
" We doesn't the University police dept. respond to these ticket sales and appear as a buyer and get the tickets and arrest the scalpers & then sell them at a special gate before the games to a person in need of the ticket and make them enter and not allow them to leave to go and scalp the ticker themselves. "

 Dick wrote on October 18, 2006 10:58 am:
" You can't really call people who sell their tickets for the highest price they can theives. It is called supply and demand. If you want to call the scalpers theives, then you need to call the buyers morons. "

 DH wrote on October 18, 2006 11:59 am:
" To everyone complaining about the prices of the tickets give it a rest. Ticket prices are going to go up for more sought after games and ticket scalping is not going to be a major priority for the University Police. (As it should not be.) If you can sell your tickets for a higher price than what you paid, good for you. If you don't want to pay for the ticket, you don't have to, stay home and watch it on television at home. "

 CS? wrote on October 18, 2006 12:36 pm:
" The Volleyball team could use support??? They have been soldout for a few years, yes years, as well. Maybe you meant the swimming and diving?? "

 PK wrote on October 18, 2006 12:50 pm:
" and UNL is not at blame for $1,000 mandatory donations---oh please...Technically dividing that between your season tickets, they are far more than $65 a piece. Seven home games....that is $142 PLUS the $65 ticket price, seems to me that equals $207. Shall we do the math on other ticket prices and "donations" around the stadium??? "

 Duh wrote on October 18, 2006 1:23 pm:
" Oh my goodness scalping tickets has long been a tradition here at UNL! How do you think we have so many consecutive sell outs here at Memorial Stadium! Get over it people! "

 cjmajor wrote on October 18, 2006 2:03 pm:
" I am a huge Texas fan, and am wondering why any nebraskans want tickets to this game anyways, since Texas will more than likely walk all over Nebraska... "

 kris wrote on October 18, 2006 2:19 pm:
" its called supply and demand. I'm glad yhe police don't get involved. "

 Wm wrote on October 18, 2006 2:19 pm:
" TV folks, Sorry about Jasons luck. Go look at the ebay auctions for them. That will open you eyes. I would sell mine also. Someone always willing to pay higher and higher. We all know how they seperate the men form the boys in Texas. Same as in Congress. With crowbars! "

 Gary B wrote on October 18, 2006 2:28 pm:
" I'm not completely sure about this, but I believe it is not illegal to sell tickets for higher than face value as long as the transaction does not take place on public property. "

 M wrote on October 18, 2006 4:26 pm:
" Keith, if I had tickets, I would give them to you. 5 tours? My guess is that you havn't had much time to watch your little boy grow up. That is more important than how much can be made off of the tickets. "

 Nebraska Texan wrote on October 18, 2006 4:36 pm:
" I cannot believe than anyone made a t-shirt that said "Peace, Love and Hate Texas". I cannot believe anyone would buy it and I cannot believe anyone is idiotic enough to wear it. Hate is not a value and in order for you Nebraska Hillbillies to come into the world your going to have to change with the times. "

 CS??? wrote on October 18, 2006 4:45 pm:
" Vball doesnt bring UNL millions and millons, but thanks to title 9 we have to spend money on useless sports that nobody but the athlete and their family really cars about. And I am not refering to vball "

 Matt Poulsen wrote on October 18, 2006 5:51 pm:
" To thieves, to my knowledge, its not illegal to sell these tickets at above face value. Its only against the rules when selling the tickets on the university's campus and near the stadium. So, selling these things on ebay and in the paper is totally legit. This varies on a state by state basis, but in Nebraska, again to my knowledge, there is no scalper law. "

 Yankee wrote on October 18, 2006 6:34 pm:
" "In need of the ticket"? What? Why spend on penny on 18-22 year old kids, that are going to lose the game anyway? "

 Crazy wrote on October 18, 2006 6:37 pm:
" If you're spending any money on husker football, you're an idiot. I meant the lower case 'h' too. "

 It's not that hard wrote on October 18, 2006 9:12 pm:
" I've attended many NU football games, buying single tickets just befreo kickoff. Here's the prices I paid: 1988 NU-OU $25 1994 NU-Miami (Orange Bowl) $20 (actually, a pair for $40, side-by-side) 2001 NU-TCU $3 2003 OU-WSU Rose Bowl $6 (okay, so not a NU game) 2006 NU-USC $30 It you don't mind buying a single ticket, it's rather easy. "

 Stop Complaining wrote on October 18, 2006 10:12 pm:
" Yes, we're the only fans in the country who scalp tickets...are you kidding me?!? As for the police getting involved - I think we have more important things to worry about in Lincoln. "

 crazy sker wrote on October 18, 2006 10:40 pm:
" Man you all are dumb...if it was illegal to sell tickets for over face value how would ticket express, ticket hound, and all of these other ticket selling sights be able to survive? Your just angry that you could not get a ticket for face value, when if you had the chance you would be doing the same thing as these "scalpers." Finding tickets at face value was not hard for this game...my friend has bought eleven of them for face value, and I have two for my wife and I. I just bought them today 10-18. Don't hate because we have enough sense to go out and find the deals...and dont diss the huskers. Yankee "why spend money on 18-22 year old kids" probably the dumbest thing I have ever heard. More like why spend money on 23-35 year old people who dont even love the game anymore and only want to make more money than the next person. Thise "kids" dont make any money on the game...they do it because they love it...they do it for thier school...for love of the game. So sit at home and watch saturday cartoons instead...Huskers dont need you to cheer for them anyways. GO HUSKERS......SMASH THE horns "

 I second that! wrote on October 18, 2006 10:52 pm:
" Stop Complaining. If it was illegal to sell tickets how are all these companies still operating? I.e. ticket express, husker hounds, and any other ticket exchange place? You all are crazy! Anyone would do the same thing if they had extra tickets. Also it’s not hard to find tickets...if you don’t want to pay the price then that’s your prerogative, but quit crying about it. For all of you attending the game make sure you wear black for the black out. GO HUSKERS BEAT THE horns……...and “I mean little h” (crazy…idiot) and nebraska texas...you want to talk about hillbillies...have you ever been to Texas...you want to talk about hillbillies...go back to texas and take a look...ba da don don don don don don don "

 23 wrote on October 18, 2006 11:19 pm:
" go huskers "

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