UCF season ticket holders upset over scalping email sent by school

UCF season ticket holders upset over scalping email

UCF Athletics emailed approximately 600 accounts, stating they had "high secondary market activity" and would not be eligible for seat relocation in the 2025 season. Among those affected was UCF graduate Logan Berkowitz, who was shocked to receive the email despite not selling his tickets online. UCF later clarified that the email was meant for individuals who purchase tickets solely for resale and acknowledged the error.

ORLANDO, Fla. - UCF Athletics issued an apology after mistakenly accusing hundreds of season ticket holders of reselling tickets for profit.

UCF Athletics says emails were sent in error

What we know:

UCF Athletics emailed approximately 600 accounts, stating they had "high secondary market activity" and would not be eligible for seat relocation in the 2025 season.

Among those affected was UCF graduate Logan Berkowitz, who was shocked to receive the email despite not selling his tickets online. UCF later clarified that the email was meant for individuals who purchase tickets solely for resale and acknowledged the error.

What was in the first email?:

The first email read, "Based on your resale and/or transfer activity during the 2024 football season, your account has been identified as having high secondary market activity. To maintain the integrity of the priority point system and seat relocation process, your account will not be eligible for seat relocation for the 2025 season."

What we don't know:

It remains unclear how UCF's ticketing system flagged legitimate ticket holders as resellers. The criteria used to identify "high secondary market activity" have not been fully explained. Additionally, while UCF has begun reaching out to affected individuals to clarify and apologize, it is uncertain how many season ticket holders are still awaiting direct communication from the university.

The backstory:

The mix-up stems from UCF’s efforts to curb ticket scalping, ensuring that season tickets are used by genuine fans rather than resellers.

The school prioritizes season ticket holders in the seating relocation process, but those flagged for resale activity were told they would be ineligible for upgrades. Berkowitz, a dedicated UCF football fan, has held season tickets for years and was particularly frustrated by the accusation since he attends nearly every game and was hoping to relocate for additional seating to accommodate his growing family.

Big picture view:

The situation highlights the challenges schools face in regulating ticket resales while maintaining goodwill with loyal supporters. UCF's mistake created unnecessary panic among dedicated fans, many of whom invest heavily in supporting their alma mater. This incident underscores the need for improved accuracy in ticket monitoring and better communication with season ticket holders to avoid similar mishaps in the future.

What they're saying:

"I was shocked. I was almost [so] shocked, I had to read the letter twice. I was so offended. Then I’m questioning myself. 'Did I sell any of my tickets for the last season or two?'" said season ticket holder and UCF graduate Logan Berkowitz.

Berkowitz said he has not listed any of his tickets online in recent years. He said he attends just about every UCF home football game and that he looks forward to the relocation process because he has a growing family that needs more tickets.

"I didn’t even realize what it was for," Berkowitz said. "I just saw 'You’re being flagged.' You’re being restricted, and I just had a meltdown."

Berkowitz paid roughly $6,600 for his set of tickets and parking passes. The tickets are in the stadium club along the 45-yard line.

"We have the best people in our section," Berkowitz said. "They’ve been coming forever. Everyone comes to every game. It’s just a good energy."

Berkowitz said the tickets are an investment he happily makes to give back to his alma mater, regardless of the on-field results.

"You can’t give these tickets away, and if you’re going to come to me and tell me I’m profiting from tickets I can’t give away, I think it’s a lie," Berkowitz said. "I think it’s not true, and I think they made a big mistake."

UCF sent FOX 35 News a statement saying in part, "The email was intended to reach only those accounts who purchase season tickets with the sole intent to resell. Unfortunately, the email went to 600 accounts, some of which were misidentified as ticket brokers."

Despite the mix-up, expect to see the Berkowitz family at home games this fall.

"If my wife lets me, yeah, we’re going to keep the tickets, and hopefully we’ll go to as many games as we can," Berkowitz said. "And the ones we can’t we’ll give to people that want to go."

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