Romeo Langford effect: Semistate nears sellout, with $8 tickets priced at $50 on Craigslist

Lies. Deception. Imposters.

For some, getting a ticket to the high school basketball semistate at Seymour on Saturday involves going to lengths more associated with something you might read in a spy novel.

Call it the “Romeo Effect.” As in, Romeo Langford, the star senior from New Albany. His exceptional talent, combined with New Albany’s large and loyal fan base and his consideration of Indiana among his top three college choices, have converged to make this normally hot ticket a once-in-a-generation phenomenon. Another factor in the fervor: New Albany's opponent is the undefeated Warren Central.   

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“I have never seen anything like this,” Warren Central athletic director Marques Clayton said. “Some of the things that we’ve seen, it’s just nuts.”

Class 4A top-ranked Warren Central (30-0) will play Langford and third-ranked New Albany (25-1) in the second game of the semistate doubleheader at 3 p.m. Saturday. The first game is a Class A semistate between No. 4 Morristown (26-2) and No. 5 Barr-Reeve (24-4) at 1 p.m.

Each of the four schools was given 1,900 tickets when their administrators met Monday afternoon at Seymour.That is all of the tickets available for the semistate. About 500-600 of the tickets for each school were designated for reserve seating in the lower portion of the 8,110-capacity Lloyd Scott Gymnasium. That's  a change from the sectional and regional rounds at Seymour, in which New Albany fans overwhelmed the gym.

“They (Seymour) did a good job of distributing the tickets evenly and making sure each school had the same amount,” Clayton said.

If only it were that easy. Phones have been ringing off the hook since Monday morning at Barr-Reeve, Morristown and Warren Central — basketball fans looking to score tickets. But not necessarily fans of those schools.

“I feel bad for the secretaries at our school,” Morristown athletic director Josh Johnson said. “I really do. To put it in perspective, on Monday morning we normally get a few calls about sick kids or doctor appointments. Every single phone call on Monday morning was about tickets. I got back from the meeting (in Seymour) and the phone rang constantly from all afternoon and into the night. Let’s just say most of them were not from our area code.”

The area codes of 812 (southern Indiana, including New Albany) and 502 (Louisville, across the river from New Albany) have been coming up often. New Albany has 3,000 season-ticket holders for its 4,100-seat gym that has filled for every home game this season. With an allotment of just 1,900 tickets, some New Albany fans are forced to look for other means to score tickets. 

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All three of the other schools participating in Seymour took measures to make sure their tickets made it into the hands of their fans.

“(On Tuesday) we went through our team personnel, faculty and season-ticket holders,” Barr-Reeve athletic director and assistant principal Aaron Ash said. “(On Wednesday) what we've got going is any Barr-Reeve alumni, Barr-Reeve graduate, if you have a son or daughter here can get a ticket. Basically, anybody the community has a chance to get tickets.”

Any Daviess County resident with identification was eligible to buy a ticket through Wednesday afternoon. Barr-Reeve sold out by Wednesday night. 

“We had calls all day (Tuesday) from everywhere,” Ash said. “New Albany, Kentucky, Indy, Bedford, you name it.”

Johnson said Morristown required fans buying tickets to have a Shelby County identification. As of noon Wednesday, Johnson said a “minimal” amount remained for season-ticket holders and students. The plan was to put remaining tickets on sale Friday morning for the general public — but he does not anticipate there will be any. 

“We have a great fan base and a lot of alumni who want to go,” Johnson said. “I pulled into school Tuesday morning and normally there aren’t many people here. There were a lot of cars in the lot waiting to buy tickets. We’re not naïve. I know people want to come and partake in the second game, as well. It’s been interesting but you have to appreciate it, too.”

Warren Central sold out its 1,900 allotment during an eight-hour window Tuesday. Clayton said it was a day unlike any other in his career. Those buying tickets had to show identification that they were from Warren Township or proof that they were an alum.

“I sat there for eight hours,” Clayton said. “Once they got through two lines of defense, we would ask them a series of questions. If they asked for 20 or more tickets, I knew they were lying. We told them the most we would sell them is four and they would leave.”

Clayton said there were “about 10” situations like that. The Warren Central alumni association bought 270 tickets for students  who will ride the “spirit” buses to Seymour on Saturday.

“Our people stepped up to the table,” Clayton said. “We’ve never sold 1,900 tickets so we tried to be prepared for it.”

Clayton said he is certain that some fans from outside the area were paying people from Warren Township to come in and buy tickets Tuesday.

“I know there were some people getting guys off the corner to come in and buy a bunch of tickets,” Clayton said. “I saw three or four different vehicles in our lot that I’m sure that’s what was happening. I’d say a lot of these people are scalping tickets.”

Sure enough, as of noon Wednesday  multiple tickets were for sale on Craigslist for $50 each. “This event is already sold out so these tickets will go fast … do not miss these games” one advertisement reads. The ticket face value: $8.

Seymour will not have any tickets available all week or at the school on Saturday. Those who are not able to get in the door can watch online at IHSAAtv.org. There will also be multiple radio broadcasts, including locally on 107.5 FM and 1070 AM.

Clayton said Seymour athletic director Kirk Manns and the administration deserve credit for handling this deluge of Hoosier Hysteria for three weeks in a row and making adjustments with reserve seating.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Ash, whose school at Barr-Reeve has made five state finals appearances since 2002 and has a loyal following. “It really is unbelievable.”

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6644.

Seymour Semistate

Saturday

Class A: Morristown (26-2) vs. Barr-Reeve (24-4), 1 p.m.

Class 4A: Warren Central (30-0) vs. New Albany (25-1), 3 p.m.

Watch: IHSAAtv.org

Listen: 107.5 FM and 1070 AM