Ticket brokers move business across county line

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Scalpers banned from selling NCAA Final Four basketball tickets in Indianapolis have taken their business across the county line. <br><br>At the prodding of the NCAA, officials passed

Sunday, March 26th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Scalpers banned from selling NCAA Final Four basketball tickets in Indianapolis have taken their business across the county line.

At the prodding of the NCAA, officials passed an ordinance outlawing ticket scalping in Marion County. The ban applies only to the Final Four.

"Seeing a bunch of hawkers is not an appealing atmosphere," said Maribeth Smith, an organizer with the NCAA. "The desire (is)to make this a wholesome, clean environment. This is college sports."

But when a Final Four ticket package with a face value of $120 can fetch more than 50 times that amount, scalpers find ways to avoid the law's reach.

Great Seats, a ticket brokerage in Indianapolis, transferred its Final Four business to the Johnson County house of one of its principals, Steve Wyatt.

Ticket Source of Indianapolis moved its Final Four business to its Greenfield office, about 20 miles away in Hancock County.

"The police did come around to give out copies of the ordinance to make sure everyone is aware," said Ticket Source's Trena Goble.

The 1998 ordinance allows ticket holders to sell their tickets --but only at face value, or for a small profit. The price of the ticket can't be raised by more than $10 under the rule.

The Indianapolis Police Department plans to have officers stationed in locations where scalping traditionally has been fast and furious, including outside the RCA Dome.
------

On the Net: NCAA site: http://www.ncaa.org/
Marion County government site: http://www.IndyGov.org/