Senate passes bill equalizing high school athletic ticket prices

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Senate passed House Bill 147, which includes a provision championed by State Senator Shane Wilkin (R-Hillsboro) to equalize ticket prices for high school athletic events.

“Last year, the Ohio High School Athletic Association decided to up the prices for tickets if parents, grandparents, and community members opted to pay in cash. That was a bad move that hurt people throughout Ohio who simply want to watch their loved ones play their sport,” Wilkin said. “I was proud to sponsor Senate Bill 181, which was added to House Bill 147. This law change will equalize these ticket prices once and for all.”

House Bill 147 updates the definition of qualifying schools to include an interscholastic conference or an organization that regulates these conferences or interscholastic athletic competition among member schools. This change ensures every entity that charges for these events is held to the same standards.

The bill requires these qualifying schools to charge the same price for cash and any other forms of payment and charge students enrolled in any school participating in a school-affiliated event less than the adult ticket for the event.

House Bill 147 now goes to the Governor for his signature.