60,000 request BCS Championship tickets

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NEW ORLEANS -- For some, the highlight of this Thanksgiving week isn't the turkey and stuffing, but the tigers and razorbacks.

Louisiana State University is expecting more than 100,000 people on campus for Friday's football game against Arkansas.

The Tigers' winning season has demand for tickets both to the Arkansas game, and already, the BCS Championship game before the teams are even chosen.

“Gotta get one for my dog,” said Bill Haws while shopping for LSU swag at the Purple and Gold Shop in Metairie.

It's not the only reason Haws is the definition of a true LSU football fan. He's been watching the team in Tiger Stadium since the '60s when he was a student at LSU. Haws has had season tickets since he graduated in '64.

“If you haven't experienced it, it's like Mardi Gras. People are probably starting to tailgate already out there,” he said.

Haws is one of the lucky ones with a ticket to Friday's big match up against #3-ranked Arkansas.

“They’re in high demand. I just got a notice from LSU that they're expecting from 150,000 to 200,000 people on campus,” he said.

And he wasn’t the only die-hard fan looking for LSU gear Tuesday.

“My husband and son are flying in to go to the game as well,” said Beverly Perilloux, who lives in Houston.

Tickets for the Arkansas game on the upper deck are selling for just under $200.

Tulane business professor Harish Sujan said he's not surprised.

“The economics are very easy. You pay for what you want badly enough,” Sujan said.

What is surprising is the high price for tickets to the BCS Championship game in the Superdome. Most websites have tickets selling for a minimum of $1,200, and no one even knows who's playing in it yet.

“I think it's a little outlandish to tell you the truth, but if people are willing to pay for it,” Haws said.

Perilloux said she and her husband already have flights and a hotel room booked for the game, even though they don’t know if LSU will qualify, and if they will get tickets.

“We have faith. We know they're gonna be there,” she said.

According to a spokesman for LSU Athletics, 60,000 season ticket holders requested BCS Championship tickets, but the school only gets 17,000.

Face value of the tickets, if LSU makes it, is $350. But when you meet fans like Haws, you can understand why some are willing to pay $1,200.

“LSU, it's to die for. I'll be there till they bury me, I guess,” Haws said.

LSU's Championship tickets get offered to the Tiger Athletic Foundation members, starting with those who have the highest point score. Several factors are involved in the score, including the number of season tickets someone holds.