Members of the General Assembly have once again proposed legislation that would set requirements for high schools who charge spectators to watch sporting events.

Rep. Reece Pyrtle Jr. (R-Rockingham) proposed the legislation, which would require high school accept cash as a form of payment for admission.

Pyrtle filed a smiliar bill in 2023, but it did not become law. At the time, he told HighSchoolOT there are people in the community who cannot purchase tickets digitally, a practice many schools have moved to.

“I actually had an experience at a high school football game last fall where I was required to download an app, enter my credit card information and pay a convenience fee for each ticket to gain admission to the event,” Pyrtle said in 2023. “There are some adults and students in our communities that may not have the resources to purchase athletic tickets in such a manner. They should not be excluded from attending any interscholastic athletic event.”

Many schools moved to digital ticketing during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the proposed legislation would not prevent schools from using this technology, introducing cash raises some concern for school administrators.

Some athletic directors say accepting cash is more risky than using digital tickets. There are safety concerns about having cash at the gate of sporting events, and there are fewer opportunities for accidental or purposeful mishandling of money when transactions are completed digitally.

Digital tickets also allow administrators to have a better idea of who is attending events at their school. When someone purchases a digital ticket, they provide their name and contact information.

In some cases, school distircts that have moved away from using cash at athletic events still have opportunities for people to pay at the gate without using a smartphone. For example, Wake County Schools offers the ability for spectators to pay with a debit or credit card at the gate. The new legislation would require schools accept cash though.

The bill also seeks to require schools to allow senior citizens who hold a Tar Heel Card free access to high school sports events. Some schools already recognize these cards, but it has been controversial in recent years. Administrators at some schools say people who do not qualify for Tar Heel Cards have been able to obtain them, thereby getting free admission. However, the Department of Health and Human Services has taken steps to fix the process.

Language requiring schools accept Tar Heel Cards was included in Pyrtle’s bill introduced in 2023, but was later removed.

If the new bill becomes law, it will go into effect at the start of the 2025-2026 school year.