Many students still unhappy with football ticket system

This fall, UO Ducks football drags on despite a disappointing outlook. For students, the team’s on-field performance hasn’t been the only upsetting aspect of the season.

In fall 2025, the University of Oregon Athletics Department instituted a new lottery-based ticket claiming system for Ducks Sports Pass holders, replacing the previous first-come, first-served system.

The first-come, first-served system had pass holders wait in an online queue for tickets each Sunday before a Ducks home game. This was replaced by the 2025 system, where students received a designated window to put in a “request” for a ticket. Students would then find out the Monday before home games if they received a ticket through the lottery. This change was made without student input.

This also coincided with a $25 increase in the sports pass, totaling to a $50 increase over the past two seasons.

According to ASUO, the student government received hundreds of emails from students concerned about the fairness of the lottery process, and received over 3,000 signatures from pass holders calling for a change to the system.

ASUO also conducted a survey in fall 2025 to gather student input on how the system could be improved. Saysha Ines, ASUO director of student engagement, said input on how to improve the ticketing system came from all over campus.

“It was a student issue,” Ines said. “It exemplified a kind of bigger issue of things (with) the university’s administration, (things) being changed without any student knowledge and we really wanted to combat that.”

Along with the survey of student input, ASUO also conducted peer institution research to see what systems other similar schools have, Ines said.

ASUO presented their research and student input to the UO Athletics Department, and changes were made to the existing system in the spring of 2026. These changes include a new student ticket marketplace, and giving weighted priority to upperclassmen.

The new system gives a 0.05% increased chance of receiving a ticket in the lottery each year. Freshmen are at a baseline of 1.00, and seniors and graduate students are weighted at 1.15.

“We were just appreciative that (UO Athletics Department) saw value in getting students in the conversation,” Ines said.

Ines also said she wants talks between ASUO and the Athletics Department to continue to ensure the best possible system for students, and plans on conducting another survey for pass holders this fall toward the end of the season for more feedback.

“We want students to come to us for that if they have issues with it,” Ines said. “Most especially, we want students to fill out that survey when it does come out, so like last year, we can present their concerns to Athletics in a way directly (to) them.”

Students have expressed mixed opinions on the current system.

“I think it’s an improvement from last year for sure. I think especially with the student marketplace, it makes things a lot cleaner,” Dylan De Cesare, a UO junior, said. “I know some people have been a bit unfortunate not getting their tickets, with the lottery system still, but overall it’s a step up.”

While De Cesare was optimistic, many students expressed frustration over the replacement of the first-come, first-served system with the lottery system.

Sophomore Taylor Morante said the system, while giving seniors slight priority, is still “unfair” to upperclassmen.

“Football is a huge culture at our school; we are one of the biggest sports schools, I’d argue, and I think it’s unfair that (seniors), this is their last season, and they’re not even guaranteed a ticket,” Morante said.

Morante said she wants to go back to the first-come, first-served system.

“If you want to put in the effort for it, then you should get it,” Morante said. “Compared to people who don’t really care, that claim their tickets days later (and) that don’t care as much, I feel like it should be whoever puts in the effort to get it.”

Parker Jones, a junior, said he thinks the lottery “rewards lazy people.”

“If you really want to go to the game, (It’s) just up to luck pretty much, and that’s kind of sad, you know?”

Many students still unhappy with football ticket system

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