Fewer arrests, problems Saturday
All systems were finally go during the Kentucky game Saturday.
Scanners worked, students got into the game and Student Ticketing Coordinator Adrienne White said there was no line outside her office Monday morning.
The meager student turnout for the game — 9,195 scanned tickets, 1,457 unclaimed and 536 no-shows — was less stress on the system, she said, which could have factored into this success.
White attributed the low attendance to students being out of town, complaints of the 12:21 p.m. kickoff time being too early and a less-than-illustrious Kentucky team generating low interest among students.
A bigger issue on Saturday was students scanning tickets and leaving. White was disappointed by this, as well by the masses leaving at halftime, but she said the university has no way to prevent either from happening.
“Students do what they want to do,” she said. “I don’t know why students don’t stay the whole game ... I know a lot of the fraternities and sororities had breast cancer awareness events at their tailgates, so that might have been a reason.”
White hopes USC’s next home game, a more highly anticipated Nov. 12 matchup against Florida during Homecoming Weekend goes as smoothly as Saturday’s.
“For Florida, I expect there to be higher attendance but no problems,” White said. “The only major issues were the scanners.”
The less-populated game also resulted in police and event staff seeing fewer issues.
A total of 50 students were ejected from Saturday’s game, fewer than in games past, according to Capt. Eric Grabski of USC’s Department of Law Enforcement and Safety.
“Almost all of them were for wristband violations or for alcohol,” Grabski said. “It was pretty much even, half and half. There were a few smoking violations as well.”
Grabski said police judge games on the number of arrests and ejections, and there were fewer of both.
Four students were arrested and taken to jail — three for possession of alcohol and one for possession of a controlled substance, Grabski said. He said two courtesy summons, both for alcohol, were given at the game.