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North Dakota State is set to take on South Dakota in the FCS College Football Playoffs. NDSU fans were able to access the USD booster system and buy up a chunk of reserved presale tickets this week.
South Dakota fired back, revoking entry for those non-booster buyers. It’s created a hilarious off-field storyline ahead of a monumental postseason battle.
Inforum posted a story on Tuesday referencing that department gaffe.
Apparently, a boatload of North Dakota State fans logged onto the USD website shortly after the Bisons’ win over Montana State last Saturday. A code had been leaked online to give access to presale purchases on the South Dakota athletics website.
That password? ‘Playoffs.’
The keyword provided entry into the USD booster portal where tickets could be bought before being made available to the public. No credentials were needed, only that ‘Playoffs’ password.
Dozens of NDSU fans snagged those tickets for friends and family, making arrangements for a trip to Vermillion. After learning of the situation, though, USD’s athletic department shut sales down.
“There was a glitch in our season ticket process that has been resolved,” the social media team wrote. “Thank you for your patience and we apologize for the inconvenience.”
They later posted a follow-up message.
Due to the system challenges we experienced during the early access ticket window, the general public on sale for Saturday’s quarterfinal playoff game will be delayed. This will allow our stakeholders enough time to address any issues and secure their seats. pic.twitter.com/qRuvFHQcMt
— South Dakota Coyotes (@SDCoyotes) December 4, 2023
USD denies NDSU fan ticket purchases.
South Dakota director of ticket sales and operations Adam Riley said that it was clearly stated on the order form that the presale option was reserved to Howling Club members.
“The code got out, whether it’s our fans or somebody out there who shared the code with NDSU fans. NDSU fans went on there and bought tickets. It lets them, but it says in there it’s for [boosters].” -Adam Riley
The ticket office later canceled those North Dakota State purchases.
After correcting the mix-up, the presale tickets sold out. Unclaimed season ticket seats will be made available to the public, though not everyone on the Bison side agrees with the call.
“They are trying to keep the opposing team out of their stadium,” one fan said.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen something like this happen in the world of college sports. In 2022, Texas basketball had to halt its ticket sales due to Texas Tech fans infiltrating its system.
Red Raiders fans were using a specific online code to buy all the tickets they could through UT’s box office website, according to people familiar with the situation.
Social media erupted with reaction after hearing of the crafty fan antics.
The person who came up with password pic.twitter.com/T5UAGUTOXs
— my uncle raked me (@pizzaassjeans) December 5, 2023
“Next-level anti-tampering provisions.”
“Genius level handy work.”
The guy who picked the password: pic.twitter.com/3zVDJgSThH
— Ramjomi66 (@ramjomi66) December 5, 2023
It appears South Dakota got the situation under control following that initial hiccup. We’ll see how many NDSU fans show for the playoff matchup on Saturday.