Tickets Scarce for Kent State's MAC Championship Appearance

If you don't have a ticket by now, your chances are slim of watching in person as Kent State University battles Northern Illinois in the 2012 Mid-American Conference Championship game at Detroit's Ford Field.

The deadline to order tickets through Kent State's ticket office was 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

Kent State spokesperson Bob Burford said there were just a few hundred of the university's tickets for the game left as of noon Thursday.

"Kent State’s ticket allotment for the Friday game was 3,000," Burford said.

As of midday Thursday there were less than 200 tickets available for the game on StubHub.com.

Ford Field has a seating capacity of 65,000, but it's likely only a few thousand lucky, local fans will actually watch the game from inside the enclosed stadium at what will be Kent State's first appearance in Detroit for the MAC title game.

The university is sending seven buses packed with students to watch the game, but all seven buses were sold out this week.

Water Street Tavern is sending two sold-out charter buses with 110 people — mostly students — to watch the game in Detroit. They will leave Kent this afternoon, Water Street Tavern owner Mike Beder said.

"Because of our relationship with the Athletic Department at Kent State, the football team, and Coach (Darrell) Hazell, we wanted to do whatever we could to support them and celebrate their success," Beder said. "This hasn't happened very often for (Kent State), so we want to do everything we can to let as many people experience this historic season as possible."

The bar originally organized one charter bus, but when those seats sold out so quickly Beder contacted Yuengling, which agreed to sponsor a second bus.

Here's what Flashes fans get for their $30 to ride the bus, courtesy of Yuengling:

• Buffet lunch when they arrive to Water Street on Friday
• A game ticket in the first 7 rows behind the Kent State sideline on the 30 and 40 yard lines
• A limited edition T-shirt
• Plenty of Yuengling Lager and Yuengling Light at the bar and on the bus
• Snacks on the bus ride
• Pizza on the way home
• And of course the roundtrip transportation on the buses back and forth (yes, they are equipped with bathrooms)

That enticement prompted a huge turnout of people who waited in line outside the bar for tickets on the first bus Monday.

"We had to turn people away this week, but everyone that waited in line for tickets got on," Beder said. "When the Bowl Game gets announced, we're also hoping to send a few more buses at an affordable price."

If Kent State beats Northern Illinois it could put the Flashes in the Orange Bowl. For more on how that might play out check out this story from CBS.

If you can't make it to Detroit, you can catch the game at any number of sports bars in downtown Kent.

And the Kent State Alumni Association is holding watch parties in large metro areas across the U.S., including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Raleigh, N.C., Tampa, Fla., and Washington D.C., according to the university.

Kent State will host Ohio watch parties at the following locations:

• Lakewood: 6 p.m., Quaker Steak & Lube, 15312 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, Ohio 44107
• Mentor: 6 p.m., Quaker Steak & Lube,  7834 Reynolds Rd., Mentor, Ohio 44060
• Austintown: 6 p.m., Quaker Steak & Lube, 5800 Interstate Blvd., Austintown, Ohio 44515
 
• Canton: 6:30 p.m., Winking Lizard, 5710 Fulton Drive NW, Canton, Ohio 44718
 
• Columbus: 6 p.m., Park Street Tavern, 501 Park Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215

Related Topics: 2012 MAC Championship Game, Detroit, Ford Field, Kent State University, Northern Illinois University, and Tickets Are you going to the game? Tell us in the comments.