NCAA tournament-goers will see changes in ticket sales, differences at venues

Spectators attending upcoming NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games will be required to undergo health screenings and limit their movements at March Madness host sites, as local officials try to strike a balance between the traditional fan experience and health risks related to the ongoing pandemic.

The pandemic also will have a noticeable impact on the way tickets are sold.

The NCAA announced last month it would allow each of the six venues in Indiana hosting tournament games to welcome up to 25% fan capacity throughout the tournament, which tips off March 18 with First Four games at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette and Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.

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Tickets went on sale Thursday for the First Four games at Purdue University’s Mackey Arena and have already sold out on the NCAA’s ticket site. They were selling on after-market sites like Stub Hub on Thursday night at prices starting at $251 each.

Indiana University is limiting its spectator tally to no more than 500, restricting access to only family members and close friends of participants.

Tickets for later rounds will go on sale next week. Tickets for First Round games, which begin March 19, go on sale March 9. Tickets for Second Round games, which begin March 21, go on sale March 11.

Tickets for for the March 27-27 Sweet 16 will go on sale March 16.

All tournament tickets will be sold in pods of two, four and six seats to help ensure physical distancing. Unlike previous years, when tournament tickets were good for multi-game sessions, this year’s tickets will be good for just one game. Games will be spaced at least a half-hour apart apart, allowing venues to clean between contests and limiting the possibility that incoming and outgoing spectators cross paths between the conclusion of one game and the start of another.

Fans “will have the opportunity to purchase tickets this year, and each participating team will receive a ticket allotment,” the NCAA said in a statement, noting those signed up for its March Madness email will have first priority.

The NCAA did not respond to questions related to specifics on health screenings or whether vaccinated first responders or health care workers will be given tickets, as was done with the Super Bowl this year in Tampa, Florida. It also did not address specific protocols fans will have to follow during games.

At Lucas Oil Stadium, work is underway on two courts that will be utilized throughout the tournament, as well as the Big Ten Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament, which runs March 10-14.

The Big Ten is utilizing the south portion of Lucas Oil Stadium for its tournament—the same side that will be used for the NCAA Final Four and National Championship Game.

Stadium director Eric Neuburger said all entrants will be required to complete a health screening similar to those at Indianapolis Colts games and other sporting events in the city since the pandemic began.

They will also be required to remain masked when not eating or drinking and practice social distancing. He said the same protocols are expected to be in place at the other tournament venues.

“We are trying to encourage people to stay apart, and the best way to do that is to stay in their the seats because we’ve spaced them apart,” he said. “But they’ll be able to move about” as needed.

 The Big Ten tournament will be open to no more than 8,000 spectators, and like the NCAA tourney, the Big Ten is selling its tickets in pods and for single-game sessions. Attendance for the NCAA tourney will be similar, Neuburger said, but it’s “not an exact science” how many tickets will be sold since they’re being sold in pods.

Because the stadium will be split into two, curtains and event staff will prevent people from crossing over into other opposite end. Spectators will also be required to enter the stadium from a specific entrance—marked on their ticket.

Throughout both tournaments at the stadium, concession stands are expected to be open for fans, he said. The food offered will be similar to what was available at Colts games this season, with a focus on prepackaged items and closed-container service. 

Suites will be open, depending on demand. Those that are used will have a reduced capacity and do away with buffets in favor of pre-packaged food options.