Addison Kalmbach is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Notre Dame Prep for AZPreps365.com. 

With times changing and the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, Notre Dame Prep officials were looking for a safe way to sell tickets at sporting events in 2021. The athletic department decided to establish a digital ticketing system, allowing fans and family members to purchase tickets through a contactless, electronic system and reduce person-to-person contact. 

In March 2020, high school, college, and professional sports quickly shut down for fans and many businesses closed. When the 2020-21 school year began, Notre Dame Prep officials were thinking ahead for safe ways to get high school athletics back to normal. 

“Last year during the original COVID-19 shutdown, we had to rethink every aspect for athletic events,” said Steve Shaff, Notre Dame Prep’s assistant athletic director. “Digital ticketing was the easiest way in doing this and most businesses were eliminating cash during the pandemic. We have been exclusive ticket partners [with HomeTown Ticketing] since last fall.” 

Even though digital ticketing has been around for some time at the college and professional levels, relatively few high schools have made the switch from the classic ticket at the gate approach. However, the process of purchasing a ticket can be a little challenging, depending on the buyer’s knowledge and comfort with technology. 

“There is a learning curve to the process to the ticket; you scan a QR code at the gate and just pay with a credit card [too],” said Shaff. 

Another option for fans, in addition to using the app, is to simply go to the school’s website and follow the link listed under the athletics tab on NDP’s website to buy individual tickets for games. 

“I love it [digital ticketing] because I never carry cash and it is very accessible to me,” said Jonathon Fagan, a father of two Saints football players.

After months without sports, and finally, the integration of fans again, how much of a change did the NDP see in regards to digital ticketing versus buying tickets in person? 

“I do not have the data because I was not here then,” said Shaff. “[But] the ticketing process is much faster from what I know and it has been a huge improvement.” 

An improvement in ticketing only allows for more people to attend games and support the Saints in all of their sports moving forward. 

HomeTown Ticketing, which launched in 2016, has been the company that exclusively provides digital tickets for Notre Dame Prep. The company has seen a vast improvement in growth over the past two years, with high school being more of a focal point. 

“High school is actually more of the bread and butter of what we do and [we do] over 2,700 high schools over the country and that is probably our biggest market share,” said Connor Thinnes, vice president of marketing at HomeTown Ticketing. 

Over the past two years, many things have allowed HomeTown Ticketing to grow. 

“We had some good moments going into 2020, but with COVID a lot of mandates and restrictions went into place, and to have events, they had to think of the right way to [sell tickets],” said Thinnes. 

With the world becoming more digital and tech-savvy, it only makes sense why NDP would adapt to the changes and get involved with digital ticketing to make tickets more accessible for their fans, students, and families.