Your Face Could Become Your Ticket to SEC Football Games

It’s time to make your way into Kroger Field. You pull out your phone to access your tickets. Oh, no. They aren’t in your virtual wallet. Time to get on Ticketmaster. Good luck. The large crowd has taken away all of the service. What’s your password again? It’s hard to think as you can hear Waka Flocka through the stadium speakers. Kentucky fans are scrambling toward the gate. Will you be able to get your ticket in time?

You’ve all either been in this situation or been with somebody who’s struggling to access their tickets. It’s the worst. What if that problem could be solved with one statement from the bluecoats? “Show us your face!”

Technology replaced physical ticket stubs with barcodes on your phone. You may not need your phone anymore, just your face.

This fall, Florida football fans can be admitted into games just by looking at a screen. Facial recognition technology has been installed at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to give fans “Express Entry.” Students served as the test dummies a year ago and it significantly dropped wait times, paving the way for introduction to the general audience this fall.

This is a voluntary service that requires fans to opt in. They simply link their ticket account, take a selfie, then skip the lines for quicker access to games. It’s not just football games either. Every ticket purchased on the fan’s account can be accessed with the facial recognition technology.

Florida is the first college football program that will allow fans to use facial recognition technology instead of a ticket. They will not be the last.

Matt Brown operates the Extra Points newsletter, which covers the non-sports side of sports. He attended a soccer game in Brazil this year, and facial recognition software was the only method of entry available.

It’s not just about making things more efficient at the ticket gate. Facial recognition software is also a security measure. A disorderly fan who is tossed from the stadium can be barred from returning. It might feel a little like “Big Brother,” but it’s the way of the future. Prepare accordingly.

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