UAAP Finals: Fans versus Scalpers?

Fans line up for hours and exhaust their networks just to get tickets to support their teams and show school spirit. In the process, there remain those who dare to exploit the supply and demand of limited commodities.

October 12, Saturday, will mark the last day of college basketball for UAAP Season 76. Students, alumni, faculty, and other basketball fans have been anticipating this do-or-die third finals game between the DLSU Green Archers and the UST Growling Tigers. It has been a long time since spectators have witnessed these two equally matched teams gutting it out until the last second of the shot clock expires for the championship.

The Green Archers and the Growling Tigers have proven that they are equally-matched and are the last two teams gutting it out on the path to the UAAP basketball throne. Prophesizing who would win Game Three is as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack, adding an extra thrill to fans everywhere.

However, with most fans looking forward to support their teams and witness history, there are some who value this highly-anticipated game in a more monetary manner.

Take it or leave it

Ticket scalping has been a trend in the UAAP for a long time, especially during big games. However, it was only during this season’s Men’s Basketball finals that the issue further escalated and caught the attention of many Lasallians and other fans.

A few hours before the start of Game Two of the Finals, an alleged scalper posted in a classified ads website and was selling Patron section tickets for as much as P45,000 a piece, up from a face value of P350. The said scalper sold General Admission tickets as well for P4,000 each while Lower Box and Upper Box A tickets were priced at P25,000 and P12,000 respectively.

In another instance, a photo by a Facebook user surfaced and showed another alleged scalper negotiating with an Araneta Coliseum employee for tickets. The photo eventually went viral among social networking sites and received widespread criticisms.

In a report by GMA News Online, the employee that was seen in the photo was already placed under preventive suspension by the coliseum’s management.

“The UAAP denounced such overpricing of tickets. UAAP basketball fans are advised not to deal with scalpers,” says UAAP secretary-treasurer Malou Isip in a statement posted by Spin.ph regarding the rampant ticket scalping during Game Two of the Finals.

Suspicions rising up

In a recent survey conducted by The LaSallian, students from both DLSU and UST provided their own experiences on how they acquired their tickets and also gave their own perspective towards the issue of scalping.

In DLSU, tickets for Game Two had such a high demand that the line continued to the outside of the Br. Andrew Gonzales Hall from the booth inside the lobby. What made the process even more frustrating for them was that a lot of students and members of the university were not able to get their tickets. “I hate that I woke up early, lined up for almost six hours, but didn’t get any tickets,” says Krishna Ramchandani (IV, AE-BSA).

Moreover, students were equally displeased towards the student scalpers that flocked through social networking sites selling tickets just hours after it was confirmed that they were no longer available. “I’m very disappointed with student scalpers, they sort of humiliated DLSU because only few students were able to watch the game,” says Anna Gaviola (II AB-ISE).

“Scalping is pretty much normal, but the incident that happened during Game Two of the finals was one of the worst, if not the worst. Normally people settle for scalpers when they miss reservation or don’t get any tickets during the selling at the arena, but this time around, the schools barely had any tickets and students themselves scalped fellow Lasallians and that’s why it magnified the already existing situation of regular scalping,” shares a Lasallian alumnus who experienced buying a ticket from a scalper for P1,750.

Scalpers scattered near South Gate of DLSU and a handful of highly-priced tickets were offered to those passing by. “It is alarming because no one knows how the scalpers get their tickets. I am afraid they might be selling counterfeit tickets instead,” says a student from UST who had witnessed such an incident.

“Scalpers should be arrested,” says another DLSU student who bought an Upper Box B SRO ticket from a scalper for P1,000, five times the face value.

“I am fairly convinced that there is corruption present in the initial stages of distribution. Stronger policies against scalping should be implemented,” says Benedict Chua (III AE-BSA).

Thomasians also share the same sentiments towards the issue of scalping in their university. “Students in UST are also suspicious about the system of distribution. Plenty of tickets are allocated to the university but only few are sold to students,” an anonymous Thomasian shares.

For Mr. Aljames Untalan, a professor from the International Studies Department of DLSU, he shares, “It is very unfair because there are people who line up in Ticketnet, Araneta, and MOA who had themselves experience the scorching sun. But, you have here scalpers who manage to get these tickets miraculously. We’re even wondering where these tickets are coming from. So, we have the right to get mad.”

Attempt to reform the system

Due to the rampant ticket scalping that happened during the last two games, DLSU went back to the usual ticket selling scheme wherein students reserve first through their My.LaSalle (MLS) accounts and print the confirmation slip to be presented upon ticket redemption.

However, suspicions about the ticket selling still arise as only 1,600 to 1,800 tickets were made available to the students of DLSU, while a full-house MOA arena  can hold as much as 20,000 people.

On the other hand, SM Tickets announced through its official Facebook page that they will sell a total of 1,800 tickets on the day itself a few hours before tipoff. Fans are only allowed to purchase one ticket each and will be strictly directed to go straight inside the venue after purchase.

With the said scheme, many Lasallians and other fans expect that ticket scalping will be prevented come Game Three. However, there seemed to be a hanging question on the whereabouts of the remaining tickets based on the mentioned figures. Will it be another way for scalpers to get a handful of tickets and sell it with high prices.

There are only few days left before the momentous deciding game of the UAAP Finals matchup between the Green Archers and the Growling Tigers. Everyone deserves to cheer their hearts out for the team they are rooting for. There is no other way to conclude the season but to enjoy and witness it without those people roaming around selling tickets that are ten times more expensive than their original price and much more than your daily allowance.