Notre Dame and Vivid Seats, a Chicago-based ticket-selling company, announced a partnership that will allow Irish fans to buy and sell tickets from both the University and secondary market, according to a Notre Dame Athletics press release.
According to the release, Vivid Seats is now the official ticket marketplace for the Irish. The company has plans to launch the Notre Dame Ticket Exchange in 2017, which will be a hub for Irish fans to buy and sell tickets.
“I’m gratified by our fans’ response to the enhancements we’ve made to the ticketing experience in recent years, including moving renewals and applications online, accepting credit cards universally, eliminating all primary ticket fees and introducing digital tickets,” University director of athletics Jack Swarbrick said in the release.
“Vivid Seats’ innovative technology will enable us to transition from playing catch-up with industry best practices to being proactive in providing the modern ticket solutions that Notre Dame fans expect,” he added. “Our common vision with Vivid Seats of creating a familiar, seamless and unified experience for the ticketholder was at the heart of choosing them as our partner.”
Fans could previously purchase tickets directly from Notre Dame, but secondary market tickets could only be bought through third-party websites, like StubHub.
Vivid Seats will guarantee fans an on-time delivery of authentic tickets, according to the release, or customers will be able to get their money back.
“This long-term partnership brings together two industry leaders and a track record of success that will benefit the Notre Dame fan experience,” A.J. Machosky, vice president of sponsorships at Vivid Seats, said in the release. “Our alignment with Notre Dame’s commitment to excellence, and the desire to bring a valuable service to fans, was important to both organizations. We look forward to proudly serving as Notre Dame's official ticket marketplace and will not only be integrating our top-of-the-line technology, but also bringing the most advanced, industry-forward solution to Fighting Irish fans across the country.”
According to the release, the Notre Dame Ticket Exchange plans to blend primary and secondary ticket listings, so fans will be able view all the price and location options available. Customers will still be able to discern whether or not they are purchasing a ticket from the University or another fan.
The ticket office is also working on designing a mobile app to allow fans to buy, sell, transfer and donate tickets on their phones, according to the release. Additionally, they plan to introduce incentives and rewards for season ticket-holders and alumni who participate in ticket lotteries.
