Students Adjust to New UT Athletics Ticketing Procedures

By Jake Herman

Reporting Texas TV

AUSTIN, Texas — Leave your student ID but bring a fully charged phone battery.

Texas Athletics implemented a new mobile entry procedure this fall at all sporting events which made stadium gates paperless and contactless.

“A lot of people like the new ticketing system more. It’s a little different, but I can’t complain,” Longhorn Hellraisers president Sam Brus said.

The Longhorn Hellraisers are a student organization dedicated to fan engagement at UT sports games. Brus said the new system made it easier for members to organize and transfer tickets to one another.

“Trying to sell a ticket using your ID was such a pain. It’s a lot easier with mobile tickets. I give them a thumbs-up for that.” Brus said.

The change hasn’t gone smoothly for everyone.

UT senior Reed Cohen ran into trouble after forgetting to download his ticket before the Red River Showdown in Dallas Oct. 9. When he tried to use the Texas Longhorns app at the stadium, Cohen said his phone froze and left him stranded.

“It just adds an extra layer of worry into game day,” Cohen said. “When thousands of people are there and your cell phone doesn’t work, it’s a nightmare.”

To help his fellow Hellraisers, Brus sends email reminders to download tickets each week.

“We don’t want to be fumbling around at the gate to get it set up,” Brus said. 

The UT Athletic Department did not respond to requests for an interview for this story. Their description of the new procedures can be found here.

Longhorns fans line up outside Gregory Gymnasium before the Oct. 14 volleyball match against TCU. (Photo: Jake Herman)