Tiger football games are still popular among one group of people - Shelby County Commissioners. Each commissioner has access to free tickets for home games, but this gift was taken away after it was discovered the tickets are worth $360, violating the Commission's ethics rules.
University officials were unable to comment as to why the commissioners receive the tickets.
Over the summer, the commission adopted a new Code of Ethics that barred elected officials from accepting in a calendar year "any entertainment, food, refreshments, meals, health screenings, amenities, foodstuffs, beverages or other items" worth more than $200 from people who do business with the county - which would make accepting the tickets a violation.
But Monday it voted to allow gifts that exceed the $200 limit if each commissioner is given the same gift and it is disclosed.
However, County Commissioner Sidney Chism said the tickets did not spur the revision.
"No, it was not the tickets," he said. "The reason the rule change was put into place was because it was left out of the original ordinance."
According to Chism, the majority of the Commission agreed about the revision, which passed by a party line vote of 7-6 with the Democrats voting in favor.
Ethics is a contentious issue for public officials because it addresses the basis for officials' support. Any change in ethics rules that could be seen as loosening restrictions could be considered dangerous, especially considering recent scandals like Tennessee Waltz.
However, Chism said his constituents have not reacted negatively about the change, saying he hasn't heard "one word" from them, and that much of the criticism has come from "people who don't live in Memphis." According to Chism, 80 percent of the municipalities in the United States have regulations similar to those adopted by the Commission.
"We're not doing anything different than any other major municipality," he said.
Curt Guenther, Director of Communications Services for The U of M, said The University makes the football tickets available to every County Commissioner.
"Some take them, some don't," Guenther said. "They didn't want to give them back, so they made the amendment so they could keep the freebies."
Chism said he does not accept the tickets, and that he didn't need people to legislate morality, describing himself as "economically independent of the system."
"I buy my tickets," he said. "I don't need anybody to give me anything."
