Sunday, October 18, 2026

Men’s March Madness Ticket Prices Fluctuate Wildly

  • Some venues, like Greensboro, NC, were selling tickets for $7 or less.
  • Meanwhile, a session in Albany, NY, had a get-in price of $152.
On Friday, the NCAA agreed to extend the prohibition of transfer restrictions through the end of the entire 2023-24 spring sports season.
Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

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Going to men’s March Madness games could be very cheap or very pricey — depending on where you’re taking in the action.

Heading into the start of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament on Thursday, single-session tickets for first-round games were $7 or less on ticket marketplace TicketSmarter, according to USA Today, at four venues:

  • Greensboro, North Carolina
  • Des Moines, Iowa
  • Orlando, Florida
  • Sacramento, California

Greensboro’s first session — featuring Xavier, Kennesaw State, Iowa State, and Pittsburgh — is the lowest of the bunch, checking in at just $6 ($7 with fees) to get in.

The UNCA Bulldogs gathered with fans to watch the March Madness selections show at Kimmel Arena

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On the flip side, several venues are seeing huge spikes in prices.

Albany, New York’s first session on Friday night led the way at $152, while Birmingham, Alabama, and Denver, Colorado, each had two entries in the top five.

Birmingham’s elevated prices make sense given the presences of top-overall seed Alabama and 4-seed Auburn — but interestingly, the Tigers’ session ($133) was outpacing the Crimson Tide’s ($99).

For fans looking ahead to the Final Four in Houston, those tickets will cost a bit more.

Data provided to Front Office Sports from ticket marketplace Gametime has the median ticket price for the national semifinals at $619, while the median price for the national championship game is “only” $427.

To get in, ticket prices start at $255 for the semifinals, $193 for the finals, and $335 for both sessions.

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