Colts' Stadium Does It Again

The Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority are to re-issue free tickets for its Lucas Oil Stadium tour.

Last time, many scalpers held up the Ticketmaster online service by keeping the average fan from getting a free ticket.

So, the Authority does the same thing again. So smart. There has to be a better way. Maybe just have the people who want the tickets actually get them in person instead of online. This could deter many scalpers.

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Here is the Indianapolis Star article:

City adds new free Lucas tour

By Bess Davis
Posted: July 17, 2008

Didn’t get tickets to one of the four free public tours of Lucas Oil Stadium?
Don’t fret. The stadium authority is adding yet another tour, which means another 20,000 free tickets will be available, beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

The tickets will be available at the Conseco Fieldhouse box office and online at Ticketmaster.com.

Mayor Greg Ballard requested adding the fifth tour, which will take place at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 16, because of the huge demand. Unlike tickets for the earlier tours, these are limited to four per person.

The Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority had originally made available 60,000 free tickets for three tours. But those tickets were snapped up in less than a half-hour Monday morning. The authority quickly added another tour, but those 20,000 tickets were also snatched within an hour.

And almost as soon as those tickets were gone, some fans began selling them online, much to the dismay of the stadium authority.

The new tour, like the others, will allow the public to take a self-guided look at several areas within the $700 million downtown facility, including suites and the locker room, as well as walk on the field and purchase refreshments from the new concession stands.

The $700 million stadium will open with the Aug. 22 PeyBack Classic featuring two high school football games, followed by a Colts preseason game Aug. 24 against the Buffalo Bills.