Tickets going for as much as $160 on popular resale websites
The University of Ottawa Sports Services sold out their side of TD Place for the quickly approaching Panda Game in less than three days this year. Sports Services announced on Twitter on Sept. 11 that all tickets for the game had been sold, originally going on sale on Sept. 9.
“Really it was just 24 hours since our office is only opened for eight hours a day — it was crazy!” said Sue Hylland, director of Sports Services. “Spread out over three days, we sold 7,500 student tickets just like that.”
In comparison, it took Carleton University 10 days to sell-out tickets on their side of the stadium at Lansdowne Park.
“They might have gotten out of the gate a little bit earlier but in the end, we crossed the finish line first,’’ Hylland adds. “We laugh about it when we get with our partners from Carleton because of these little challenges we have but it’s in the spirit of enjoying our schools.”
On Tuesday, TD place released a limited number of new tickets. But on Wednesday morning, those tickets were already all sold out.
With no tickets left to buy from both the U of O and Carleton, students have turned to the online resale market instead.
Resale prices through the roof
Ticket prices have soared on resale platforms. Although Panda Game tickets originally sold for $25 from U of O Sports Services, the price tag has jumped to $160 on popular resale site Vivid Seats.
Private sellers are also taking advantage of students who lucked out on tickets, selling them for as much as $85 each.
Some were more modest and resold their tickets for a more moderate price. One seller told the Fulcrum they sold their tickets for $30 each.
“As a student, I understand that ($160 is) way out of a student’s budget, so I try to help my fellow students,” the seller said in a Facebook message.
Others weren’t so nice to their fellow students and were out for a bigger profit.
A seller who won their tickets through a school contest was trying to sell the pair for $70.
When asked if she was surprised by the resale value of Panda Game tickets, Hylland said, “This event is the single biggest university event and rivalry that exists right now, so it is a hot property for people to want to be there.’’
Alumni welcomed
Tickets are still available for U of O alumni, and Sports Services is offering multiple packages for former Gee-Gees who wish to attend the game.
‘’We’re very lucky that our alumni homecoming is over that same weekend, over the last few years we’ve hosted a function at Aberdeen (Pavillion) and it has grown substantially,” Hylland said. “At first we had 800-900 people, then last year we had 1,100 and we expect even more this year.”
Each year, 24 000 students pack TD Place for the annual panda game between Carleton and the U of O. Last year the Gee-Gees beat the Ravens 38-27 for their first win since 2013. The 51st annual panda game will kick off on Oct. 5 at 12.p.m.
