The University of Florida has become the first college in the United States to implement facial recognition technology for stadium entry, launching its Express Entry program powered by Wicket. The system, tested in a pilot during two football games in 2024, will fully debut at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and select UF Athletics venues for the 2025 football season.
Express Entry Launch at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
The Express Entry program will operate at six designated lanes—Gates 1, 4, 7, 8, 12, and 16—during home Gators football games. Fans aged 18 and older can opt in by linking their Ticketmaster accounts and uploading a personal photo, enabling contactless entry and bypassing traditional ticket scanning lines. Enrollment is available through FloridaGators.com/ExpressEntry. The program remains voluntary, with traditional entry methods still available.
“We’re always looking for innovative ways to improve the game-day experience. With Express Entry, we’re giving fans a faster, streamlined way to get into the stadium so they can spend less time in line and more time cheering on the Gators,” said Scott Stricklin, Athletic Director of the University of Florida Athletic Association.
UF officials report that the 2024 pilot significantly reduced wait times for students using the system. Based on those results, the university will expand Express Entry for the 2025 season and plans to extend it to additional athletic events beyond football in the future.
Industry Context and Privacy Commitments
Florida’s rollout follows the adoption of similar systems at professional sports venues. The Los Angeles Football Club introduced a Wicket-powered system at BMO Stadium earlier in 2025, and the Atlanta Hawks deployed Wicket’s technology at State Farm Arena. UF’s implementation marks the first time a collegiate athletics facility has introduced facial recognition entry on this scale, spanning multiple gates at a major college football stadium.
The technology partner, Wicket, has become increasingly visible in the sports industry, including recognition in 2025 with a Golfweek Tech Lab award for innovations in event technology. UF has emphasized privacy and security in the Express Entry program. According to the university, all biometric data is encrypted and stored securely by Wicket, never shared or sold to outside parties. UF itself does not create, store, or process biometric information, ensuring that participant data remains confidential.
The program reflects a broader trend in stadium operations, where biometric tools are being deployed to balance fan convenience with secure, controlled access. For Florida, the introduction of Express Entry is positioned as both a milestone in college athletics and a model for enhancing the fan experience through emerging technology.
Sources: WCJB, iHeartRadio, Athletic Business
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By Cass Kennedy
