CLEVELAND - The National Association of Athletic Ticket Sales & Operations (NAATSO) announced Arizona State University (ASU) as the recipient of the 2025-26 Ticket Team of the Year Award during the NACDA & Affiliates Convention in Las Vegas. The award recognizes excellence in ticket sales, fan engagement, innovation, revenue generation, and organizational impact across collegiate athletics.
Arizona State University emerged from an exceptional group of finalists after delivering one of the most comprehensive ticketing performances in the nation. The Sun Devils generated more than 20 percent year-over-year revenue growth while selling out all seven football home games for the first time in program history. Across nine sports, ASU established attendance or revenue records and completely sold out premium inventory.
The Sun Devils also demonstrated a commitment to innovation, implementing AI-powered outreach initiatives, frictionless mobile purchasing experiences, and new premium inventory offerings designed to enhance both fan engagement and revenue performance. Through its "Activate the Valley" initiative, ASU successfully aligned ticketing, NIL, marketing, campus partnerships, and operations into a unified strategy that strengthened the Sun Devil brand and elevated the fan experience.
"The Ticket Team of the Year Award celebrates organizations that are redefining what is possible in college athletics ticketing," said Dan Preuett, incoming NAATSO President, "ASU demonstrated an extraordinary ability to combine innovation, collaboration, and execution to achieve record-setting results while creating a sustainable model for future growth."
The 2025-26 Ticket Team of the Year finalists represented some of the most innovative and successful ticket operations in college athletics:
Army West Point Black Knights
· Achieved all-time high average football ticket revenue per game despite significant stadium construction challenges.
· Set new hockey records for revenue, season ticket revenue, and season tickets sold.
· Hosted the Army-Duke men's basketball game, recognized as Paciolan's Showcase Event of the Year.
Auburn Tigers
· Exceeded revenue goals across all six ticketed sports.
· Produced full-season sellouts in football, men's basketball, gymnastics, baseball, and softball.
· Launched innovative programs including ShowPass and the SEC Sunday Mini Plan.
George Mason Patriots
· Surpassed $1 million in annual ticket revenue for the first time in school history.
· Finished with more than $1.2 million in ticket revenue and 34 percent year-over-year growth.
· Set men's basketball revenue records and achieved historic attendance success in men's soccer.
UTRGV Vaqueros
· Increased ticket revenue by more than 128 percent year-over-year.
· Sold out all seven home football games during the program's inaugural season.
· Launched innovative engagement initiatives including the Vaqueros Loyalty Points program and RallyTheValley Week.
UTSA Roadrunners
· Increased overall ticket revenue by more than eight percent.
· Generated significant growth across Olympic sports, softball, and baseball.
· Introduced a new membership-focused sales and retention model while expanding premium and group sales initiatives.
Washington Huskies
· Produced one of the program's strongest ticketing seasons in recent years.
· Generated the second-highest football ticket revenue total since the pandemic.
· Sold a program-record 8,138 student season tickets and achieved the first gymnastics sellout in program history.
The Ticket Team of the Year Award is presented annually by NAATSO to recognize outstanding achievement and innovation among collegiate athletics ticketing professionals. The award honors organizations that demonstrate excellence in revenue generation, fan experience, strategic innovation, and organizational collaboration.
For more information about NAATSO and the Ticket Team of the Year Award, visit https://nacda.com/sports/naatso
