NCAA Press Release Archive

« back to archive | Back to NCAA.org

NCAA Reminds Fans to Purchase Men's and Women's Final Four Tickets from Authorized Sources

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Contact(s)

Gail Dent
Associate Director of Public and Media Relations
317/917-6117
gdent@ncaa.org


INDIANAPOLIS --- The NCAA is cautioning fans who plan to attend the 2010 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Final Fours® to purchase tickets for the games from authorized sources.

Fans are advised to purchase any tickets still available for the men’s and women’s basketball championships directly from NCAA.com; from PrimeSport (the NCAA’s official ticket and hospitality package provider), host institutions or athletics conferences and ticket offices of schools participating in the tournament to reduce chances of fraudulent activities. 

Fans attending the NCAA Men’s Final Four also can purchase and resell their tickets through the NCAA’s sanctioned ticket package provider, RazorGator, as part of the NCAA’s Official Fan2Fan Ticket Exchange Program if their team suffers a loss or if unable to attend a game.  The Fan2Fan Exchange will be located at the Lucas Oil Stadium Box Office located at South Street and Capitol Avenue in downtown Indianapolis.  Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday, April 1 through Monday, April 5.  On Saturday, April 3, there also will be a Fan2Fan Exchange table set-up inside Lucas Oil Stadium at the north lobby near section 101 and the Box Office hours on Saturday will be extended as needed.  The Fan2Fan Exchange also is available online at NCAA.com/fan2fan.  These are the recommended ways for the general public to purchase legitimate tickets.

NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Four tickets bear unique security marks that cannot be reproduced.  Individuals who purchase tickets from unauthorized sources, including unauthorized street vendors, run the risk of purchasing tickets that are not authentic and do not grant entrance to tournament games.

Fans are subject to government regulations, ordinances or laws, and possible prosecution, if they are caught selling tickets to or from unauthorized sources.  NCAA tickets may not be offered in a commercial promotion or as a prize in an auction, fundraiser, sweepstakes or contest, unless specifically authorized in advance by the NCAA.  

"Each year we want to assist our fans with making wise choices when purchasing tickets to our basketball championships because it ensures their protection from unauthorized vendors who may not have their best interest in mind,” said L.J. Wright, director of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.   “Obtaining a ticket to the basketball championships is a privilege.   We work with city officials each season to reduce negative factors in order to make the games an enjoyable experience for everyone."

"Protecting our fan base and membership from fraudulent activities and vendors is something we take very seriously,” said Sue Donohoe, vice president of Division I Women’s Basketball.   “Many people don't realize that 96 cents of every dollar generated is returned to the membership, who in turn, can use it for student-athlete programs.  With the security measures we put in place and our messages of caution, we protect everyone, which helps ensure the exciting atmosphere we see at our championships each year.”

About the NCAA

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletics opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit  www.NCAA.org and  www.NCAA.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes.  The NCAA is proud to have the following elite companies as official Corporate Champions —AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola — and the following elite companies as official Corporate Partners —Enterprise, The Hartford, Hershey’s, LG, Lowe’s, Planters, State Farm and UPS.

NCAA, Final Four, and Women’s Final Four are trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

-30-