NFL Fines Over 100 Players for Profiting Off Super Bowl Tickets

In a sweeping crackdown, the National Football League is disciplining more than 100 players and roughly two dozen team employees for breaking league rules by reselling Super Bowl LIX tickets at inflated prices. This widespread violation of resale policy has triggered a mix of financial penalties and future restrictions, highlighting how the league is tightening its grip on internal accountability.

The fines come from a long-standing NFL rule that bars players and employees from making money off tickets they receive through the league. Players are typically allowed to buy two tickets to the Super Bowl at face value. Under the rules, they cannot resell those tickets for a profit. Yet, according to a source familiar with the matter, many did exactly that—sometimes selling them to middlemen who worked directly with resellers.

Players and Staff Face Steep Fines and Bans

Players found reselling their Super Bowl tickets for more than they paid will be fined an amount equal to one and a half times the ticket’s original value. They will also lose the privilege to purchase tickets for the next two Super Bowls, unless they are participating as players in the event.

For club employees, such as coaches and administrative staff, the penalty is even stricter, a fine amounting to double the face value of the ticket.

According to internal league documents reviewed by reporters, the sales weren’t just isolated incidents. League compliance officer Sabrina Perel described them as “widespread violations.”

Her memo to team leadership revealed that many of the tickets were funneled through a handful of so-called “bundlers,” individuals who collected tickets from multiple insiders and passed them along to larger resellers. These intermediaries are now facing additional penalties for their role in the scheme.

Selling tickets through unofficial channels might seem harmless at first glance. But to the NFL, it’s a breach of trust and ethics. In the league’s view, such actions undermine its relationship with fans and tarnish its efforts to maintain fairness and order among its teams and personnel.

League Tightens Policies Ahead of Next Season

Starting this fall, all team employees and players will undergo enhanced instruction on ticket resale policies. According to Perel, the updated training will not only explain the fine print but will also drive home the principle behind the rule. No one should profit from their NFL affiliation in a way that bypasses fans or creates a shadow marketplace.

She emphasized this in her communication with team executives, stating that the league will raise penalties for future violations and expects all clubs to reinforce this message across their organizations.

This move signals a broader trend in the NFL: a tightening of internal culture to prevent even small cracks from turning into deep fissures. Much like how a team can’t win without discipline, the league is showing it won’t tolerate loopholes—no matter how small they may appear.

A New Era of Compliance?

The situation also raises deeper questions about culture within elite sports leagues. Is this just an isolated breach or a symptom of a larger shift in how insiders view the value of access? For the NFL, it’s not just about ticket sales—it’s about maintaining the image of a league that puts integrity over profit.

This isn’t the first time questions have been raised over ticket resale, but the scale and transparency of this investigation set it apart. The punishment handed down reflects the NFL’s effort to draw a hard line.

[Source]