Area experts give safe ticket-buying tips ahead of Mizzou’s March Madness game in St. Louis
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Mizzou men's basketball team has punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament, and fans are looking to get theirs.
The Tigers are set to face the Miami Hurricanes at 9:10 p.m. in an opening round game at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
“We were over-the-moon excited," said Morgan Hackney, who is the assistant director of Alumni Engagement with the Mizzou Alumni Association. "I know our fans feel the same way. I know that's how the team's feeling right now.”
She said having March Madness in the state was the best-case scenario.
“One in five Tigers hails from the St. Louis area, so it was so exciting to think that this event that people get so excited about and usually have to take off work or find time to travel to is just like right in the backyard of one of our biggest cities,” Hackney said.
Fans looking to go need to first know what ticket to buy to see the black and gold.
“Tickets are always tricky when it comes to March Madness because they sell it by the session,” Hackney said. "When you buy a ticket for a session, you actually technically have tickets for both of those games. Even if you're only interested in going to one or the other."
Mizzou is set to play in the last session of round one. While there are many ways to go about buying a ticket, some are safer then others.
“Be in the driver's seat and initiate the contact," Columbia Regional Director for the Better Business Bureau Khesha Duncan said. "You want to do your research.”
Some safe buying tips, according to Duncan, includes using reputable sellers from sites like Ticketmaster, which was shared by official Mizzou Athletics social media accounts on Sunday.
“Buying the parking pass as well as the tickets all at the same time based on the recommendations and guidance from the Enterprise Center, I think is a good vote of confidence,” Duncan said.
Buying from an online source can leave consumers vulnerable to scammers who thrive in times like March Madness.
“Last year our scam tracker tool had like 140 reports of fake ticket sales of one kind or another,” Duncan said. “With AI, it's more easy to duplicate websites and duplicate platforms that look like they're real and they're not."
Duncan warned of pop-up ads or prices that seem too good to be true. When buying resale from a third-party seller, you can check if they're accredited on the Better Business Bureau's website.
The alumni association is also urging people to purchase from verified vendors. They invite fans to stop by Ball Park Village on Friday, which is about 10 minutes from the Enterprise Center, for a Mizzou Headquarters Party.
"Fans can stop by and get free giveaway items. We'll have a spirit rally with Golden Girls, Truman, all of those things. We'll have a deejay and be able to have almost like a block party type feel for fans to gather before they go down to the game," Hackney said.
