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With their dramatic overtime win against SEC powerhouse Kentucky, Auburn is headed to its first Final Four. In hopes of seeing the school’s first-ever hardwood title, Auburn fans are paying up. After Auburn advanced, prices increased 20% for the semifinals on Saturday night, sending the average price above the $1,000 mark. However, for patient fans, there is good news as prices have dropped 50% to an average asking price of $613.
For fans looking to make the trip to Minneapolis in hopes that the Tigers will continue their improbable run, tickets for the semifinals start at $279, while prices for the Final Four on Monday night start at $109, and the average asking price is now $417. Fans looking to commit to an All Sessions pass will pay $387 for the cheapest one, but with prices virtually the same for buying each session individually, there’s little reason to commit to an all-sessions pass. The average asking price for the all-session pass is $1,287.
UVA is headed to the school’s first Final Four since 1984, when Virginia lost to Houston in the semifinals at the now-razed Kingdome in Seattle. As noted by Stewart Mandel of the Athletic, 2019 is the first time since 2007 that no schools from North Carolina, Kentucky or Kansas have reached the Final Four. With 10 Final Four visits to its name — eight under current coach Tom Izzo — Michigan State is by far the most experienced team in the Final Four, and also the closest in terms of travel.
While Michigan State will be well represented in Minnesota, shoppers on TicketIQ from Alabama and Georgia make up 27% of total visits. Michigan is the next closest with 8% of total visits. Vegas oddsmakers, however, have Virginia picked to capture its first title in school history, with Auburn the longshot at 7-1.
Despite the drop, prices remain historically high with cheapest ticket still the fourth most expensive TicketIQ has tracked this decade. For Saturday night, the most expensive ticket is $4,545 for a seat in Row S or T of the Hyundai Club, which sits above midcourt. For fans looking for lower-level tickets for less, about $700 gets you a seat Row A of Sections 118 or 120, behind the basket on the lower level. The best value may be for tickets in the 300-level close to center court, where $504 gets you a 13th-row ticket at midcourt.
For real value hunters who want to make sure they see a shot at the title, there’s always the option of staying at home for the semifinal and catching the final Monday night. Right now, the cheapest ticket for Monday’s final is $109, and could drop depending on who wins and loses Saturday night. A similar seat in the Hyundai Club that’s going for $4,545 for the semifinals, is available for $3,788 for the final. Upper-level prices are more deeply discounted, with a 17th-row 300-level ticket at midcourt starting at $217 — not a bad deal for what could be Auburn’s first major sports championship since 2013, when it beat Florida State in the college football national championship in Pasadena.
Jesse Lawrence is founder and CEO of TicketIQ. He is a Yankee by birth and married into an Alabama football family. He now attends at least two SEC football games every year. Saturday is his favorite day of the week.
