When I started at RPI, students were admitted free to football games. All we had to do was show our ID cards. But as I recall, they had ticket booths by the entrance to '86 Field, so I guess they must have charged admission to the general public.
One year, the first issue of the Poly came out before the first home football game. There was an article in there indicating that, for the first time, there would be a nominal charge (25 cents or some exorbitant figure like that) for students to attend football games. The article went on with the helpful advice that if anyone wanted to avoid waiting in line to purchase a student ticket on game day, tickets could be purchased in advance at the Field House.
I figured the early bird gets the worm. I went up to the Field House, presented myself at the box office, and told them I wanted to buy a student ticket for the football game.
The person at the window was rather nonplussed. She turned to someone sitting in the office behind her and asked if they were selling tickets for football games. The other person said, oh, yes, a roll of tickets had been sent over from the athletic offices in the '87 Gym. The roll of tickets was brought over to the window - I remember the lady at the window had to peel off a piece of tape in order to be able to detach one ticket from the roll - and I handed in my 25 cents and was given my ticket.
On game day, I went over to the gate at '86 Field and offered my ticket to the person at the gate, who said "What's this?"
I said, "It's my student ticket to the game."
He said, "Are you a student?"
I said, "Yes."
He said, "You don't need a ticket. All students get in free. All you need to do is show me your ID."
I found out later that as soon as the article hit the Poly, the GM and/or PU and/or other members of the student government had kicked up a fuss and the decision to charge students admission to football games had been rescinded. I was probably the only person who ever bought one of those student tickets.
I hung onto that ticket for years, as a reminder that the early bird gets the worm, but if you're the early worm, that's another matter altogether.
