Winter coats are being shed for t-shirts and shorts across the U.S., and while the springtime brings its patented sunshine and warm weather, college football fans are anxiously awaiting the start of the 2016 CFB season. With just under 100 days remaining before opening weekend kicks off, it’s never too early to take a look at which games are garnering the highest ticket demand on the secondary market across the nation – and abroad – this season.
The Wisconsin Badgers had a promising 2015 season after finishing 10-3 but could not catch the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten, who worked their way to the Conference Championship before falling to Michigan State. The Badgers will kick things off in style in 2016 when they host the LSU Tigers at Lambeau Field on September 3. The Week 1 matchup will serve as the second of a two-game series between the two schools, which held its first meeting at NRG Stadium in Houston in 2014.
Anticipation for the Lambeau Field game has quietly been building since it was first announced back in 2013, and the hype surrounding UW’s trip to the Frozen Tundra is certainly being justified on the secondary ticket market. According to TiqIQ, the average resale price for Wisconsin vs LSU tickets at Lambeau Field is now $725, making it the most expensive game of the 2016 College Football season. The cheapest ticket is currently listed for $396.
A Week 3 matchup between Oklahoma and Ohio State will serve as the second most expensive college football game on the secondary market this season. The September 17 game currently owns a resale average of $600.46 and the get-in price is $292. MSU and Notre Dame will meet in South Bend the same day in the third top-priced game of the season. Tickets for that game are posting near-identical prices to that of the Oklahoma-OSU game, with an average price of $599.89 and a $178 get-in price.
Who says Americans have all the fun? The NCAA has taken leaps to expand its presence worldwide in recent years, with 11 games being held in countries outside the U.S. since the 2007 season. The latest expansion will bring California and Hawaii to ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia for the Sydney College Football Cup on August 27. As the first official game of the season, the late-August matchup will undoubtedly bring many fans to the Land Down Under, and many traveling options exist for those still planning. Sydney hotels near the stadium start from just $145 each night that weekend.
One week later, Boston College and Georgia Tech will travel to Dublin, Ireland to face each other at Aviva Stadium. Being dubbed the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, the game will be the sixth college football game held in Dublin since 1988 and second-ever at Aviva Stadium. For those planning their trip to the Emerald Isle, Dublin hotels can be found starting from €154 per night.
Perhaps rather interestingly, neither defending national champion Alabama nor runner-up Clemson appears in the top five most expensive games of the season. Alabama’s top-priced game will be the 2016 Iron Bowl against Auburn on November 26, where tickets are averaging $465.86 and the cheapest is listed for $251. Clemson’s most expensive game comes on the road against Florida State on October 29. That game is averaging $398.36 a ticket with a $139 get-in price.
