Facial entry into Uni of Florida venues

Image: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Pablo Corredor, CC BY-SA 4.0

The University of Florida Athletic Association (UAA) is introducing facial recognition technology as a faster, easier way for Gator fans to get into home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

The University of Florida said that it has installed Express Entry powered by Wicket, making Florida the first college in the nation to offer stadium entry through facial authentication.

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, meaning guests can enter with the account holder through designated Express Entry lanes without registering themselves.

Dedicated Express Entry lanes will be available at Gates 1, 4, 7, 8, 12, and 16 for home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and other select UF Athletics venues.

Fans who have linked their accounts and completed registration will simply enter a designated Express Entry lane, scan their face, and head straight inside — no wait, no hassle.

The University of Florida is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida (US). It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. The University traces its origins to 1853 and has operated continuously on its Gainesville campus since September 1906.

Built in 1930 with an initial capacity of 21,769, the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is the largest stadium in Florida. It was last renovated prior to the 2012 season with upgrades made to the West concourse.

Scott Stricklin, Athletic Director of the University of Florida Athletic Association, said, “We’re always looking for innovative ways to improve the game-day experience.

“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.”

Express Entry is a voluntary, opt-in program for fans 18 and older with a valid Ticketmaster account.

The technology is powered by Wicket, an industry leader in facial authentication. 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.

Alastair Partington, CEO of Wicket, said, “We are excited to see the University of Florida streamlining ticketing with Wicket facial authentication.

“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.”

The program builds on the success of a two-game pilot program during the 2024 football season that was offered to UF students, which significantly reduced wait times and saw hundreds of fans opt in.

Following the overwhelmingly positive feedback, the UAA is now expanding Express Entry to more fans and venues.

Continue to follow Coliseum for latest updates on venues business news. Coliseum is dedicated towards building the best global community of sports and entertainment venue executives and professionals creating better and more profitable venues.

Become a member of the only Global Sports Venue Alliance and connect with stadiums, arenas and experts from around the world. Apply for membership at coliseum-online.com/alliance and make use of the 365Coliseum Business.

• Tags »
• University of Florida
• University of Florida Athletic Association

« Previous News: British Horseracing feel the tax pinch
» Next News: Honda Center powers up with 6 GHz Wi-Fi