- Around 100 NFL players and 24 club employees face fines for selling Super Bowl 59 tickets above face value.
- The NFL’s ongoing investigation found players and employees sold tickets to ‘bundlers,’ who resold them at higher prices.
- Penalties include fines and restrictions on future Super Bowl ticket purchases.
The NFL is fining roughly 100 players and two dozen club employees for violating the NFL’s policy for selling Super Bowl 59 tickets above face value, a person familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
The Associated Press was first to report the news.
A memo sent to teams by NFL chief compliance officer Sabrina Perel and obtained by USA TODAY said the investigation is ongoing.
‘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. This longstanding 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,’ the memo read.
‘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.’
The Associated Press reported that players who resold their tickets to bundlers will have to pay a fine of 1 1/2 times the face value they paid. They also won’t be permitted to buy tickets for the next two Super Bowls unless they are playing in the game. Team employees who violated the league’s policy will be fined two times face value.
Those who worked to bundle the tickets will also face increased penalties.
The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl 59.
‘In advance of Super Bowl 60, 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,’ the memo stated. ‘We will also increase the penalties for future violations of this policy.’
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.