How to get tickets to a sold-out Indiana University basketball game - my son's visit.

My son was home for a brief visit this weekend. There was an IU game last night - IU vs. Central Connecticut State. For now, IU is ranked number one. My son told me on Friday he would like to go to the game. My son now lives in North Carolina and doesn't get back to Indiana too often. He said "if they go all the way and I miss a chance to see them while I'm home..." So Mama set out to find tickets. I was up early yesterday and the first call I made was to the IU ticket office. I was told there were no tickets but tickets might open up later on in the day. Then I called the number listed in the big ad in the classified section of the newspaper. I was told he had seats on Row 8 for $85. and on Row 17 for $75. No thank you. Then I looked online at Craig's List and others but didn't find anything but one and two seats together.

I headed to Starbucks for a Caramel Brulee latte and a piece of banana walnut loaf. Then I went down to 17th Street where there are always scalpers on game day. The man I talked to told me he didn't have three seats together and it was unlikely I would find three seats together. His asking price was $100-$150. I said no thanks. Then I called the ticket office again and was told they had three tickets on the ninth row at face value of $33.00 each. If you go to the ticket office in person you save $10.00 each ticket on the "handling charge." You guessed it - by the time I got to the ticket office those three seats were gone and all they had were one and two seats together.

I had one more stop to make before I headed home to get the chicken and noodles on for our lunch. (My son's request.) I wanted to go to a Christmas open house in a barn but got lost trying to find the barn. I have lived here for five years but got lost out in the country and drove around for an hour. Finally I got on the map on my phone and found my way home. All of my running around for nothing. Just a big waste of time and gas.

My son arrived and we had our chicken and noodles and Sister Schubert rolls. (No plug here - just our favorite rolls.)

We decided to head down to Assembly Hall and try our hand at buying tickets from the scalpers. We knew if couldn't find tickets for a good price we would go watch it somewhere downtown. We had nothing to lose. The first scalper we spoke with stood on the corner. He told us some tale of how his dentist gave him these two tickets and they were great seats and he wanted $150.00 each. I told him we wanted three seats at face value. He asked me where I was from and when I said "here," he said "then you know how hot these tickets are." I told him I did but that my friend Cornelius had told me not to pay more than face value for tickets for this game. This seemed to anger the man and when we walked away he yelled after us.  I turned and said to him "you still have those tickets in your hand and we still have our money."  He yelled "I've got money, too, lady!"

Then we started asking every scalper we came across how much and where were the seats. It seems to me the lowest price we were quoted was $75.00/ticket. We didn't want to pay more than face value $33.00- $40.00 at the most. As we walked closer to Assembly Hall it was getting closer and closer to tip off. Several guys picked up on the fact we were looking for tickets and they began to approach us. We kept walking. Finally a man was walking towards us looking dejected. He had two tickets in his hand and asked us if we needed tickets. We told him we were looking for three.  He told us he only had two but he would let us have two for $30.00.  I said "no, no, no...we need three." Finally he said he would sell us two tickets for $25.00 and we took them.  Now we needed one more ticket. In the end, Doug got a twenty out and waved it around and three or four guys ran to us. (By this time it was about seven minutes to tip-off.) We bought a single ticket for $15.00. Three tickets for $40.00.  But we were still concerned about the three of us sitting together. When we went in to where the two seats were together, there was a third empty seat! It worked out perfectly.

 Across the way sat John Mellencamp and Meg Ryan.  I knew Meg had been in Bloomington for some time but I had never seen her out in public.

 My son and I on the Hoosier bench after the game:

 After the game we went to Nick's. My son bought the first round.

Then we went across the street to the Upstairs Pub and I bought the next round. We sat at the bar and watched Ultimate Fighting Championship. I had never seen anything like it and was a little horrified.  Anything goes except kicks to the groin.  It hurt to watch.

 

Then we came home and sat by the fire and talked until two-thirty in the morning. 
My son had to head out this morning so I was up and at 'em to get the coffee on.  We also had orange juice.  I made bacon and then cooked up some perogies in the bacon grease with salt and pepper.  Another meal from my son's growing-up years at home.

All too soon it was time for him to head out. But I will see him soon for Christmas when I go out there.
There you have it. I hoped you have learned as I have - if you need tickets for a sold-out basketball game at Indiana University, don't waste your time driving around and calling all of the numbers in the paper and online - just head down to Assembly Hall and see your friendly scalper.