Quick Answer
Yes, you can sell your USC football tickets, but there are some restrictions and requirements you need to be aware of. The main options for selling USC football tickets are through the official ticket office, on secondary marketplaces like StubHub, or in private sales to friends, family or other fans. However, USC has rules against reselling tickets for profit, so you need to follow certain price limits and use approved platforms. Selling through unofficial channels like Craigslist also comes with risks. As long as you price your tickets reasonably and use reputable sites, selling extra USC football tickets is allowed.
Can I legally resell my USC football tickets?
Yes, reselling USC football tickets is legal and allowed by the university, within certain limitations. According to USC’s ticketing policies, season ticket holders can resell tickets for home games they cannot attend through approved secondary ticket marketplaces. This includes sites like StubHub, Vivid Seats, and SeatGeek.
However, USC prohibits ticket holders from reselling their tickets for financial gain or at prices significantly above face value. There are maximum resale price limits in place to prevent price gouging. As long as you resell your tickets at or below the set price thresholds, reselling through official channels is permitted.
Selling tickets privately to friends, family, or other fans is also generally allowed. USC’s restrictions on profiting from resales mainly apply when using public secondary markets. Private sales are permitted as long as they do not violate the overall prohibition on reselling tickets for financial gain.
USC resale price limits
USC places the following maximum resale price limits on tickets for home football games:
- Tickets cannot be resold for more than $20 above face value if the face value is less than $100
- Tickets cannot be resold for more than $30 above face value if the face value is between $100-$250
- Tickets cannot be resold for more than $50 above face value if the face value exceeds $250
These price caps help prevent season ticket holders from reselling their seats at unfairly inflated prices. Approved secondary ticket sites like StubHub also enforce USC’s resale price limits.
Penalties for violating USC ticket policies
If you resell USC football tickets in violation of the university’s policies, there can be penalties:
- USC may revoke your ticket privileges for the current and/or future seasons.
- Any tickets you resell through unauthorized channels can be canceled without refund or compensation.
- For egregious or repeated violations, USC reserves the right to revoke season ticket privileges indefinitely.
To avoid penalties, make sure you carefully follow all resale rules and price limits if you choose to resell tickets. Using approved secondary markets and staying at or below maximum resale values will keep you in compliance.
How can I resell USC football tickets?
If you want to resell any unused USC football tickets, here are some safe, authorized options:
Official USC Ticket Office
USC allows season ticket holders to return tickets for resale through the USC Ticket Office. There are designated resale windows where you can securely return tickets you don’t plan to use.
The Ticket Office will then resell the tickets at face value prices. This is the most direct way to comply with USC’s resale policies. However, you won’t get any additional profit through the Ticket Office.
StubHub
StubHub is USC’s official secondary ticket marketplace. Listing tickets on StubHub is a simple and secure way to resell them while following USC’s guidelines.
StubHub enforces all resale price limits and ensures ticket authenticity for buyers. There is a small commission on each resale. As long as you price within the permitted range, StubHub is a USC-approved channel.
Other Secondary Ticket Sites
Besides StubHub, other reputable secondary sites like Vivid Seats, SeatGeek and TickPick are allowed options for reselling USC tickets. These sites verify ticket authenticity and require sellers to follow USC’s pricing policies.
These platforms can potentially yield higher resale prices within the permitted limits compared to the Ticket Office. However, they also charge commissions. Make sure to consider that when pricing your tickets.
Private Sales
Selling to people you know is another above-board way to resell tickets, with some caveats. USC prohibits using private sales to intentionally circumvent resale price limits.
As long as you are making a good faith effort to sell at reasonable market value prices, private sales to friends, family, co-workers or other fans are generally permitted by USC. Use common sense and discretion when pricing.
What are prohibited or risky ways to resell USC tickets?
Some common avenues for reselling tickets are off-limits when it comes to USC football tickets:
Selling Above Resale Price Limits
Trying to sell USC tickets above the permitted price thresholds on any platform, private or public, goes against USC policy. StubHub and other public sites enforce the caps, but private sellers could more easily attempt to overcharge. Avoid resale prices above the set maximums.
Craigslist, Facebook or Other Informal Sites
USC prohibits reselling tickets on Craigslist, Facebook, eBay or other informal online marketplaces. These platforms offer less fraud protection and oversight compared to approved resale sites. There is a higher risk of scams or policy violations. Only use USC’s authorized channels.
In-Person Resales Outside Stadium
Selling USC football tickets in-person around the stadium on game day is not an approved method. Doing so could more easily enable unfair pricing, scams and other policy breaches. Use online, traceable resale platforms instead for greater transparency and accountability.
Using an Unauthorized Ticket Broker
Avoid reselling USC tickets through any ticket broker or reseller not explicitly authorized by USC. There is no way to guarantee policy compliance with unauthorized brokers. Only use the official USC Ticket Office or approved secondary marketplaces.
Key takeaways for reselling USC football tickets
Some key tips for smoothly reselling your USC football tickets:
- Reselling through the USC Ticket Office or sites like StubHub is always safest and guaranteed compliant.
- Never exceed USC’s maximum resale price thresholds on any platform or channel.
- Private sales are permitted as long as prices are reasonable and not inflated.
- Avoid unauthorized brokers or marketplaces like Craigslist that carry higher risks.
- Carefully follow all USC policies to avoid jeopardizing your ticket privileges.
While rules and limits apply, reselling extra tickets is generally allowed as long as you use approved channels and pricing. By closely adhering to USC’s ticketing policies, you can easily recoup some costs for games you can’t attend.
Examples of reselling USC football tickets
Some examples can further illustrate how to properly resell USC football tickets:
Example 1
Steve paid $150 per ticket for two season tickets. An unexpected work conflict comes up, preventing him from attending the home opener. Face value prices for that game are $100 per ticket.
Steve can legally resell his tickets in a few different ways:
- Return them to the USC Ticket Office to resell at $100 face value.
- List them on StubHub or SeatGeek for up to $30 over face value ($130 per ticket).
- Sell them to friends or coworkers for around $125 each.
All of those options comply with USC’s resale policies. Steve recoups some of his costs without exceeding limits.
Example 2
Ashley has four tickets with a face value of $60 each to a less in-demand home game. She cannot make it.
She considers these resale options:
- Sell them privately for $100 each – Against policy, as it exceeds the $20 over face value limit.
- List them on Craigslist for $90 each – Prohibited channel.
- Return them to USC’s Ticket Office to resell at face value – Compliant but no added profit.
- Resell them on StubHub for $75 each – Within the permitted $20 markup.
The only fully compliant option is reselling through StubHub up to $20 over face value. Ashley will have to forgo any bigger profit margin to adhere to USC’s limits.
Conclusion
Reselling unused USC football tickets through approved channels and following all resale price limits allows fans to recover some of their costs. Make sure to carefully comply with USC ticketing policies on maximum markups and use authorized platforms like StubHub. Avoid unauthorized channels or aggressive prices. Ticket resale is permitted if done properly, so review the guidelines and leverage the official options to safely recoup value on any tickets you can’t use for their full potential value.