Last Friday a record-breaking number of over 13,000 students logged in to see if they had received tickets to the South Carolina football game this Thursday, but roughly 40 percent found they had not received tickets.

Student Body President Jim Ceresnak said the issue is strictly an issue of supply and demand.

“The incredibly high demand for tickets to this game unfortunately left a lot of people out, including upperclassmen. They are understandably upset.”

Director of ticketing, Brian Kelly said once demand outstrips supply, a lottery takes place.

“Tickets are awarded through a random lottery.  If the requests for tickets exceeds the number of tickets we have for students, a lottery takes place,” Kelly said.

“Seniority plays a role in being selected, in that the more points you have, the more chances you have to be selected. The best analogy is the NBA draft,” Kelly said. “Just because you were the worst team the previous season doesn’t guarantee the first pick; it just makes you much more likely to be selected early.  The same principle applies as a senior in our system.”

Although the system says seniors have more chances to win a ticket, some students feel that freshmen getting tickets over sophomores, juniors and seniors is unacceptable.

Alex Keener, a sophomore in engineering, said he didn’t like the fact that some first-year students received tickets while upperclassmen didn’t.

“I’m mad that the freshmen are getting tickets over sophomores and upperclassmen.”

According to Kelly, there is still hope for those who are ticket-less.

“Starting two hours before the game, students have the ability to line up in the South Lobby of the RBC Center in front of the box office for a chance to enter the football game.  All they need to have is their valid student ID,” Kelly said. “If all of the students who won a ticket and have not arrived to the game 15 minutes after kick off, event staff will be notified and a select number of wristbands will be given out to the students to enter the game and to sit in sections 14 and 15.”

But he also says that there is a chance that no wristbands will be given out on Thursday.

Though he said it was disappointing that so many students didn’t get tickets, Ceresnak said Student Government is always looking to innovate and change the ticketing system for the better.

“Student Government is committed to evaluating the distribution process to make sure it is a fair as possible,” said Ceresnak. “We will keep working with Athletics to be sure the ticket distribution system is the best it can possibly be.”