STORRS, Conn. — Would you pay thousands of dollars for a ticket to a UConn men’s basketball game? Better yet — should you?
With their recent success, the Huskies men’s basketball team is defending not only their national championship title, but also their reputation. Scammers have set their sights on the team as a profit center to cheat fans out of a good time.
You can chalk it up to the old saying...success comes at a price. That price is $3,500 for some tickets. “That’s insane. I guess it comes with them being so good right now,” said UConn student Timothy Rodrigue.
“Really do your homework because if you are going to spend $3,500 for a basketball game you don’t want to be left out in the cold,” said UConn spokesperson Mike Enright.
And for as cold as it is outside, inside Gampel Pavilion — it’s red hot. For the 6th week in a row and for the first time ever, the men’s basketball team was unanimously ranked #1 in the nation. It's made snagging a free student ticket a lot harder. “It used to be if you were early enough you would always get them but now recently the tickets have been so popular it’s a bit more competitive,” noted UConn student Nora Casey.
Fans are now forced to turn to the 3rd party reseller market to snag a seat. And scammers know that. “People are always trying to make a buck,” said Rodrigue.
A ticket to this Saturday’s UConn Villanova game at Gampel was going for as much as $4,200 with fees. It’s why UConn has partnered with Seat Geek to verify ticket resellers before you buy. “People can buy tickets on Seat Geek with total assurance that they are buying the real thing,” said Enright.
So before the March madness begins, be sure to score yourself a fraud free February. “We’ve seen comments from fans and students about what can happen when they deal with a ticket organization that’s not affiliated with the university,” Enright explained.
The world of ticketing has transitioned mostly digital over the last several years. However, you still need to watch out for old fashioned scalpers who often stand outside a venue waving their extra tickets at a huge markup. If you aren’t careful you can fall victim to high-pressure intimidation sales tactics.
RELATED: Top-ranked UConn uses a balanced attack, routs No. 4 Marquette to take control of the Big East
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.