The National Football League is reportedly fining 100 players and dozens of club employees for upselling Super Bowl LIX tickets, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity Friday (July 25).
The players who allegedly sold the tickets above face value will reportedly pay a fine of 1 1/2 times the face value charge and won't be permitted to buy tickets for the next two Super Bowls unless they're playing in the games, the source confirmed. The club employees who violated the policy will reportedly be fined twice the face value of the tickets sold.
NFL head of compliance Sabrina Perel confirmed that the investigation was ongoing in a memo sent to teams, which was obtained by the Associated Press.
“Our initial investigation has determined that a number of NFL players and coaches, employed by several NFL Clubs, sold Super Bowl tickets for more than the ticket’s face value in violation of the Policy," Perel said in the memo. "This long-standing League Policy, which is specifically incorporated into the Collective Bargaining Agreement, prohibits League or Club employees, including players, from selling NFL game tickets acquired from their employer for more than the ticket’s face value or for an amount greater than the employee originally paid for the ticket, whichever is less. We are in the process of completing our investigation into this matter, but the investigation has revealed that club employees and players sold their tickets to a small number of ‘bundlers’ who were working with a ticket reseller to sell the Super Bowl tickets above face value.”
Players who sold tickets in "bundlers" are set to face increased penalties, according to the memo. The NFL's collective bargaining agreement allows players from all 32 teams to purchase two tickets for every Super Bowl.
“In advance of Super Bowl LX, we will be enhancing the mandatory compliance training regarding the Policy for all League personnel, which will emphasize the specific requirements of the Policy and the broader principle that no one should profit personally from their NFL affiliation at the expense of our fans,” Perel said in the memo via the Associated Press. “We will also increase the penalties for future violations of this Policy. All clubs must ensure their personnel understand and comply with this policy. Additional details regarding the enhanced compliance measures will be provided in early fall.”