Picture this: It’s just 20 minutes before kickoff at The Swamp.
Excitement is buzzing, the crowd is roaring, but as you reach the gate, your phone betrays you. The screen won’t load, the battery’s dying, or maybe the brightness isn’t high enough for the scanner. Suddenly, frustration builds while thousands of fans wait impatiently behind you.
This is exactly the problem Florida athletics hopes to solve with its groundbreaking move to facial authentication ticketing—a first among U.S. universities.
Mike Castle, UF’s Associate Athletic Director of Ticketing, explained that game-day congestion peaks right before kickoff, and traditional ticket scanning often slows things down. After years of exploring solutions, UF officially announced on August 12 that it would adopt facial authentication technology to streamline stadium entry.
The system comes from Wicket, a company already trusted by professional sports franchises, including the Cleveland Browns. Initially adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce physical contact, the technology has since evolved into one of the fastest, most convenient entry systems in sports.
Unlike facial recognition—which scans crowds for matches against a database—facial authentication only confirms a fan’s identity against their pre-registered photo. No surveillance, no data selling, and most importantly, full fan consent. Fans who opt in simply upload a selfie to their ticketing account. When they arrive at the gate, an iPad camera verifies their face in seconds and unlocks access for them and their guests.
“The feedback was phenomenal,” Castle said of last season’s student pilot program. “It’s free, it takes less than a minute to register, and the speed of entry was immediately noticeable.”
This season, Florida will roll out express facial authentication lanes at eight stadium gates, with expansion planned for all ticketed athletic events. Beyond entry, Wicket’s technology is also being tested for concessions and media credentials in professional leagues, hinting at even broader uses in college sports.
For fans, the benefits are simple: no more fumbling with phones, dead batteries, or lost tickets. As Castle put it, “Your face will always be with you when you walk to the gate.”
With this bold move, Florida isn’t just leading the SEC—it’s redefining the entire game-day experience.
