KNOXVILLE (WATE) - The University of Tennessee has banned ticket scalping the day of games and other campus events. The new policy is effective immediately.
The policy, which was announced Thursday, bans scalping tickets for athletic events, music concerts and other events in front of Neyland Stadium and Thompson-Boling Arena. It begins four hours before the event and remains in effect until the end.
For football games, scalping is banned in the stadium's Gate 21 Plaza and along the east side of Phillip Fulmer Way from Middle Way Drive to Gate 10.
During basketball season, ticket scalping is banned along Phillip Fulmer Way from Tee Martin Drive to Lake Loudoun Boulevard in front of the arena.
"The new policy is intended to reduce traffic congestion, protect the university's ability to sell tickets to the public and increase the safety, comfort and enjoyment of the game day experience," UT said in a press release.
"We do have more tickets to sell. People are buying those and calling
in, over the web, they are coming to will call. There's more traffic at
the ticket window than we've had in years past," said Jeff Maples, senior associate vice chancellor for finance and administration.
Recent construction is also causing more traffic.
"It's
very compact. With the changes to the Vol Walk and the band march, we
don't have the pedestrian bridges that go over campus. We are very
concerned about congestion in this area and meeting customer service
needs," Maples explained.
But if you do scalp tickets, don't fret yet. "We're
not saying you can't sell tickets," Maples said. "We've just restricted a small area
here at the football stadium and the arena as well."
UT police will help enforce the new policy.
"We're just looking to have people comply," said Emily Simerly, with UT police. "We believe it will almost be
self enforced. It won't really be a police issue at all. If it becomes
an issue, we will just ask people to stop selling on this side of the
road."
If people don't comply, they can be charged with trespassing.
