Student Attendance - Newest Deterrent

Some brilliant employee(s) at Tech decided to do away with student IDs as the pass for students entering the games.

Now they students are required to go to LATechTix.com on their phone and log in with their student email. Every home game week they'll receive a text message to claim their ticket for the upcoming week's game. A barcode will be sent to their phone at a designated time and that is what they will show to enter the game. FWIW, they will also be able to PURCHASE guest tickets using this "platform".

Can't make this stupid crap up. I guess they were having a problem with too many students attending?

Step 1 -- What can we do to provide a great gameday experience for all Tech fans?

Step 2 -- Now how can we do the OPPOSITE of that?

Kinda complicated, not aweful. They need to make sure the students get a heads-up on that.

Where did you hear this? I've spoken with 2 students who have not received any email or notice so far about this. Could be they are waiting for school to start back before informing everyone.

Tommy and his minions are dumb as a bag of sweet potatoes!

I have been to several campuses where students are required to pick up an actual paper ticket from the student center. When the team is good, students have no problem with that extra step. When they suck, students don’t make the effort on many cases.

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Originally Posted by Tech52

Kinda complicated, not aweful.

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It's a stupid thing to do to a group of students who have been EXTREMELY supportive of all student fees for athletics and who our admin will be courting for more money very soon.

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Originally Posted by bullman

Where did you hear this? I've spoken with 2 students who have not received any email or notice so far about this. Could be they are waiting for school to start back before informing everyone.

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I have a student at Tech who sent me the information. He is an avid fan who keeps up with such BS. Imagine how the students who have not even considered going to a game will react.

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Originally Posted by techman05

I have been to several campuses where students are required to pick up an actual paper ticket from the student center. When the team is good, students have no problem with that extra step. When they suck, students don’t make the effort on many cases.

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I'm guessing all the campuses you describe have a large student attendance in addition to the team being good. Our student attendance has been going down since we hired our current AD. Looking for ways to make it more difficult to attend game is idiotic.

At what point do we start to wonder whether he's a shill from our BR overlords to keep lil' ol' Tech in its proper place?

It won't work. First, we don't have the infrastructure to do it. Unless we can get cell operators to immediately come in with their Cell on Wheels (COWs) expanding the network, pulling up an email on your phone could be problematic during gameday. I've used my carriers data on gameday and it's sluggish when more people start arriving to the stadium.

We don't have a cellular DAS or robust Wi-Fi system at the Joe to handle gameday wireless connections. Hell, we have problems with just scanning paper tickets at times. I've seen our ticket scan operators having trouble with their connected scanner devices communicating to the secure stadium network.

I think they should allow using either/or. I know plenty of students that tailgate and never enter because they dont have their ID. So they just party then leave.

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Originally Posted by qng001

It won't work. First, we don't have the infrastructure to do it. Unless we can get cell operators to immediately come in with their Cell on Wheels (COWs) expanding the network, pulling up an email on your phone could be problematic during gameday. I've used my carriers data on gameday and it's sluggish when more people start arriving to the stadium.

We don't have a cellular DAS or robust Wi-Fi system at the Joe to handle gameday wireless connections. Hell, we have problems with just scanning paper tickets at times. I've seen our ticket scan operators having trouble with their connected scanner devices communicating to the secure stadium network.

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Use of COWs should've been part of the Verizon sponsorship package . . . if it hadn't already been done.

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Originally Posted by Dawgpix

Use of COWs should've been part of the Verizon sponsorship package . . . if it hadn't already been done.

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If it did, then it's great for Verizon customers. As far as AT&T and others...hope the local cell site can handle the traffic.

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Originally Posted by Champ967

At what point do we start to wonder whether he's a shill from our BR overlords to keep lil' ol' Tech in its proper place?

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I am to the point where I cannot even blame Tommy anymore.

I think he's over his pay grade and attendance this year will prove it.

Our President who "gets it" doesn't "get it."

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Originally Posted by johnnyb019

I think they should allow using either/or. I know plenty of students that tailgate and never enter because they dont have their ID. So they just party then leave.

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This is true, not every student carries it on them.

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Originally Posted by Tech52

This is true, not every student carries it on them.

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So they carry their phone, but not an ID. That's fine, but the process of getting the bar code is screwed up. Just show your ID, even if it is on your phone, and they waive you through. Oh, can't do that. Might get too many students in the game and some may not be legit.

Why not just let the students load their student ID into the tech app or into their phone like Louisiana is doing with your drivers license. So many easier alternatives.

At one point I thought we were Louisiana TECH University. Don't we have professors and classes and special projects to go together for the betterment of the institution?

This putting the ID on a phone app is just right for the cyberengineering minds to tackle in milliseconds. Other examples?

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Originally Posted by PawDawg

So they carry their phone, but not an ID. That's fine, but the process of getting the bar code is screwed up. Just show your ID, even if it is on your phone, and they waive you through. Oh, can't do that. Might get too many students in the game and some may not be legit.

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Thats likely the reason. If they aren’t scanning, anyone with a current ID gets in by flashing it.

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Originally Posted by brentcausey

Why not just let the students load their student ID into the tech app or into their phone like Louisiana is doing with your drivers license. So many easier alternatives.

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Yep. What was broken?

The goof balls who came up with this idea have not noticed that student attendance is going down over the past 5 years? BTW, overall attendance is going down while the team has been WINNING!

OK, at first I didn’t think this was such a bad idea, but having read this thread I agree it needs lots of work. Letting them use either/or seems fine, or at the very least giving them an app to load their student ID on and get that scanned. No need to act like we’re Notre Dame and require them to do this, though.

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Originally Posted by PawDawg

Some brilliant employee(s) at Tech decided to do away with student IDs as the pass for students entering the games.

Now they students are required to go to LATechTix.com on their phone and log in with their student email. Every home game week they'll receive a text message to claim their ticket for the upcoming week's game. A barcode will be sent to their phone at a designated time and that is what they will show to enter the game. FWIW, they will also be able to PURCHASE guest tickets using this "platform".

Can't make this stupid crap up. I guess they were having a problem with too many students attending?

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This is the way this generation works and deals in their daily lives.
Heck I see at least 65% of the average Joe, having scanned and downloaded tickets/bar codes on their phones, then scanning it with the attendant prior to walking down the gangway to board. These kids live on their phones. I've even done this. No big deal.

But would I have gone to this for our students...I'm not sure. But I imagine they will gather plenty of demographics and stats to glean data from and use to better attendance.

Just discussed with my student and he said you would not believe the number of students who have lost their ID so they just stay away from sports events. Upper classmen deem ID unimportant as they live off campus and dont need an ID as it is only now used for meal plans. You would have to search long and hard to find a student without a phone. He said this is a neutral event for him.

Once you move off campus its rarely necessary.

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Originally Posted by TYLERTECHSAS

This is the way this generation works and deals in their daily lives.
Heck I see at least 65% of the average Joe, having scanned and downloaded tickets/bar codes on their phones, then scanning it with the attendant prior to walking down the gangway to board. These kids live on their phones. I've even done this. No big deal.

But would I have gone to this for our students...I'm not sure. But I imagine they will gather plenty of demographics and stats to glean data from and use to better attendance.

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You've always sucked up to any new idea whether bad or good. This is a bad one and you are acting like a democrat for not accepting that.

Our attendance is going DOWN. Stop ignoring that problem.

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Originally Posted by ETxBullDawg

Just discussed with my student and he said you would not believe the number of students who have lost their ID so they just stay away from sports events. Upper classmen deem ID unimportant as they live off campus and dont need an ID as it is only now used for meal plans. You would have to search long and hard to find a student without a phone. He said this is a neutral event for him.

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I guess my student is old school and still keeps a wallet in this pocket that includes his IDs and a little money. Not much, but I never encouraged the money clip idea.

If you guys think our already unmotivated students will go along with this insanity, you need to reconsider.

Tech is not in a position to require much to gain admittance or enjoy a game. Students should be waived through with whatever form of admission they have, ticket, bar code, or ID. Many families can’t drop $100-$120 on a single game and food truck cuisine. Our admin seems to run itself ragged trying to figure out ways to turn people away. Maybe the event staff doesn’t like to clean up trash so this is how our admin takes care of that?

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Originally Posted by TYLERTECHSAS

This is the way this generation works and deals in their daily lives.
Heck I see at least 65% of the average Joe, having scanned and downloaded tickets/bar codes on their phones, then scanning it with the attendant prior to walking down the gangway to board. These kids live on their phones. I've even done this. No big deal.

But would I have gone to this for our students...I'm not sure. But I imagine they will gather plenty of demographics and stats to glean data from and use to better attendance.

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Originally Posted by ETxBullDawg

Just discussed with my student and he said you would not believe the number of students who have lost their ID so they just stay away from sports events. Upper classmen deem ID unimportant as they live off campus and dont need an ID as it is only now used for meal plans. You would have to search long and hard to find a student without a phone. He said this is a neutral event for him.

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Originally Posted by Tech52

Once you move off campus its rarely necessary.

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Originally Posted by PawDawg

You've always sucked up to any new idea whether bad or good. This is a bad one and you are acting like a democrat for not accepting that.

Our attendance is going DOWN. Stop ignoring that problem.

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I just disagree with you on this one.
The topic was the phone scan. And my answer was , "But would I have gone to this for our students...I'm not sure."

I just don't see any negative. Again, high tech and IPhones is how this generation lives and breathes. No biggie IMHO.

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Originally Posted by TYLERTECHSAS

I just don't see any negative. Again, high tech and IPhones is how this generation lives and breathes. No biggie IMHO.

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The negative is that students now only have one option if they want to get in the game (other than buying a ticket)

They have to ask for the barcode (it should go to every student without them having to ask).

The goof balls are saying that students not having ID's in order to get in the game was a problem. That's total BS!

They did this because this is what lsu and other "big schools" do.

I think there should be a plan B if mobile ticketing doesnt work (what if a student can't get connected, has a crappy phone, mobile data is slow due to traffic). Do they go up to ticket booth, show ID, and get a printed ticket?

A small group of students came into the office today and I asked them if they heard anything about this. 3 of the 5 said they have heard about it the other 2 don't like sports of any kind so they don't care. I asked is this something they have a problem with. They said that they already do this for concerts and movies so its fine with them. they said they hope scanning the barcode works faster than swiping each id.

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Originally Posted by johnnyb019

they said they hope scanning the barcode works faster than swiping each id.

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This will give security more time to frisk each student for alkeehawl....

When we had good student attendance all they did was show their ID. Who cares if 10% of those are beating the system? We continue to fix problems we don't have and ignore the most glaring ones

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Originally Posted by PawDawg

When we had good student attendance all they did was show their ID. Who cares if 10% of those are beating the system? We continue to fix problems we don't have and ignore the most glaring ones

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Are you saying we are a university of liberals? I feel dirty all the sudden.

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Originally Posted by PawDawg

When we had good student attendance all they did was show their ID. Who cares if 10% of those are beating the system? We continue to fix problems we don't have and ignore the most glaring ones

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This is not near the problem you want it to be. Its how people get into a lot of events now, they won’t mind as long as they know its happening.

http://www.latechbbb.com/forum/showt...techsports.com

Kids and technology man. It’s the future.

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Originally Posted by johnnyb019

A small group of students came into the office today and I asked them if they heard anything about this. 3 of the 5 said they have heard about it the other 2 don't like sports of any kind so they don't care. I asked is this something they have a problem with. They said that they already do this for concerts and movies so its fine with them. they said they hope scanning the barcode works faster than swiping each id.

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I agree, this is not a big deal. People (yes, including me) use their hand held devices to access and pay for just about everything these days. For example, when I visit a shop or a restaurant these days that doesn't accept "ApplePay", I don't like it at all. Applepay, GooglePay, et al...are about 100 times more secure than using a live credit card to pay for things. Frankly, I'm pleasantly surprised to see that LA Tech has taken a proactive stance on some of this technology.

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Originally Posted by HogDawg

I agree, this is not a big deal. People (yes, including me) use their hand held devices to access and pay for just about everything these days. For example, when I visit a shop or a restaurant these days that doesn't accept "ApplePay", I don't like it at all. Applepay, GooglePay, et al...are about 100 times more secure than using a live credit card to pay for things. Frankly, I'm pleasantly surprised to see that LA Tech has taken a proactive stance on some of this technology.

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Yes, it is a huge deal and you'll see it when you look at even fewer students on the east side.

It would be proactive if it were an option to getting into the game. You don't mandate to a dwindling group of attendees. You do things that will actually encourage them to come.

When this mandate was discussed the question was never: How can we get more students to the game? The question was: How can we prevent some of the students from getting in free by using other's IDs

I don't have a problem with technology. I have a problem with our employees refusing to work to INCREASE student attendance.

There was a time, as recent as 2016, that you needed a shoehorn to squeeze into the student sections. There was always at least 125% attendance vs. capacity between the 40's east side. Beginning in 2017 it began to ease, to now, I would guess it's closer to 75% attendance vs. capacity, 1st Qtr, dropping below 40% at halftime, to barely 25% by game's end. By mid-season this year, if there is no improvement in the product on the field, i.e. QB play, it'll be down to 50% at kickoffs.

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Originally Posted by PawDawg

Yes, it is a huge deal and you'll see it when you look at even fewer students on the east side.

It would be proactive if it were an option to getting into the game. You don't mandate to a dwindling group of attendees. You do things that will actually encourage them to come.

When this mandate was discussed the question was never: How can we get more students to the game? The question was: How can we prevent some of the students from getting in free by using other's IDs

I don't have a problem with technology. I have a problem with our employees refusing to work to INCREASE student attendance.

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You and I both know that If the product on the field is worth a damn, the students will attend. If not, they won't. It's that simple.

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Originally Posted by PawDawg

Yes, it is a huge deal and you'll see it when you look at even fewer students on the east side.

It would be proactive if it were an option to getting into the game. You don't mandate to a dwindling group of attendees. You do things that will actually encourage them to come.

When this mandate was discussed the question was never: How can we get more students to the game? The question was: How can we prevent some of the students from getting in free by using other's IDs

I don't have a problem with technology. I have a problem with our employees refusing to work to INCREASE student attendance.

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In general this is the way business is done all over now, especially for the younger generations. But when you don’t have an attractive product, you find ways to draw people in, you never create any extra hurdles.

So on a normal year, it would be nice seeing us keeping up with the times, in our situation with the slowest show on earth, especially if we have certain player(s) suspended on offense its just another hurdle. It may not keep many away, but if it keeps any away in a year like this it’s bad.

Also, if we made the decision to keep up with the times, or because we invested in better wi-fi/cell services in the stadium etc. awesome, but I truly feel the decision was made with the mindset of catching/punishing a handful of students who were getting in with someone else ID.

Tommy makes decisions with the wrong mindset.

Wont matter. Anyone who went to the trouble of watching the game tonight will not be going to the trouble of going to a game in person.

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Originally Posted by PawDawg

Yes, it is a huge deal and you'll see it when you look at even fewer students on the east side.

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Only because of the crappy start time of 2:30 in a brutal hot sun. This game should have been played at night.

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Originally Posted by HogDawg

You and I both know that If the product on the field is worth a damn, the students will attend. If not, they won't. It's that simple.

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True!

We aren't Notre Dame! A student idea, even a fake one, should be perfectly fine to get a butt in the seat.

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Originally Posted by TYLERTECHSAS

Only because of the crappy start time of 2:30 in a brutal hot sun. This game should have been played at night.

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We already knew the Grambling game was going to be a low attendance game because of game time AND the students don't buy the "historic game" BS our admin is tying to sell.

I'm concerned about overall attendance by the students. It has been dropping since our leadership decided to to the stupid 8:00 thing and threaten the students if they get caught drinking a beer on campus...

No problem with some of our thug players getting busted for weed, but students can't have a beer before the game while tailgating.

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Originally Posted by RougeDawg

We aren't Notre Dame! A student idea, even a fake one, should be perfectly fine to get a butt in the seat.

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Ah yes, today's enlightened generation...

Still no information on game entry to my son the Tech student.

He did get information because he is a greek and got his bar code.

This is going well...

The students were finally notified on their Tech email accounts today

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Originally Posted by PawDawg

The students were finally notified on their Tech email accounts today

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Given that the campus central server is a paper plant computer from the 70s, they probably brought the punch cards down to the basement last Monday and it's just now making it across the lines.

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Originally Posted by Blue Dawg

Given that the campus central server is a paper plant computer from the 70s, they probably brought the punch cards down to the basement last Monday and it's just now making it across the lines.

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Ah yes, the basement of Wyly Tower. Great memories... :rolleyes4:

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Originally Posted by Blue Dawg

Given that the campus central server is a paper plant computer from the 70s, they probably brought the punch cards down to the basement last Monday and it's just now making it across the lines.

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:laugh:

Today it was the heat!

Next home game it will be our offense :((

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Originally Posted by ChipDog

Today it was the heat!

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They can't get into the tailgate area designated for them.

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Originally Posted by DallasDog

Next home game it will be our offense :((

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no, it will be Friday

Friday night at 7 (?) should be welcome in comparison.