Rising 25 Nominations Are Now Open!
Nominate Now

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.
General view of signage of the NCAA Tournament March Madness in Albany.
Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

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

At Men’s March Madness, $170M Is Up For Grabs

Every year, the NCAA distributes prize money based on the Big Dance.
March 16, 2023

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.