Nearly every UNM men’s basketball game this season is sold out, but some seats will remain empty.
Kim Goodson, associate director of business operations for UNM Ticketing Services, said most basketball games are sold out by the time the game starts, but that not everyone shows up to basketball games for which they have tickets.
UNM seniors Seth Gilpin and Pat Ryan, both avid Lobo basketball fans, were fed up with The Pit’s student ticket distribution system. They decided to take matters into their own hands and created TicketTurnaround, a website that allows students to recycle unused UNM men’s basketball tickets.
“We wanted to provide free ad space for these local businesses while offering students incentives to turn around their ticket,” Ryan said.
Ticket-holders who are unable to attend a game can go to the website or the Ticket Turnaround Facebook page to exchange their available tickets for a coupon to a local restaurant. So far, Gilpin and Ryan have partnered with Papa John’s and Brick Yard Pizza.
Students taking at least six credit hours at UNM who want to attend a sold-out Lobos game can contact Gilpin or Ryan through the website to receive the unused tickets.
“We’re trying to improve the college experience by making it easier for students to find resources on the Internet for college life,” Gilpin said.
Gilpin and Ryan said they hope to partner with the Athletics department so ticket exchanges done through the website can be included in University ticket sales statistics.
“Ultimately, we want to make sure that UNM is benefiting from the website,” Gilpin said.
UNM junior Sara Kirkpatrick is a fan of the UNM men’s basketball team. She said she has gone to five games this season, and two of them have been sold out.
“I know people go crazy trying to get tickets for sold-out games, sending text messages and going on Facebook asking for any tickets,” Kirkpatrick said. “I think the website seems like a really good idea.”
Gilpin said he hopes the website will expand in upcoming years.
“Right now, men’s basketball has the biggest demand for tickets,” Gilpin said. “We would like to expand in the future to other UNM sports and maybe even Popejoy events and local concerts.”
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Students interested in turning around their unused Lobo men’s basketball tickets or finding tickets for a sold-out game can go to TicketTurnaround.com
