THE BOWLS DAILY REPORT / ORANGE BOWL

Orange Bowl tickets offered in Internet and newspaper ads for up to three times the original price have prompted an investigation by Florida regulators.

Admission to Wednesday’s national championship game between Florida State and Oklahoma in Miami originally went for $100 to $175. The game is now sold out.

But in ads that appeared this week, brokers were offering secondhand tickets for $300 to $900.

Agents looked through newspapers to check offers for Orange Bowl tickets and found that about 40 brokerages are offering tickets at more than face value. They then called those brokers, posing as customers.

Licensed travel agents can sell tickets as part of a package for higher prices, but most sellers are prohibited by Florida law from selling game tickets for more than $1 over face value.

Some brokers get around the law by offering a package that might include a service, such as a ride to Pro Player stadium.

Liz Compton, a spokeswoman for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, said nearly half the brokerages offered to sell tickets at more than face value without offering them as part of a package.

If investigators find evidence of scalping, the companies could face fines.