NCAA sued over lottery for Final Four tickets

By Steve Wieberg, USA TODAY
A class-action lawsuit against the NCAA takes aim at the association's Final Four ticket lottery, calling it an illegal "gambling enterprise" that has milked unsuccessful applicants for millions of dollars in unrefunded service charges.
The suit, which was to have been filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, asks for a halt to the NCAA's annual men's and women's basketball and men's hockey ticket lotteries and seeks unspecified damages. Also named in the action is ticket sales and distribution giant Ticketmaster, which runs the lotteries with the NCAA.

The complaint, according to a copy of the suit provided by lawyer Robert Carey, takes issue with the NCAA's $6 handling fee for each Final Four ticket application, a charge that isn't refunded to unsuccessful applicants. Fans can submit up to 10 applications for the 2009 men's Final Four, costing them as much as $60. If selected, they can purchase one or two books of tickets for $150 or $170 each, depending on seat location — paying up front.

The suit also cites what it says is the NCAA's five-month lag in refunding payments to unsuccessful entrants. They "have paid millions of dollars in lottery fees, lost the time value of money and unknowingly participated in an illegal lottery," the complaint says, pointing to Indiana and California statutes rendering lotteries illegal if not run by the state or a licensed charity.

The lone named plaintiff is Tom George of Tempe, Ariz., who has entered the Final Four lottery for several years without success. The class action would cover "hundreds of thousands" and possibly millions of others, the suit estimates.

"We have not seen this lawsuit," NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson said.

"Our practice of dealing with excess demand for an event is standard in the industry. We have a nonrefundable fee charged to both successful and unsuccessful applicants. Those who do not receive tickets are refunded the ticket price.

"There is no credible suggestion that our public ticket sale can be considered gambling in any way, and we are comfortable with our approach. We believe this complaint is without merit."


http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/2008-05-22-final-four-lottery_N.htm

Check out the comment page, they all sound like me

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jlab wrote:
The NCCAA should have been sued a long time ago for slavery! Exploiting atheltes for huge profits. It's no surprise more and more atheletes choose to leave early.
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jayhawkjim wrote:
Unfortunately, the NCAA has enough clout to steamroll a dismissal. I do not mind the lottery as much as am angered by the NCAA scalping their own tickets with "the best interest of the fan" in mind. "Buy scalped tickets from us so that you know that it a real ticket!" The NCAA has lost its focus for sometime now. A student athete receives a scholarship as "payment" for making its school and the NCAA billions of dollars. One item that is not discussed is that the athlete is not allowed to hold a job to make spending money to enjoy the social side of the college experience. No wonder so many kids from financially challenged homes are caught stealing/robbing. Giving the kid a stipend to afford pizza and fun money can remove some of the temptation to accept money/gifts from alumni and agents. I am not saying give each kid a new car and a large wad of cash, just give them some to enjoy the whole college experience.

Along the lines of the lottery, most tickets are made available to member institutions and sponsors. There are relatively few available to fulfill the demand of the general public thus making the lottery odds truly a scam for the interest and handling charges that are accessed. I hope that the lawsuit does get to move forward to dismantle the monopoly that the NCAA enjoys and to bring the sports back to the athletes and fans.