Frustration. Sadness. Elation. Every year the NCAA Basketball Tournament produces the same set of emotions without fail. However, nearly every college hoops fan can agree that the tournament’s greatest glory is the exhilaration that comes from watching a Cinderella team shock the world with a magical run in glass slippers. They become the talk of the tournament every time one emerges by ousting a powerhouse team. But how much impact do these underdogs have on the hype, and therefore cost, of the tournament’s final games? We analyzed Final Four ticket prices of the past few years to find out.
On the men’s side, a cookie-cutter Final Four is rarely in the cards. In fact, only once in tournament history have all four No. 1 seeds made it to the final weekend. This feat was accomplished ten years ago when Kansas outlasted fellow top seeds UCLA, North Carolina and Memphis. Rare as it may be, historical data shows that higher seeds make for a steeper ticket cost come the final Monday night game.
In 2011, No. 3 UConn claimed their third national championship over No. 8 Butler in a match-up that boasted an average ticket price of $105, the cheapest of the last eight finals. A surprise Final Four appearance by No. 11 seed VCU may have been a factor in the pricing, especially for those who buy in advance of the final being set. On the other hand, UConn’s subsequent victory in 2014 was also on the lower end of the pricing spectrum at roughly $155. Then seeded seventh, the Huskies faced No. 8 Kentucky in the lowest seeded final in recent years.
The following year told a different story with an average ticket to see a top-seeded duel between Duke and Wisconsin going for a hefty $280. That same Final Four consisted of three No. 1 seeds and as a result, a steep ticket price of nearly $550 to catch the semifinal games. Last year’s meeting between North Carolina and Gonzaga (also both No. 1) saw another spike in average Final Four ticket prices at $325 for the championship battle.
With this year’s Final Four now set, intense showdowns are promised between No. 11 Loyola-Chicago vs. No. 3 Michigan and top seeds Kansas & Villanova. As of right now, ticket prices stand on both ends of the spectrum, with semifinal games costing roughly $380 (the fourth-lowest since 2010) and a championship game ticket running about $300 (the third-highest).
While the men’s tournament thrives on its unpredictability, the women’s draw suggests that it’s time for a shake up. Since 2010, only two teams seeded lower than fourth made a trip to the Final Four: Washington (No. 7, 2016) and Louisville (No. 5, 2013). Amid the consistency of top-ranked teams coming through, one squad stands apart from the rest. Geno Auriemma and the decorated dynasty that is the UConn Huskies have made Final Four appearances for the past ten years. Despite their shattered records, the Huskies near-constant presence in the championship game tends to result in low ticket prices. Ticket Club data shows that average women’s Final Four ticket prices fell steadily from 2013-16, each year featuring UConn coming out on top. A ticket to their 2016 win over Syracuse averaged only $87, the lowest of the past eight years.
By contrast, last year’s Mississippi State – South Carolina final saw tickets go for more than double what they were listed for the previous year at a staggering $207. Although the championship game was a meeting between a No. 1 and 2 seed, UConn’s notable absence left a the window open for a new top squad to break through.
As this year’s tournament quickly comes to close, we’ll continue to monitor Final Four ticket prices but going forward, it’s relatively safe to say that the underdog plays as big a part in the story as the greatest of champions do.
Click the links below to find tickets for the men’s Final Four semifinal and championship games.
All Sessions (Saturday and Monday) | Semifinals (Saturday) | Championship (Monday)