Minium: Don't get scalped; if you want to see ODU football host Va. Tech, buy a season ticket

By Harry Minium

NORFOLK – According to the Wall Street Journal, ticket scalpers likely operated during the Roman Empire, selling small pieces of engraved ivory or bone at an inflated price for the gladiator games at the Roman Coliseum.

Whether that’s true or not, ticket scalping became a major part of the entertainment industry 200 years ago, when scalpers began hawking tickets for Broadway plays. Scalping has gained momentum in recent decades as electronic ticketing and the internet allowed it to become a big business.

Scalpers are people who purchase tickets and seek to sell them at a profit, and they can be seen in the parking lots at most sports events.

But for the most part, scalpers are now online, and a quick search of the internet found half a dozen selling tickets to Old Dominion football games.

As I perused their offerings earlier this week, it dawned on me that I really should try to get the following message out about ODU football tickets.

Please, don’t get scalped.

And if you buy tickets for ODU’s home game with Virginia Tech on Sept. 14 from one of those re-sellers, you’re getting scalped.

In plain English, you’re wasting money.

The Tech game will sell out the 21,994 seats at S.B. Ballard Stadium and eventually the ticket re-sellers will be the only place to get tickets. But, for now, ODU has season tickets remaining and on sale. In a stadium that only holds 22,000, there isn’t a bad seat in the house. 

I found seats for the Tech game on one re-sale site in the upper decks for $163 apiece and also found a handful priced at $1,008.

But for the most part, tickets are in the $200 to $400 range.

For one ticket.

I have a better idea. Buy season tickets from ODU while they are still available, and you’ll save money. Good seats remain available for as little as $200 apiece.

Instead of buying a ticket to one game, you also get tickets for the rest of ODU’s schedule, six games in all, and it’s the best home schedule in the University’s 15 years of football.

The 2024 schedule:

Saturday, Sept. 7, East Carolina, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 14, Virginia Tech, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 19, Texas State, time TBA

Thursday, Oct 24, Georgia Southern, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 16, James Madison, time TBA

Saturday, Nov. 23, Marshall, time TBA

Every game is attractive and intriguing, and each has a back story.

ODU is fortunate to have a long-term home-and-home series with Virginia Tech at a time when many ACC teams decline to play Group of 5 teams on the road.

ODU trails the series 3-2 but has won both games in Norfolk. The Monarchs beat the nationally-ranked Hokies, 49-35, in 2018; and then upset the Hokies again, 20-17, in 2022 in the head coaching debut of Tech’s Brent Pry. Both games were among the most emotional I’ve seen an ODU team play.

ECU is in essence a neighborhood rival, and a program ODU has long tried to emulate. ECU’s campus is a two hour and 15-minute drive from Norfolk, and every game with the Pirates has been close.

It’s a ton of fun to have fans from both teams in the stands, and ECU travels well.

JMU is ODU’s archrival and three of the four games with the Dukes – the series is tied at 2-2 – came down to the final minutes. The intensity of this game last season in Harrisonburg, where the Dukes held off a late Monarch rally, was big-time.

Texas State is the favorite in the Sun Belt West Division and ODU has played Marshall more than any other team since moving up to FBS. The Herd have a long and respected football history.

The six games are spread out over 11 weeks, so there will be plenty of weekends without football even if you attend every game.

Even if you don’t use all your tickets, you have the option of putting them on sale with one of our ticket re-selling partners.

Seems to be a much better investment than going to a scalper.

Isn’t it better for your dollars to help ODU pay for scholarships, helmets and uniforms rather than a ticket re-seller’s bottom line? Especially if you save money?

It’s really a no-brainer.

You might also want to consider purchasing some premium seats. There are a small number of seats available in the Priority Automotive Club and also some loge seats in the south end zone. Call the Old Dominion Athletic Foundation at 757-683-6963 to inquire about premium seating. 

Call the ODU Athletics Ticket Sales Office at 757-683-3375 (select option 1) to order season tickets or CLICK HERE to purchase tickets online.

Whatever you do, don’t get scalped.

 Minium is ODU's Senior Executive Writer for Athletics. Contact him at hminium@odu.edu or follow him  on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram