Pricey College Football Tickets
It's college football time and that means fans are willing to pay top dollar to this year's top matchups. So what are the most coveted games? TiqIQ, a ticket market intelligence site, provided us with the highest list prices for the entire season. Not surprisingly, six of the top 10 are games that include a Southeastern Conference team.
The ticket prices displayed here represent the secondary market and are aggregated by TiqIQ from some of the largest ticket sellers, including StubHub, eBay, and TicketNetwork. These ticket prices do not represent official face values for students or the general public.
So, what are the most expensive games to attend this year? Click ahead for the list.
By Darren Rovell
Posted 16 Aug 2011
10. LSU at Alabama
Avg. List Ticket Price: $420.93
Date: Nov. 5
With both teams starting the season ranked in the Top 5, this could be an epic SEC battle in the first week of November. Despite a stadium capacity in Tuscaloosa that tops 100,000, the Crimson Tide fans are rabid and those who will travel from Louisiana for LSU aren't shabby either. The Tigers fan base has been willing to pay plenty for a ticket in recent years thanks to two BCS National Championship titles (2003 & 2007)
9. Florida vs. Georgia
Avg. List Ticket Price: $423.83
Date: Sept. Oct. 29
This is one of three neutral site games to make the Top 10 list. Dubbed the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" the game is played in Jacksonville, Fla., every year. This will be the 90th meeting between the two schools and Georgia has won 54 percent of the time, which is remarkable considering the Gators have won 17 out of the last 20 games. The price of this game could come down if one of these teams falter before this game.
8. Georgia vs. Boise State
Avg. List Ticket Price: $437.91
Date: Sept. 3
The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game features Boise State and Georgia in the Georgia Dome. Boise State is ranked much higher than the Bulldogs, who are coming off their first losing season since 1996. Bulldogs fans are eager to move into this season and are obviously an easy get since so many of its alums live and work in the Atlanta area.
7. Notre Dame vs. Michigan
Avg. List Ticket Price: $457.07
Date: Sept. 10
Although both teams have suffered recently, these two programs have the best winning percentage in college football history. This series is also a classic that has been played every year since 1978. Despite almost 110,000 seats in "The Big House" there's huge demand. Why? Because it will be the first night game in Michigan Stadium's history. Both teams will wear throwback uniforms.
6. Texas A&M vs. Arkansas
Avg. Ticket List Price: $461.19
Date: Oct. 1
Texas A & M and Arkansas figure to be very good this season, but there's big stadium appeal in this one because this game will be played in Arlington, Texas, at Cowboys Stadium. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was an offensive lineman on the Razorbacks' 1964 National Championship team. If Texas A & M moves to the SEC, this could be a preview of things to come.
5. Ohio State at Nebraska
Avg. Ticket List Price: $462.97
Date: Oct. 8
Ohio State makes its first Big Ten trip to Memorial Stadium as Nebraska is the new kid in town. Ohio State is tough to read thanks to the loss of its quarterback Terrelle Pryor and its coach Jim Tressel, but Nebraska could very well win the league in its first year. Memorial Stadium holds the current active record for the most consecutive sellouts at 311. The last game the Huskers didn't sell out? Oct. 20, 1962.
4. Texas vs. Oklahoma
Avg. Ticket List Price: $464.04
Date: Oct. 8
The game they call "The Red River Rivalry" has origins dating back to 1900, and it's been a real battle of late. In the last 20 matchups, Texas leads 15-14, with one tie. As is tradition, one school's fans sit in half the stadium seats, the others' on the other side. Both schools are among the 11 that have won the BCS National Championship since its creation in 1998 (Oklahoma in 2000, Texas in 2005).
3. USC at Notre Dame
Avg. Ticket List Price: $509.48
Date: Oct. 22
Even though USC has won eight of the last 10 contests, this mid-season rivalry dates back to 1926. If the game is at the Coliseum, the ticket isn't nearly as hard as it is in South Bend, Indiana, where the Irish play. Notre Dame should be the favorite in this game as the team opens the season ranked 18, while USC is unranked.
2. Alabama at Auburn
Avg. Ticket List Price: $514.96
Date: Nov. 26
The "Iron Bowl" between in-state rivals Auburn and Alabama is always a hot ticket. If you love Auburn, you hate Alabama and vice versa. The fact that the game is the last of the regular season for both teams means there's always something on the line. A 28-27 Auburn victory last year on Alabama's home turf was part of the Tiger's undefeated season that ended with a National Championship. Auburn might be the worst returning National Champion in a long time, while Alabama, which won the title in 2010, opens the season ranked second in the land. Still, the ticket is a tough one.
1. LSU at Oregon
Avg. Ticket List Price: $560.23
Date: Sept. 3
The Ducks, who lost by just three points in last year's BCS National Championship Game, host the Tigers in one of those first-week games with a lot on the line. This is the second game on the list that will be played at Cowboys stadium and there's still great demand for this ticket. Oregon opens the season ranked 3rd by USA Today, while LSU opens the season ranked 4th. One of them has to lose.