Indiana Fever Tickets Sell Out in Minutes Amid Bot Concerns

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Tickets for the Indiana Fever pre-season game against Brazil at Carver-Hawkeye Arena were sold out within 37 minutes of being made available to season ticket holders and donors on Thursday. The swift sell-out has raised concerns about the potential for ticket scalping by automated bots.

The game features Hawkeye legend Caitlin Clark and will take place in May. “Sold Out” signs now greet fans at the arena and on the team’s website. Despite the rapid sellout, one local fan, Jeff Kreinbring, successfully secured four tickets for his family. “I was on the computer, and every time I would try to select our seats, it kept telling me those seats were no longer available,” Kreinbring said.

Access to the tickets was limited to season ticket holders and donors to mitigate the risk of bots and outside investors snapping up the tickets for resale. “School leaders indicated they had limited involvement in the ticketing process but were able to negotiate for priority access for season ticket holders and donors,” explained team spokesperson Jess Rickertsen. The goal was to prevent tickets from being sold at inflated prices, which could range anywhere from $600 to $5,000.

Rickertsen noted that over 200 accounts linked to ticket brokers or scalpers have been eliminated in the past two years as part of a crackdown on secondary market activity. “Eliminating bots that act as if they are purchasing as a fan is crucial,” he said. A proposed bill in the Iowa legislature aims to further restrict ticket purchases for resale.

Kreinbring expressed his excitement about attending the game, emphasizing Clark’s impact. “She’s the kind of player that you just can’t look away from. If you look away, you might miss the greatest play,” he shared.