Hot Tickets - by H George Frederickson (Paperback)

About the Book

"In 2010, University of Kansas officials were shocked to learn that the FBI and IRS were on campus investigating Rodney Jones, former head of the Athletics Ticket Office, for stealing Jayhawks basketball tickets and selling them to brokers. Investigators found that for more than five years Jones and a small ring of university officials had conspired to loot the university of $2 million in tickets, reselling them for $3-$5 million. In what was perhaps the biggest scandal in college sports history, all seven members of the "Kansas Ticket Gang" plead guilty to RICO Act indictments. Five went to prison-two were given probation for turning state's evidence"--

Book Synopsis

In 2010, University of Kansas officials were shocked to learn that the FBI and IRS were on campus investigating Rodney Jones, former head of the Athletics Ticket Office, for stealing Jayhawks basketball tickets and selling them to brokers. Investigators found that for more than five years Jones and a small ring of university officials had conspired to loot the university of $2 million in tickets, reselling them for $3-5 million. In what was perhaps the biggest scandal in college sports history, all seven members of the "Kansas Ticket Gang" pleaded guilty to RICO Act indictments. Five went to prison--two were given probation for turning state's evidence.

Review Quotes

"Frederickson provides a highly detailed account of the systematic theft of basketball tickets that occurred at the University of Kansas over a span of 16 years. The book is so meticulously researched that at points the backstory and ancillary facts almost obscure the thrilling story of hubris, deceit, and corruption, motivated by greed but also by thirst for power and reputation. ... Frederickson leaves no subject unexplained, from the story of the ticket scandal itself to the history of Lawrence, Kansas. ... the story is told with so much passion that the book is hard to put down. ...recommended"-Choice

About the Author

The late H. George Frederickson was the Edwin O. Stone distinguished professor of public administration at the University of Kansas, president emeritus of Eastern Washington University and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory. He lived in Lawrence, Kansas.