Need a ticket? Forget scalpers _ NCAA and colleges continue to covet secondary sales market

NCAA, colleges align with ticket brokers

LAWRENCE, Kan. — College sports fans searching for a coveted ticket to a sold-out game can bypass the shady guys hanging outside the stadiums and arenas. Just try your favorite school’s website or go straight to the NCAA.

A 2008 Forrester Research report values the secondary ticket market for live entertainment at $4.5 billion annually. The industry has its own lobbying group, whose influence has led to an across-the-board decline in anti-scalping laws and greater acceptance of ticket resales.

The NCAA in 2007 enlisted the Razorgator online exchange service. Greg Shaheen, an NCAA senior vice president, says the association was tired of watching ticket sellers profit from the NCAA’s name and reputation. He says the partnership allows the NCAA to limit ticket fraud.

He would not disclose details of the contract.