Gator Ticket Office Message To Fans; More Fan Information About Saturday
Wednesday, September 16, 2009 | Football
With the University of Florida football team set to host Tennessee at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, the Gator Athletic Ticket Office wanted to remind fans that large numbers of stolen and counterfeit tickets are sold to UF's Southeastern Conference contests and other high-profile games every year. These tickets are sold over the Internet and by ticket sellers around the stadium on game day. Unfortunately, hundreds of Gator fans have been defrauded.
Because of the ticket-scanning process now in place, if a fan purchases a counterfeit ticket, they would not be able to access the stadium at all and could be subject to investigation. If a person is already in the stadium and is caught with a stolen ticket, they will be ejected and could be subject to arrest. For any ticket-related issues, fans are encouraged to visit any of the five Ticket Relations Customer Service Areas at the following locations around Ben Hill Griffin Stadium:
Gate 1: Exterior Ticket Booth - West Side of Stadium
Gate 13: Student Ticket Office (services all student ticket concerns)
Gate 16: Southwest Ramp
Gate 17: South Endzone
Gator Booster Lobby area: North Endzone
There are several organized groups that work out of Atlanta and New York City that travel to various sporting events and concerts and sell these stolen and counterfeit items. The National Football League has an on-going investigation in an attempt to break up these rings. We want to remind fans that the only authorized outlet for Gator Football Tickets is the Gator Ticket Office. Purchasing tickets from other sources are done at the buyers' own risk and ticket selling on campus is illegal.
As a reminder, all Gator fans are being asked to arrive early and wear blue for the highly-anticipated clash with the Vols. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. at The Swamp and CBS Sports will televise the sold-out contest to a national audience.
Gator FanFest, Presented by Verizon Wireless, is located just outside Gate 2 of the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Starting at approximately 11 a.m., fans will have an opportunity to participate in interactive games, meet and receive autographs from Gator student-athletes from the men's basketball (12:30-1:30 p.m.) and women's tennis (1:30-2:30 p.m.) teams, win free prizes and listen to the Gator Network pre-game radio show live. Admission is free.
CBS College Sports Network's SEC TAILGATE show also debuts on Saturday and will air from 11 a.m.- 12 p.m., live from just outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium between Gates 1 and 2.
Former UF quarterback Shane Matthews joins CBS College Sports Network as a guest analyst. Veteran SEC announcer Dave Baker hosts SEC TAILGATE, and is joined by CBSSports.com's Lauren Shehadi and CBSSports.com senior college football writer Dennis Dodd. Sam Ryan anchors coverage from New York, with former Tennessee Head Coach Phillip Fulmer and Brian Jones serving as analysts.
Following the conclusion of the show, the tailgate continues for fans until kickoff with a variety of other elements, including:
• Shane Matthews' autograph signing following the conclusion of the show
• Live music and entertainment from local bands
• CBS College Sports Network's tailgate grilling guru Big Roy Roberts, along with local tailgating legends from “Florida's Tailgators”
The one-hour show is broadcast live every week and originates from the site of CBS Sports' SEC “Game of the Week.” SEC TAILGATE captures all the excitement, traditions and festivities from the various campuses and stadiums across the SEC, as well as previews the matchups, providing highlights and news from games in-progress. Baker will be joined each week by a local SEC legend, including players, celebrity alumni and radio and television personalities, bringing fans a fast-paced and authoritative look at football and life in the SEC.
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