Students weigh pros and cons of reselling Texas-OU tickets

OU+fans+in+the+crowd+at+the+Cotton+Bowl+stadium+against+Texas+on+Oct.+4%2C+2021.+

Jack Myer

OU fans in the crowd at the Cotton Bowl stadium against Texas on Oct. 4, 2021.

Collins Grushey, Sports Reporter

As October arrives, midterms are popping up and hoodies are becoming more desirable, but most notably, the Red River Rivalry is fast approaching.

With the game coming up this Saturday, many Texas students diverted from their original plans for the game. Tickets for the game are a hot commodity, with their price point causing some ticket holders to sell. Texas Athletics stopped offering tickets on their website and other websites like Ticketmaster start tickets at nearly $200. Economics sophomore Gwen Gould said she saw students selling their tickets for around $400.

Plan II freshman Trent Kinder, said he thinks someone would pay up to $300 for his ticket now. The current resale value of tickets has Kinder considering all options after he bought his ticket through Texas Athletics for a comparatively low $175.


However, the prices didn’t sway every Texas student, Zander Feinstein, business and Plan II sophomore, views the game as a valuable and unmissable experience. 

“Personally … I wouldn’t sell my ticket for $500 because UT-OU is something that I think about and am excited for the whole year,” Feinstein said. “You only have four years in college.” 

While the high ticket prices might turn some potential fans, or those who may be indifferent to college football, away, having been to the game himself, Feinstein offered some advice to students who are contemplating selling and may think the game isn’t worth it.

“If you’re not a fan of football, I think that the energy that’s seen and felt at the game (makes it) worth going to,” Feinstein said. “I’ve been to some of the biggest games in sports … and nothing was like the Texas-OU game last year.”

Gould, who didn’t attend the Texas-OU game last year, was motivated to buy a ticket following the exciting and highly anticipated contest between Texas and Alabama earlier this season.

“I went to the ‘Bama game, and that was easily the best football game I’ve ever been to,” Gould said. “I feel like the school spirit was overwhelming in the best way, and I just want to experience that again.”

Even though the rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma is historic, recent performances mean both teams are unranked heading into this year’s matchup. Oklahoma’s back-to-back losses have made this year’s game less enticing to some students. Others like Bella Savarino, biomedical engineering and Plan II sophomore, see the situation differently.

“I don’t pay much attention to college football, but I did see that OU got crushed by TCU,” Savarino said. “I think we have a good shot of winning.”

With as much excitement that surrounds the game and the prospect of bringing the Golden Hat back to Austin, the idea of reselling tickets left Kinder questioning the ethics of the matter.

“If a person applies for their ticket just to resell it, at that point, don’t you kind of take away from people who don’t have the financial ability to purchase it originally?” Kinder said.

There is a lot to consider when determining whether or not to sell a ticket to Texas-OU. With Kinder’s view in mind, the financial benefits for those who need the money may be great enough to outweigh the experience, especially if one has been to the game before.

However, Gould said the game with your friends is a one-of-a-kind experience that’s worth partaking in.

“Just the atmosphere of being in the student section while watching the game is one of the most fun experiences I feel like you could get out of college football,” Gould said.