This year, it is not possible to transfer The Big Ticket to another student online or in person, according to Texas Athletics.

In past years, students would use group chats to buy and sell tickets for football games, but this year, the University has implemented a touchless-entry mobile ticketing system that does not allow for ticket transfers, said Drew Martin, executive senior associate athletic director for external affairs.

For the Nov. 7 football game and Nov. 5-6 volleyball games, student Big Ticket holders were required to either test negative for COVID-19 through UT’s complimentary test in the days leading up to game day or provide proof of a positive test result from between Aug. 7 and Oct. 24, according to the Texas Sports website. Other ticket holders are not required to be tested for COVID-19 before attending games. 

Martin said a student is eligible to receive a ticket only if they either test negative for COVID-19 right before the game or tested positive at least two weeks prior and recovered.

“We provide the testing group on campus with the list of Big Ticket holders,” Martin said. “They test and they return us … the list of Big Ticket holders that are approved to receive a ticket. Those are the only students that we load into the claim process.”

Business junior Christina Ebaseh-Onofa said she has seen students in group chats looking to buy and sell tickets, which she feels is concerning given the pandemic.

“It's still important to do your part in a way you can do, so of course, getting tested before you go and then isolating after you've gone,” Ebaseh-Onofa said. “But I know those steps were not happening. People are tailgating and (having) large gatherings after the game. You can't force someone to do something they don't want to do, but I just wish people get tested before this game.”

Business junior Jack Nichols said he did not purchase a Big Ticket and thought about buying a ticket to go to one game but could not figure out how to transfer a ticket.

“I ended up not doing anything,” Nichols said. “How does that work? Am I allowed to do that? So (with) a lot of those questions, I just decided not to. (It’s) definitely not worth COVID-19 happening.”

Martin said Texas Athletics does not know of any students transferring tickets.

“If you were to try to transfer your ticket through the transfer portal, it does not allow the transfer of a student ticket,” Martin said. “It’s a pretty streamlined process.”

Ebaseh-Onofa said she would feel safer if all ticket holders were required to get tested instead of just Big Ticket holders, and students moving tickets around would make that more difficult.

“We all have a responsibility to be responsible during this time, and college students are not taking on responsibilities seriously,” Ebaseh-Onofa said. “Honestly, it’s just them risking getting COVID-19 or not.”