Orange Krush’s tickets invalidated by Iowa for Illinois basketball game on Saturday

CHAMPAIGN — Tickets to Saturday’s Illinois at Iowa game purchased by the Orange Krush, the student section for the Illinois men’s basketball team, were revoked by Iowa on Wednesday.

Iowa’s athletic department claimed the tickets were bought under a false identity.

It started Wednesday when the Orange Krush Twitter account (@TheOrangeKrush), posted a statement saying plans its members had made months ago, including hotel rooms and other plans booked for their trip to Iowa City, were now in limbo because Iowa athletic department had revoked the tickets their members purchased. The section makes an annual trip to a road game and had received 200 tickets in October for the game.

The statement said that the group wasn’t notified of the cancellation until Wednesday — over three months after the tickets were initially purchased.

“Unfortunately, the University of Iowa Athletic Department today notified us that they have invalidated all 200 tickets that the Orange Krush had legally purchased,” the statement read. “… Most of all, it is highly unfortunate that the University of Iowa and their athletic department refused to face the consequences of the mistake they made in selling tickets for a billing address in Champaign, Illinois. It is against the spirit of competition and rivalry, two outstanding attributes of the Big Ten Conference, to make this decision.”

In a statement later Wednesday evening, the Iowa Athletic department said that the reason the tickets were invalidated was because the Krush had bought them as the Illinois Boys and Girls Club.

Once it found out that the tickets were not purchased on behalf of the Boys and Girls Club and instead from a different organization, it invalidated and refunded the tickets.

“In following up with that organization, it became clear this was not factual,” the statement from the athletic department said. “When contacting the individual who made the original ticket order, they admitted to falsely ordering tickets under the non-profit organization.”

Iowa is now donating the tickets to the Cedar Rapids Boys and Girls Club.

The Krush planned the Iowa game as its 20th road trip — it’s gone on one every season since its inception in 2002 except for the 2020-21 season when fans were limited during the COVID pandemic. The late notice means that the Krush won’t be able to get a refund on all expenses and won’t be able to afford another road trip this season.

“However, we take it as a great compliment that the Orange Krush is a strong enough section to be so feared that an opposing athletic department is willing to sacrifice $5,400 and ruin a sellout in order to turn us away,” the statement continued. “Gary Barta and staff, we issue a great thanks to all of you for the adoration you have shown the Orange Krush through your cowardice.”