I've posted this a few times in different threads (probably last year's Texas game, Senior Day, and most recently this year's Spring Game), but was asked to post it here as well to allow it to be seen as a "sticky" thread for the up-coming season:
I'm an usher for tOSU Football Games (last 3 years) and most games I have at least one or more friends or brothers come over to the games with me. We'd either try to get tickets for them pre-sale as they came available on-line @ hangonsloopy.com or often even had luck finding someone (non-scalper) who was looking to sell 1 or 2 "extras" and usually at face value or a very reasonable price.
Last year a brother and friend came with me for the Texas game hoping to find one of those persons willing to sell them an "extra" for a reasonable price, but if not they were willing to party all day and then watch the game on one of the big screens at a bar, someone's tailgate or where ever.
As we got there and were walking past the Schott (South East corner, of Lane & Olentangy I think) we saw about 75 people in a line not entering the usual Will Call / Student Ticket pick-up windows. When we asked what they were waiting for, we were told there were going to be General Public tickets sold there at about 8 or 8:30 for the game. We got in line, and in talking to some of the people around us (many of whom were clearly scalpers) we were told that there were always tickets available morning of the game no matter how "big" it was, or "sold out" it was supposed to be. One guy told us he'd gone to the Michigan home games each year for several years now buying them at face value at that window (or where ever they were sold before the Schott was built).
We proceeded to wait in line, got my brother and friend Texas tickets as well as tickets to each home game that year from that window on the morning of the game.
Now, it happens this way because as tOSU distributes tickets (to each faculty dept. at the school, student tickets, visiting school tickets, and OSU Alumni Assoc. around the country) any unsold tickets must be "turned in" by 8:00 morning of the game to be offered for general public sale. But no one at the ticket office is allowed to acknowledge these tickets because they are technically not "available" until they are turned back in and logged back into the system.
In any case, while I can't guarentee that everyone who shows up to Columbus @ the Schott on a Saturday morning will get tickets at face value for their favorite OSU matchup, Michigan this year or USC in a few years, I will say that we got tickets to every game this past year (2005). And I don't see why (based on what a few of the "regulars" we talked to told us) this coming season or seasons to come would be any different.
A couple tips: #1...get there early, around 7:30 or 8:00 depending on how big the game is to get your best shot. We were told some (scalpers) people hired homeless people to spend the night in line and hold their places for the Texas game. There's no guarentee how many tickets will be available, but for regular season games there usually isn't a problem, even toward mid to late morning.
#2...If you're unsure where to go, ask one of the Schott employees you'll see hanging around both inside and outside the building. There are always several lines forming and you'd hate to be in a Student Ticket line or Will Call line while the General Sales line grows and grows.
I'll keep everyone up-to-date as we hit the games this year and let you know of any changes. Otherwise, see you all at the Stadium this year...
