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UF 1st college to have facial authentication express entry for football fans

On3 imageby: Keith Niebuhr08/12/25On3Keith
Florida Gators
(Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports) Sep 18, 2021; Gainesville, Florida, USA; A general view of The Swamp during the first quarter at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

The University of Florida plans to make entry into The Swamp easier for fans with the help of cutting-edge technology. The University Athletic Association is introducing Express Entry powered by Wicket, which it describes as “a faster, easier way for Gator fans to get into home games.” According to the UAA, Florida is the first university to offer stadium entry through facial authentication.

According to a UAA release, “With Express Entry, fans can bypass the lines and enter games using their face instead of their phone or ticket. Enrollment is free, takes less than a minute, and is as simple as snapping a selfie. Once registered, Express Entry is valid for all home football tickets on the fan’s account.”

“We’re always looking for innovative ways to improve the game-day experience,” UF athletics director Scott Stricklin said in a release. “With Express Entry, we’re giving fans a faster, streamlined way to get into the stadium so they can spend less time in line and more time cheering on the Gators.”

According to the UAA, there will be multiple dedicated Express Entry lanes at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium this season. Those gates will be Nos. 1, 4, 7, 8, 12, and 16. This technology also will be used at “other select UF Athletics venues.”

More on Express Entry at the University of Florida

Express Entry is a “voluntary, opt-in program for fans 18 and older with a valid Ticketmaster account,” the release stated. The technology is provided via Wicket. “All data creation, storage, and processing is handled securely by Wicket, which encrypts information, stores it safely, and never shares or sells user data to third parties. The University of Florida Athletic Association does not create, store, process, or transmit any biometric data,” according to the release.

“We are excited to see the University of Florida streamlining ticketing with Wicket facial authentication,” Alastair Partington, CEO of Wicket, said in a UAA release. “This is a perfect fit for facial ticketing, allowing students and ardent Gator supporters to get into The Swamp faster and more easily to cheer on their Gators.”

Courtesy of the UAA, here’s how to enroll in Express Entry

1. Visit FloridaGators.com/ExpressEntry.
2. Link your Ticketmaster account.
3. Snap a quick selfie.

For more information, visit FloridaGators.com/ExpressEntry.  For information on Wicket, visit WicketSoft.com.

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