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Fans flock from near and far to see Texas-Ohio State
By RUSTY MILLER, AP Sports Writer
September 8, 2005
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- So excited is John Armitage to see No. 2 Texas play No. 4 Ohio State on Saturday night that he hopped a flight from Paris to Columbus.
Not Paris, Texas. The one in France.
``Oh, and of course I wanted to see my family,'' the 42-year-old software designer added, not too convincingly.
Armitage isn't the only person going to extremes to see the first meeting between the Longhorns and Buckeyes play a game that promises to be one of the season's best.
Tickets are at a premium. Sellers on eBay are asking up to $1,500 for a ticket with a face value of $58.
There were 67 ticket ads in Thursday's editions of The (Columbus) Dispatch. They ranged from the warm and familial, ``Father/son need two Texas tickets'' and ``Dedicated group of OSU fans and alumni need tickets'' to the succinct ``Two OSU-Texas tickets, $2,500.''
Richelle Simonson, Ohio State's ticket director, said she's concerned about counterfeit tickets.
``Folks go on eBay or through a newspaper ad and they may have paid $3,000 for two tickets, then all of a sudden they get to the game and they find out those tickets are no good,'' she said. ``They're mad they got taken and they want the university to solve their problem. But we can't. We don't have a drawer somewhere filled with extra tickets.''
Ohio State uses a scanner system at the entrance gates which prevents anyone from getting in without a valid ticket.
Even Simonson, a veteran of many big games and hot tickets, is astounded by some of the numbers she's heard.
``It's unbelievable what people will pay to go to an Ohio State football game,'' she said. ``It's incredible.''
Meanwhile, the market figures to get even tighter as fans started arriving a full 3 1/2 days before the 8 p.m.(EDT) start.
On Wednesday, an RV with Texas plates had already found its way to a parking spot a half mile or so from Ohio Stadium. Trouble is, no overnight parking is permitted there, so the Longhorns fans were forced to find another place to wait out the time to kickoff.
Steve Snapp, Ohio State's sports information director, said he got a call from a former classmate.
``The guy said, 'You probably don't remember me, but we went to first grade together,''' Snapp said. ``Then he said, 'Can you help me find a ticket?' I told him, 'You're right, I don't remember you. And I can't help you get a ticket either.'''
At a typical Ohio State home game, around 600 people are issued media credentials. Snapp said his office has distributed more than 1,000 credentials for the Texas game. In addition, representatives from the Orange, Rose, Florida Citrus and Holiday bowls will be in attendance.
``We have absolutely no seats left in the press box,'' Snapp said. ``As a matter of fact, we've handed out three or four that don't have seats, so they'll most likely have to watch the game on a monitor in the lunch room.''
Gene Smith, who took over as Ohio States athletic director in March, has received calls from people he doesn't know who explain that they're longtime supporters of Ohio State and wonder if he can help them get tickets.
Ohio Stadium's listed capacity is 101,568. Smith is concerned that thousands of people may show up at the stadium without tickets.
``I would hope that those without a ticket would go to a restaurant and watch the game and not linger around the stadium,'' he said.
Smith said that Ohio State has increased the number of police at the game. Cameras have been added in and around the stadium to allow tighter security and head off problems.
His advice to fans is simple.
``Come early,'' he said. ``And behave like Buckeyes fans should behave. We've got a good reputation and we need to keep it that way. Have a good time, get settled in, and enjoy the experience.''
As for Armitage, he'll attend the game with his 89-year-old father, who has a special place in Ohio State history. It was Richard Armitage, an Ohio State professor and the chairman of the athletic council, who told the legendary Woody Hayes he was fired after Hayes slugged a Clemson player late in the 1978 Gator Bowl.
The father and son will attend the game at Ohio Stadium just as they have ever since John Armitage attended his first game when he was 8 years old.
``I would love to hang my Ohio State flag on our street in Paris, but there's a law against that,'' he said. ``I don't follow any other sports. This is my vice.''
By RUSTY MILLER, AP Sports Writer
September 8, 2005
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- So excited is John Armitage to see No. 2 Texas play No. 4 Ohio State on Saturday night that he hopped a flight from Paris to Columbus.
Not Paris, Texas. The one in France.
``Oh, and of course I wanted to see my family,'' the 42-year-old software designer added, not too convincingly.
Armitage isn't the only person going to extremes to see the first meeting between the Longhorns and Buckeyes play a game that promises to be one of the season's best.
Tickets are at a premium. Sellers on eBay are asking up to $1,500 for a ticket with a face value of $58.
There were 67 ticket ads in Thursday's editions of The (Columbus) Dispatch. They ranged from the warm and familial, ``Father/son need two Texas tickets'' and ``Dedicated group of OSU fans and alumni need tickets'' to the succinct ``Two OSU-Texas tickets, $2,500.''
Richelle Simonson, Ohio State's ticket director, said she's concerned about counterfeit tickets.
``Folks go on eBay or through a newspaper ad and they may have paid $3,000 for two tickets, then all of a sudden they get to the game and they find out those tickets are no good,'' she said. ``They're mad they got taken and they want the university to solve their problem. But we can't. We don't have a drawer somewhere filled with extra tickets.''
Ohio State uses a scanner system at the entrance gates which prevents anyone from getting in without a valid ticket.
Even Simonson, a veteran of many big games and hot tickets, is astounded by some of the numbers she's heard.
``It's unbelievable what people will pay to go to an Ohio State football game,'' she said. ``It's incredible.''
Meanwhile, the market figures to get even tighter as fans started arriving a full 3 1/2 days before the 8 p.m.(EDT) start.
On Wednesday, an RV with Texas plates had already found its way to a parking spot a half mile or so from Ohio Stadium. Trouble is, no overnight parking is permitted there, so the Longhorns fans were forced to find another place to wait out the time to kickoff.
Steve Snapp, Ohio State's sports information director, said he got a call from a former classmate.
``The guy said, 'You probably don't remember me, but we went to first grade together,''' Snapp said. ``Then he said, 'Can you help me find a ticket?' I told him, 'You're right, I don't remember you. And I can't help you get a ticket either.'''
At a typical Ohio State home game, around 600 people are issued media credentials. Snapp said his office has distributed more than 1,000 credentials for the Texas game. In addition, representatives from the Orange, Rose, Florida Citrus and Holiday bowls will be in attendance.
``We have absolutely no seats left in the press box,'' Snapp said. ``As a matter of fact, we've handed out three or four that don't have seats, so they'll most likely have to watch the game on a monitor in the lunch room.''
Gene Smith, who took over as Ohio States athletic director in March, has received calls from people he doesn't know who explain that they're longtime supporters of Ohio State and wonder if he can help them get tickets.
Ohio Stadium's listed capacity is 101,568. Smith is concerned that thousands of people may show up at the stadium without tickets.
``I would hope that those without a ticket would go to a restaurant and watch the game and not linger around the stadium,'' he said.
Smith said that Ohio State has increased the number of police at the game. Cameras have been added in and around the stadium to allow tighter security and head off problems.
His advice to fans is simple.
``Come early,'' he said. ``And behave like Buckeyes fans should behave. We've got a good reputation and we need to keep it that way. Have a good time, get settled in, and enjoy the experience.''
As for Armitage, he'll attend the game with his 89-year-old father, who has a special place in Ohio State history. It was Richard Armitage, an Ohio State professor and the chairman of the athletic council, who told the legendary Woody Hayes he was fired after Hayes slugged a Clemson player late in the 1978 Gator Bowl.
The father and son will attend the game at Ohio Stadium just as they have ever since John Armitage attended his first game when he was 8 years old.
``I would love to hang my Ohio State flag on our street in Paris, but there's a law against that,'' he said. ``I don't follow any other sports. This is my vice.''
Updated on Thursday, Sep 8, 2005 2:22 pm EDT
