The NFL is cracking down on one of its longest-running underground traditions — flipping Super Bowl tickets for a quick profit.
Videos by FanBuzz
Getty Images
About 100 players and at least two dozen coaches and staffers have been fined following a league investigation into the resale of Super Bowl LIX tickets, according to the Associated Press.
Here's how it works. Each player has the right to buy two Super Bowl tickets at face value, even if their team isn't playing. But under league policy, they're prohibited from reselling those tickets for more than they paid. Plenty did it anyway. And now, the league is making an example out of them.
Players who violated the policy are being fined 1.5 times the face value of the tickets they bought. Coaches and staffers, who don't fall under the CBA's protections, are getting hit even harder — their fines are double the ticket price. In addition, violators have lost the right to purchase Super Bowl LX tickets in 2026 unless they're on a team playing in the game.
The memo, issued by NFL compliance chief Sabrina Perel, doesn't name names but makes it clear this wasn't an isolated issue.
"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," Perel wrote. "The tickets were sold to individuals who brokered or resold the tickets, often through secondary market websites, for significant profit."
The memo continued, "The policy and its consequences are clearly communicated each year in a variety of ways, including in player and employee handbooks, and during club Super Bowl ticket distribution processes. The NFL's investigation remains ongoing."
The league plans to step up its efforts before next season's Super Bowl in Santa Clara. According to Perel, that includes enhanced compliance training and stiffer consequences for violations.
"No one should profit personally from their NFL affiliation at the expense of our fans," she wrote. "We will also increase the penalties for future violations of this policy."
So far, the league hasn't released a list of names. But it's safe to assume they know who did what. And next time, the penalties may get even steeper.
