Scalpers Set To Suffer At ACC Tournament

By Erin Farrell
The biggest losers at the ACC Tournament today could end up being ticket scalpers.
When yesterday’s first-round of games sent home Wake Forest, N.C. State, Virginia and Maryland, it sent home four teams all less than 500 miles away -- about an 8 hour drive. Of the teams that won, Florida State, Miami, Georgia Tech and Boston College, only one is less than 500 miles away.
If the schools within driving distance playing today don’t sweep, the price of tickets outside the stadium is going to plummet tomorrow. About an hour before UNC tipped off, $70 tickets were going for as much as $200. But who’s going to make the 864-mile trek tonight to pay that much to see Boston College take on Duke on Saturday? But if Clemson wins, the 139-mile drive will be more manageable.
Now, technically, scalping tickets is illegal in North Carolina. But when the ACC touts, year-in and year-out, “There has not been a public sale of ACC Tournament tickets since 1966,” fans are pushed to seek tickets elsewhere. Like this guy:
[img=http://i.tsn.com/i/photos/20080314/87580.jpg]
(Editor’s note: Our man on the street, Chris Mottram, describes the scalper scene as looking like a ‘60s peace rally there are so many fingers in the sky.)
He has gone to the ACC Tournament for the past ten years and has only missed one session. He assured me the price of tickets would drop as it got closer and closer to game time. He should know, yesterday he saw both sessions for $60 -- total.
His other piece of advice: Stay away from scalpers. He always buys from fans whose teams have lost. So, if those nearby teams lose today, the market could become saturated.↵