After the ’Canes defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes in an exciting New Year’s Eve matchup, UM will face the Ole Miss Rebels in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Students, alumni and ‘Canes fans across the country have felt the excitement of the College Football Playoff, with student Cotton Bowl tickets selling out within five minutes of going on sale.
For Mercer Peakes, a junior finance major from Texas, having the first two playoff games in his home state was both convenient and exciting.
Peakes attended the first playoff game against Texas A&M but did not attend the Cotton Bowl in Dallas because he was unable to get a student ticket.
“Being from Houston, I have quite a few friends at A&M so I had them get me a ticket through their portal for cheap,” Peakes said. “So I actually ended up sitting in the A&M student section which technically isn’t allowed but I was able to get in without too much trouble from stadium security.”
Although his method was unconventional, Peakes was able to experience the game at Kyle Field, a stadium that holds more than 100,000 people and is often referred to as the “Home of the 12th Man.”
“The game itself was insane. I have never experienced a stadium that loud and it makes Hard Rock Stadium look quiet and relatively tame,” he said.
For other UM students like Ashton Weissman, a public health major from California, attending every UM playoff game has been a top priority.
“I got a ticket for the Fiesta Bowl as well and have excellent seats,” he said. “As a huge Miami football fan I wasn’t going to miss a game especially because Arizona is only a five-hour drive from me.”
UM students are not the only ones excited for the CFP. UM alumni and their families are feeling the hype too.
Owen Paschke, a senior mechanical engineering student at Lafayette College is the son of a UM alumnus who is a Hurricane Club member. The Hurricane Club is the philanthropic arm of the University of Miami Athletics Department that supports student athletes and provides unique benefits for members, including access to tickets.
“My experience getting tickets was relatively straightforward,” Paschke said. “When Miami was selected for the playoffs a portal was opened where members could indicate interest that they had in being able to buy tickets for each round of the playoffs, up to the natty.”
Paschke’s father indicated interest in four tickets for the first round game, but they were not drawn, forcing him to purchase them from a friend who had two free tickets. For the Fiesta Bowl, his interest in two tickets was selected and he purchased them directly from the Hurricane Club.
Unlike the Cotton Bowl, tickets for the Fiesta Bowl were still available days after student priority ticket access started on Jan. 2.
According to University Athletics, when Fiesta Bowl tickets were initially offered for sale, the UM ticket office received 158 student requests for tickets and all requests were fulfilled. After Miami advanced to the semifinals on New Year’s Eve, the ticket office received a limited number of additional student tickets to sell as student priority access starting at noon on Friday, Jan. 2.
Some students point to travel accommodations, ticket costs and accessibility as reasons why ticket sales did not move as quickly this time.
“I suspect the hard core Miami fans who are willing to travel did go to the Cotton Bowl and the A&M game,” Peakes said. “The Fiesta Bowl is in an awkward spot where people already spent a bunch on travel and tickets because not many expected us to make it this far.”
For Weissman, part of the challenge with Fiesta Bowl comes down to accessibility, seating options and the student experience.
“We could easily sell out the student section if they made guest tickets available. I have a bunch of friends who aren’t students that want to go but couldn’t sit in the most fun section,” Weissman said.
Still, for both teams, the chance to play in the Fiesta Bowl is an unforgettable experience.
If the ’Canes defeat Ole Miss, they will play the national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium, giving UM students and fans a chance to cheer for a national title on their home turf.