Ohio State will "no longer allow print-at-home PDF tickets at athletic and other events" beginning with the winter sports seasons, and paper tickets will not "be allowed at next year's football games," according to a front-page piece by Jennifer Smola of the COLUMBUS DISPATCH. OSU Associate AD/Ticketing & Premium Seating Brett Scarbrough said that the change was "put in place when winter sports tickets went on sale" during the middle of the current football season. The changes come as fraudulent tickets have become an "increasing problem" at OSU events. Scarbrough said that approximately 300 people at last weekend's game against Michigan at Ohio Stadium "discovered that their tickets were invalid." Scarbrough said that OSU moving forward is "encouraging fans to take advantage of mobile tickets using their smart phones, or to stick with the hard copy, traditional tickets." The decision to eliminate print-at-home PDF tickets has "led to some negative feedback, but Scarbrough said it was one that was made to further protect fans" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 11/30).
