Scalping is a gruesome act of war, but the slang term for reselling sports tickets can be equally gruesome to students' wallets.
On game day, dozens of students and fans adorn the outside of Jordan-Hare and are sprinkled throughout the streets of Auburn.
They hoist homemade cardboard signs in the air that read "Tickets" scrawled in permanent marker and shout, "I've got two together!" to draw ticketless fans to their offers.
Some fans scalp because plans change, but many sell to make a profit.
Auburn students expressed complaints over the inflated price of football tickets on the Unofficial Official Auburn Student Ticket Exchange Facebook page Aug. 23-24.
The angry posts sparked debate throughout the week.
"Stop inflating the price for those of us who aren't relying on mommy and daddy to get us through the semester," said Taylor Shelton, senior at Auburn.
Nick Melvin, senior in social science, had problems looking for an Arkansas ticket.
"We are the Auburn Family, and I'm not looking to put a down payment on a ticket," Melvin said. "Remember, this is a family, not a business."
Scalpers disagreed that they were trying to rip fellow students off.
Crystal Cafiero, junior in communication, has been selling her student football tickets for the past three years.
"I can't stand when people condemn me for selling my ticket and say, 'You must hate Auburn football,'" Cafiero said. "That's not true. I'm a huge Auburn fan, but sometimes making the money is more important than having a good time."
Cafiero said she doesn't buy tickets to make a profit like other students, but said she doesn't understand why people get upset about those who do.
"It's supply and demand, and it's common sense," Cafiero said. "If we shouldn't rip off the Auburn Family, why is it OK to rip off yourself? I'm a part of the Auburn Family too."
Kevin Koziol, junior in anthropology, has sold his football tickets in the past, but he's done it for more than a fair price.
"I gave my Georgia ticket to a friend last year for nothing," Koziol said. "I didn't know how amazing of a game it'd be, but in the end it didn't matter. She was my friend and she wanted to go, and I'm glad I could give her that opportunity."
Koziol said it's one thing to give a ticket away or sell it cheaply to a friend, but it's another to do that for a stranger.
"I don't sell my tickets most of the time, but when I do, I'm not going to sell it for less than it's worth," Koziol said. "You're giving someone the experience of an Auburn game, and no matter what, that's priceless."
Cassie Arner, associate athletics director for strategic communications, claimed while it sparks controversy, ticket scalping is inevitable.
Most know football tickets are sold by students' experience in school, which means season tickets for freshmen are limited, Arner explained.
"Most freshmen don't get a season ticket, which means there are hundreds of students without access to the games," Arner said. "The freshmen want to go most of all because it's their first season, so they'll always be willing to pay more than the $140, or roughly $20 per game, that you paid for."
Cafiero said when selecting a price for a ticket, she just looks at the student ticket exchange Facebook page to see what the going rate is.
"Contrary to what people believe, most of us don't inflate the price to make a huge profit," Cafiero said. "We see what others are selling for and choose our price based on that, and that's it. There's no scheme to get your money."
Ticket reselling prices are always a hot issue, but there's a bright side to all the scalping, Arner claimed.
"There are plenty of people students can sell to who would be more than excited to go to the game," Arner said. "We have a very passionate student fan base and we're grateful for that. We want the stadium to be full of Auburn students because you guys change the atmosphere in a great way."
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
