Reigning national champions Alabama continue to sit atop the preseason coaches poll heading into the 2018 NCAA football season. However, when it comes to season openers that are in the highest-demand, heavy hitters like Ohio State and Notre Dame continue to dominate and post some of the highest college football ticket prices in the country.
The SEC continues to flex its muscles with Alabama, Georgia and Auburn are entering the 2018 season within the Top 10 rankings, while Mississippi State and LSU also made the cut of the Top 25 teams. However, their home openers are surprisingly affordable. Georgia’s September 1 clash against Austin Peay currently has tickets going for roughly $110, the most expensive of all ranked SEC teams. Next comes Alabama with an average price of $87 per ticket – a reasonable amount considering Crimson Tide fans dished out over $140 on average to catch a game on home turf last season. LSU, Auburn and Mississippi State’s opening games are all moderately priced at under $40 each.
Notre Dame picked up the 11th place in the official preseason coaches poll, but the Fighting Irish blow all other teams out of the water when it comes to ticket prices. According to Ticket Club sales data, their September 1 home opener against #14 Michigan has an outlandish average ticket price of over $600. While that number is certainly an outlier compared to the other two dozen teams in the poll, it remains on par with Notre Dame’s recent history. In 2015, fans coughed up nearly $550 on average for entry into their first game against Texas, while last year’s home bout against Georgia caused ticket prices to skyrocket to over $640.
Ohio State trails the Irish with a second-highest ticket price of $214, though the #3 Buckeyes have been as consistent in their demand as they have on the field. 2018 marks the fourth consecutive year that Ohio State has come second to Notre Dame in pricing. Their devoted fan base has dished out over $150 on average each year to witness a battle at Ohio Stadium, with this upcoming season projected to cost patrons about $250 per game.
See the going rates for each of the Top 25 teams’ first home games of the season below, ranked from most expensive to most affordable.
College Football Ticket Prices – Top 25 Teams Home Opener*
| Team (w/ Rank) | Home Opener Average Price |
|---|---|
| Notre Dame (11) | $606.51 |
| Ohio State (3) | $214.26 |
| Florida State (19) | $112.69 |
| Georgia (4) | $109.49 |
| Texas (21) | $103.34 |
| USC (15) | $102.29 |
| Alabama (1) | $86.20 |
| Michigan (14) | $85.34 |
| Clemson (2) | $82.23 |
| Penn State (9) | $73.79 |
| Stanford (13) | $62.50 |
| Oklahoma (5) | $54.67 |
| West Virginia (20) | $54.62 |
| Boise State (22) | $48.00 |
| Washington (6) | $47.04 |
| Auburn (10) | $39.06 |
| Wisconsin (7) | $35.97 |
| Mississippi State (18) | $35.83 |
| Michigan State (12) | $28.66 |
| Miami (8) | $25.71 |
| TCU (16) | $24.65 |
| Oklahoma State (25) | $23.90 |
| Virginia Tech (17) | $22.77 |
| LSU (24) | $21.20 |
| UCF (23) | $19.80 |
While certain home opener prices tilt on the lower end of the spectrum, it’s worth noting that those may reflect Week 2 scheduling, as a number of schools are launching their season on the road. Michigan‘s faithful fans could follow the Wolverines to Notre Dame and pay over six times as much as it’d cost to watch them on home turf the following week. Select teams are upgrading to NFL stadiums for their Week 1 clash – which may offer large scale excitement but aren’t exactly ideal for penny-pinchers.
Alabama will face Louisville at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, with tickets going for nearly $80 more than Bama’s home debut the following week. Washington and Auburn’s clash in Atlanta promises thrilling football, but a hefty price tag for those looking to attend, at roughly $200 a ticket. However, the biggest price discrepancy belongs to Miami and LSU, who will face off at Dallas’ AT&T Stadium in a Sunday showdown that has the average ticket selling for just under $400. The Southern squads home openers during Week 2 are among the most affordable of the Top 25, at $25 per ticket or less.
Week 1 College Football Ticket Prices – Neutral Location Games*
| Date | Teams (with rank) | Game Location | Average Ticket Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/1/2018 | Texas (21) vs. Maryland | FedexField – Landover, MD | $161.26 |
| 9/1/2018 | Alabama (1) vs. Louisville | Camping World Stadium – Orlando, FL | $165.88 |
| 9/1/2018 | West Virginia (20) vs. Tennessee | Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, NC | $171.53 |
| 9/1/2018 | Washington (6) vs. Auburn (10) | Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, GA | $221.44 |
| 9/2/2018 | Miami (9) vs. LSU (24) | AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX | $393.29 |
*pricing data accurate as of August 14, 2018
Nevertheless, the cost of entry won’t stop college football diehards from celebrating the start of a new season. Last year’s opening weekend games saw most of the top ranked teams draw in over 75,000 spectators, with attendance expected to be just as impressive come the start of the 2018 season.
Find your seat to all the top college football games here, and experience big savings with no fees guaranteed for Ticket Club Premier members.