By Mallory Bowman

The University of Louisville ticket tailgate for purchasingseason tickets for football and basketball games is scheduled forApril 16 and 17.

The annual event is usually sponsored solely by the U of LStudent Government Association, but this year SGA has teamed upwith the athletic department to make the tailgate an even biggerevent.

The annual spring football game on April 16 is scheduled to takeplace during the tailgate this year.

Another new aspect of the tailgate includes the optionalcheck-in points available to participating students on Wednesdayand Thursday of this week. Check-in times are on Wednesday from 7a.m. until 8:30 a.m. and at 4:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. Check-in timeson Thursday are the same as on Wednesday.

Students will have the option of registering on Wednesday orThursday for their spot in line. Once a student registers, he doesnot to stay at the stadium on Wednesday or Thursday non-stop but isrequired to check in at appointed times after registration or heloses his place in line. Students are not required to be there atall times until 8 a.m. on Friday morning, when the tailgate beginsand random check-in times will start taking place. If students arenot present during the random check-in times, they lose their placein line.

SGA president Michael Sticklen said students could show up atanytime for the tailgate until 8 a.m. Saturday morning, when ticketsales begin. He said there are around 2,000 basketball and 3,500football tickets available this year.

Sticklen projected that the tickets, especially basketballtickets, will sell quickly because the U of L vs. UK games will beheld at home this year.

“We have a lot of football tickets and we usuallydon’t sell out of them, but basketball season tickets willdefinitely sell out during the tailgate this year,” Sticklensaid.

Activities will be provided throughout the tailgate, includingconcerts, a drive-in movie, and the spring football game, scheduledfor Friday night at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Student identification cards will be necessary to buy thetickets, and Sticklen said this year, students will not be allowedto hold Cardinal cards for students who are unable to attend. Eachstudent will have to show his or her individual Cardinal card toobtain tickets.

“We’ve heard that our student section is not reallya student section,” Sticklen said. “We feel that byholding other people’s I.D.’s that those people end upbuying tickets for people who are not actually students.”

Freshman Eric Connor said he’s excited about participatingin the event and said he plans to make it something he participatesin each year.

“I think this is important because it gives studentssomething to do and a chance to prove that they are true fans bycamping out for the best seats instead of giving them to whoever byluck of the draw,” Connor said. “It shows what studentsare the true fans. Someone willing to wait for tickets will likelyput them to good use.”

Sticklen said he encourages student participation becauseathletics are in integral part of the university culture.

“Athletics is one of the biggest extracurricularactivities that you can participate in at U of L,” he said.”It’s so exciting. This is a great event to participatein.”

Tickets are priced as follows:

Football, one student: $35; Football, one student and one guest:$80; Football and basketball, one student: $162; and football andbasketball for one student and a guest: $368.

For more information about the event, contact the SGA office at852-6695.