Immediately after pickup began on Thursday, OU-Texas tickets started to change hands.

"Somebody's going to put a butt in every seat down there (at the Cotton Bowl). It's just a matter of who," said Scooter Proctor, partner at Tickets Unlimited, 2215 W. Lindsey St.

Students posted their tickets on Internet trading sites such as sin.ou.edu and ebay.com even before they had picked them up from the athletic ticket office.

Students paid $85 for their tickets at face value. Ticket pick-up ends this today.

Students on Sooner Information Network's virtual market are asking from $120 to $225 for one ticket.

One ticket on ebay.com sells for between $200 and $300. However, on the first page of search results, tickets available for the Texas side of the Cotton Bowl outnumbered tickets on the OU side two to one.

The OU Athletic Ticket Office has had difficulty arranging a pickup policy that would guarantee students use their own tickets to the game, said Kenny Mossman, associate athletic director for media relations and communication.

"I think it's discouraging that students would choose to sell their tickets rather than support the team," Mossman said. "We try to treat the students with respect and we hope students do the same."

The OU football team has shown flashes of brilliance and moments of mediocrity this season, but students' desire to make money from their tickets seems unaffected.

"I'm looking to make a quick profit," said Chris Corbin, business management senior. "If I get the right price, I will sell them. If not, I might go to the game."

Brent Leete, accounting senior, said that last year, two tickets could sell for $500 to $600.

Claire Yadon, special education junior, said the football team's performance helped her decide to sell her ticket.

"I don't think we're going to win probably," Yadon said. "I'd rather watch the game from a bar if we're going to lose."

Yadon said she intended to go to Dallas, but didn't want to be in the stadium if Texas snaps OU's five-game win streak in the series.

Yadon said she had re-posted her ticket on sin.ou.edu after the Kansas State game. She decreased the price from $150 to $120.

Brian Blosch said his decision hinged on how the team performed against Kansas State last Saturday.

After OU's 43-21 win, Blosch said he did not change his mind.

If anything, he said OU's solid outing encouraged him that he would be able to receive his asking price for the ticket.

"A lot more people will be looking to get tickets and go since we beat Kansas State so easily," Corbin said.

Proctor said his business received a good ruch on Monday morning after the Kansas State game.

"It's looks like people are having some hope," Proctor said.

Blosch said it's not important who buys his ticket.

"I'd be willing to sell it to (a Texas fan)," Blosch said. "If I sell it, I'm not going to be there, so what do I care?"

Leete said he would make sure his ticket falls into the right hands.

"There is no way I would sell to a Texas fan. Only OU fans on our side," Leete said.

Proctor said his business has received more phone calls from Texas fans this year than in previous years.

Brittany Morris, petroleum engineering junior, said she hoped an OU fan would buy her two tickets to Saturday's game.

"I'm going to sell it on Ebay, so I can at least pretend that an OU fan bought it," Morris said.

Overall, students said that money was a more important factor than the performance of the football team.

"I'd rather have the money," Yadon said. "In college, money is important."

Bryan Cook, philosophy senior said there are more important matters than money. Reselling tickets is an ethical issue.

"True fans are getting ripped off," Cook said. "Tickets are released to an open market which makes resale at inflated prices very easy."

Although, students are scrambling to sell their tickets for various reasons, they all said they still want OU to win and they think the team has a chance.

"I think it's just like two years ago when Texas was picked to win and we beat them, 65-13," Leete said. "I think Adrian (Peterson, OU sophomore running back) will run all over them."
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