University students who do not receive football ticket packages in the fall will not be able to attend home games.

The new electronic ticketing system, approved by the Athletic Association Board of Directors in February, will not have a donation bank in the fall that would put students on a waiting list for unused home game tickets.

However, the Athletic Association plans to implement a donation bank system – possibly beginning fall 2010 – allowing students to donate unused tickets for home games. Once the donation bank is in place, students who donate tickets will not be reimbursed, said Tim Cearley, director of ticket operations for the University Athletic Association, in an interview last week.

Associate Athletic Director Craig White said the new system, which loads tickets on student MyID cards, will disperse tickets more effectively.

“Two good things have come out of [the new system],” White said. “We have created more student tickets that were limited due to a certain allocation and we eliminated the secondary market – students getting tickets and selling them to non-students.”

With the new system, students will not be able to sell their tickets or give them to friends.

“Your ID has to match you,” White said. “You can’t give it to another student. It is a University violation and you could lose your student ID.”

“We will have scanners and they will be able to tell if the ID is current,” Cearley said.

A problem not resolved by the new ticketing system is that of “split ticket” packages.

“Ticket packages may be split in order to accommodate as many students as possible,” Cearley said.

About 20 percent of the more than 92,000-seat stadium will be allocated to students – 18,026 tickets.

“You must be a full-time student for two consecutive semesters to be eligible to receive [full home season] tickets,” Cearley said.

To maintain student ticket priority, all undergraduate students must be enrolled for a minimum of 12 hours at the end of the spring and fall semester drop/add period, Cearley said.

“Undergraduate students taking less than 12 hours are eligible to make a request for tickets, but will fall below the status of new freshmen,” he said.

Those students may not receive tickets in the priority system, depending on demand, Cearley said.

Students will not be assigned a specific section in the stadium and will be admitted on a first come, first serve basis.

“There will be certain gates designated to students only,” White said. “We are working on which gates.”

White said students could receive a diagram of the stadium, describing where they can sit, with their e-mailed ticket package notification.

He said the Athletic Association has not yet determined the exact sections for student seating.

Personnel will direct students to designated student seating sections and will notify students when a section is full.

“The gates will be clearly marked with signage,” he said.

“Two problem stations will be setup if you have an ID card that can’t get scanned and ask about what problems you are having.”

Cearley said the overall reception of the electronic ticketing system has been “very positive.”

“People were very supportive,” he said. “Students seem to be very receptive of the new system.”