On Saturday, ESPN’s College GameDay will be in Tuscaloosa ahead of No. 16 Vanderbilt at No. 10 Alabama, and Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff will originate from Ann Arbor for Wisconsin at No. 21 Michigan.
However, the hottest ticket in the country will be in Tallahassee.
No. 3 Miami visits No. 18 Florida State on Saturday night, marking the first matchup of the in-state rivals since 2016 that both programs are ranked—and ticket prices are soaring. The get-in price for the ACC contest on all major secondary markets currently exceeds $300, which is more than double any other game this weekend. Vanderbilt-Alabama is the second-most-expensive matchup, with resale tickets trending around $135.
The capacity at FSU’s Doak Campbell Stadium is roughly 67,000, about 12,000 fewer than it used to be, after $265 million renovations that were mostly completed this year.
Miami–Florida State is getting ABC’s 7:30 p.m. ET primetime window that will not feature an SEC matchup for the first time through six weeks this college football season. And while College GameDay won’t be in Tallahassee, ACC Network’s pregame show, ACC Huddle, which expanded its travel strategy this year, will be in town.
As revenue-sharing, NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals, and the transfer portal continue to reshape college sports, Miami and Florida State are both seen as potential powerhouses given their financial support from donors and alumni.
Carolina Blues
Before this season began, many pundits had a certain Week 6 matchup in Chapel Hill circled as the potential game of the weekend.
However, instead of Clemson–North Carolina being a national talking point for the schools and the ACC, Saturday’s game is a matchup of the conference’s two highest-paid coaches, Dabo Swinney and Bill Belichick, whose teams are both struggling to win.
UNC sold out of football season tickets earlier than it ever had in program history. Resale prices for the Clemson game are starting at roughly $80; the game is on ESPN at noon ET.
