Ole Miss is anticipating a sellout of season tickets for the fifth year in a row.
Although student season tickets have been on sale since April 10 for the 2017 football season, students are continuing to purchase their tickets well into the summer or until they sell out.
“Last year was a record-breaking year, and while we are slightly behind that pace, we are ahead of previous years,” said Kyle Campbell, associate athletics director of media and public relations.
As of Wednesday, more than 6,600 student tickets have been sold at $130 each, leaving nearly 3,600 left until the student section is sold out for the season.
Last year’s student section renovations increased student ticket sales from 8,100 to 10,325.
“Ole Miss football has become a bucket-list experience for students and the general public alike,” Campbell said. “Fans don’t want to miss out on those seven gameday opportunities, regardless of ticket price, team success or other factors.”
Tickets can be purchased online through the Ole Miss sports website. Students must be members of the Rebel25 program before they can purchase tickets. The membership requires an annual $25 fee that goes towards Ole Miss Athletics. If tickets are still available on August 1, the $25 fee will be eliminated.
Upon purchase, tickets will be loaded onto the student’s Ole Miss ID card, but can be transferred to other students throughout the season. Selling a student ID is prohibited by the university, but more information involving how to transfer tickets will be available closer to the start of the season.
While some insist on purchasing tickets in the student section because of the atmosphere that can’t be duplicated anywhere else, some have found that they prefer sitting in other areas of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
“I decided to buy regular tickets because it is more convenient and more enjoyable to be in regular seats,” graduate student Kelley Hansbrough said.
“The student section is so much nicer in the new area, but it is still so overrun,” she said. “You have to get there two to three hours early just to have a decent seat. Having a regular seat allows me to come in right before the game begins and enjoy the Grove with my family longer.”
Although some students preferred the previous location of the student section, the thrill of going to an Ole Miss football game is something that they can’t pass up.
“I liked the old student section better because it wasn’t directly in the sun, but the new one is closer to the Grove so it has its pros and cons,” senior finance major Chris Murton said.
Many incoming students are also planning on purchasing their student tickets.
“I have not bought tickets yet, but I do plan on buying them because that’s a major part of the Ole Miss experience,” incoming freshman Delaney Cavanaugh said. “The football games and the atmosphere on gamedays are one of the many reasons I decided to go to Ole Miss.”
Regardless of previous seasons or issues with the team, football ticket sales seem to remain steady.
The first game of the season is set for 7:30 p.m. September 2 against South Alabama.
