Guarantee the Big Ticket: Expand DKR Student Seating to 25,000

The Problem: You Paid for a Pass, Not a Guarantee

In 2025, Texas Athletics sold 22,789 Big Tickets for a DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium student section with only ~11,300 to 13,000 seats.

That means over 20,000 UT students are paying anywhere from $270 to over $400 out-of-pocket for a sports pass that leaves thousands stranded outside the gates for major games.

While student demand for Big Tickets has grown 35% since 2021, the physical size of the student section has remained flat. We are paying record prices for a lottery ticket. Meanwhile, thousands of unused student tickets go to waste at non-conference or early kickoff games because the current 3-hour return window gives students too little notice to claim them.

UT Football is entering a dominant new era in the SEC, but student access is getting squeezed out. It's time for Texas Athletics to guarantee student access.

The Solution: A Realistic, Multi-Year Plan
We are calling on Texas Athletics and UT Student Government to commit to a formal, multi-year plan to expand student seating and optimize the ticketing system:

Phase 1: Upgrade the Ticket Return System & Monetize Unused Seats (Immediate)

• Shift to a 24-Hour Return Window: UT currently allows students to return tickets up to 3 hours before kickoff, but that is often too late for another student to claim and attend. Extending this to a 24-hour return window allows Athletics to convert unclaimed student tickets into single-game general public sales using the existing software.
• Reward Early Returns: Incentivize students who return tickets early with Longhorn Foundation Loyalty Points or priority claim windows for future games, rather than relying solely on penalty strikes.

Phase 2: Expand the Student Section to 20,000–25,000 Seats (Starting 2027)

• Commit to a Phased Build-Out: Guarantee a floor of 20,000 seats with a stretch goal of 25,000 seats to match growing student demand.
• Launch Tranche 1 in 2027: Begin the first expansion phase for the 2027 football season.

Target Lowest-Tier General Inventory: Reallocate seats starting strictly from the lowest-tier general-public inventory (seats requiring only minimum waitlist donations), ensuring long-time donors and high-level Longhorn Foundation supporters are not displaced.

Why This Works
This isn't an unreasonable request. It’s a structured, financially viable proposal:

• It protects donor traditions: We are not asking to touch high-tier donor seating, only the lowest-tier general-public inventory.
• It respects SEC rules: The plan maintains all SEC visiting-team seat minimums (2,000 lower-bowl seats) and 30-yard-line student section boundaries.
• It generates revenue for Athletics: Upgrading the return window creates a lucrative single-game resale pipeline for Athletics out of seats that currently sit empty.
• It matches actual student demand: With Big Ticket sales projected to exceed 25,000 by 2027, a 25,000-seat section makes "guaranteed access" a reality for every student who buys a pass.

Sign the Petition Today
Texas Athletics generates record-breaking revenue, and student energy is the pulse of DKR on game days. We deserve a system where buying a Big Ticket actually guarantees you a seat in the stadium.

Sign this petition to show Texas Athletics and UT Student Government that UT students stand behind a guaranteed Big Ticket!