Sold out "show"

If you want tickets to the Permian-Odessa High football game Friday, it's time to call some friends.

Public tickets sold out early Wednesday morning as demand exceeded expectations - and the supply.

"This is a wonderful problem to have such an interest in your sports teams," athletic coordinator Todd Vesely said. Vesely said demand was higher this year than in the past. With most of the 400 people with numbers from Tuesday buying the maximum 10 tickets, the district did not have as many reserve tickets available as expected based upon past OHS-Permian matchups.

He said that could be why many thought if they had a number they automatically received a reserved seat, which is not the case.

"Everyone with a number was still able to get into the stadium," Vesely said, explaining how all 400 people with a place in line could receive a standing room-only ticket in the end zone once the reserve seating was sold. Vesely said it was incorrect to think that because the stadium has approximately 17,500 seats, that leaves that many general tickets available to the public.

Since the two high schools are playing each other, both bands and students fill up their respective sides, taking away roughly 8 of 14 sections from public use. Only half the stadium is then available for the general public. After reserving these sections, both school's sections only have 5,600 seats for the public.

Season ticket holders take up virtually all of the rest of the tickets. For Permian, there are 5,292 season ticket holders. That means only 312 seats could even be sold.

Odessa High has fewer season ticket holders, at 3,011. That leaves 2,593 seats for sale.

Athletic officials let people from each side sit on the other side of the stadium if needed to make up for the difference in seats available. That left only 2,905 reserve seats available, all of which were sold Tuesday.

ECISD was selling 1,500 standing-room only tickets starting Tuesday evening and into Wednesday morning.

"I wish we had a seat for everyone, but unfortunately, somebody will be left outside," Vesely said. "We can't put the public at risk by having more people than the stadium can handle."

Vesely said safety and space is why lawn chairs will not be allowed in the end zone seating, though he said blankets will be allowed for people to avoid sitting directly on the grass. Also, though the district has done so in the past, they would not bring portable bleachers into Ratliff for this game.

"It is a bad idea for security to have too many people on the field, and the added numbers would not be good for the track resurfacing done on the field," Vesely said.

For those who weren't able to get tickets, a small secondary market may be out there.

One Odessa woman, who asked not to be identified, said she sold a pair of tickets in Section F for $80 after placing an advertisement in the Odessa American.

"I see Cowboys' tickets advertised for $500," she said. "I think this game is just as important to us as Cowboy games are for a lot of people."

Odessa Police Cpl. Jamie Brown said there were no state laws prohibiting reselling of tickets, and if there are city ordinances, they are antiquated and aren't currently enforced.

"We're not going to call the people up and buy the tickets, and then turn around and arrest them," Brown said.

The perceived shortage Tuesday angered some who thought having a number meant they would get a reserved seat ticket.

The purpose of getting a number to receive a place in line to buy tickets was to try to make the process smoother by letting people stay in their cars, but some still camped out at the stadium even to get the number. After people received a line position to purchase tickets, they still had to come back to buy them again. Vesely said the process has gone smoothly in the past.

Vesely said the athletic department may make changes to the ticket-buying process for future OHS-Permian matchups.