Fan claims NCAA, Ticketmaster violated racketeering laws

LOS ANGELES -- An Arizona resident sued the NCAA and Ticketmaster Thursday, claiming the organizations violated racketeering laws by forcing ticket purchasers to pay nonrefundable fees to enter a lottery to buy tickets for high-profile sporting events.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Tom George of Tempe, Ariz., in U.S. District Court, seeks class-action status to force the defendants to end their "illegal lotteries" and implement a system to distribute tickets that complies with federal and state law.

The ticket purchasers also seek a full refund of their entry fees and other damages.

A call after business hours to the NCAA was not answered. A Ticketmaster supervisor in Los Angeles declined comment.

The lawsuit seeks class-action status to represent all fans that submitted an application to an NCAA championship tournament, including women's basketball and men's hockey, and paid a fee to enter a drawing for the right to purchase one or more tickets from 1998 until the present.

"The NCAA and Ticketmaster have come up with a scheme that would make a Vegas bookie blush," said attorney Rob Carey, who is representing George. "We will show that this NCAA practice has illegally taken millions of dollars out of consumers' pockets."

Carey said fans submitting applications for Final Four tickets also have to pay a fee that isn't refunded even if an application isn't selected.