How are everybody’s brackets looking?
Whether you’ve spent the last few days gloating to your group chat about your standing after the first two rounds or you’re kicking yourself at how your picks have panned out, it may be time to reset.
We’re just a few days away from the Sweet 16, and, as we’ve seen before in this tournament, anything can happen.
In other words: What goes up might come down — as long as we’re not talking about Men’s and Women’s NCAA Tournament ticket prices.
On that tip: we suggest buying as soon as possible.
Tickets to the men’s and women’s Sweet 16 sessions, spread out from Boston to Los Angeles on the men’s side, and Albany to Portland on the women’s front, are in high demand.
But how much higher is this year’s breakout women’s star, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, driving sales?
Clark drove viewership of last year’s Women’s NCAA Final between Iowa and LSU up to 9.9 million. And this year looks to be no different.
Below, we dove into the relative ticket prices for this weekend’s men’s and women’s Sweet 16:
| Women’s NCAA Sweet 16 | Ticket prices starting at: |
|---|---|
| March 29 – April 1: All Sessions (Oregon State vs. Notre Dame, South Carolina vs. Indiana, LSU vs. UCLA, Colorado vs. Iowa) at MVP Arena in Albany | $630 |
| March 30: Session 2 (LSU vs. UCLA, Colorado vs. Iowa) | $187 |
The all sessions ticket for the women’s bracket in Albany, featuring Clark and Iowa, reigning national champion LSU and national champion favorite South Carolina, begins at $630.
Compare those prices with the cost of an Women’s NCAA All Sessions ticket in Portland, headlined by perennial powers in UConn and Stanford, starting at just $163 for the weekend.
And how much should you plan to spend for a one-session ticket to a few high profile games in Portland? As little as $30.
There’s a hefty price differential between All Sessions tickets to the women’s Sweet 16 and the men’s, but one factor to consider is that because the Men’s tournament is divided across four cities (Los Angeles, Boston, Detroit, Dallas) versus just two for the women’s tournament (Albany, Portland), those buying Men’s All Session tickets will get access to three games compared to six.
| Men’s NCAA Sweet 16 | Ticket prices starting at: |
|---|---|
| March 28 – 30: West Regional All Sessions at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles | $205 |
| March 28 – 30: East Regional All Sessions at TD Garden in Boston | $423 |
| March 29 – 31: Midwest Regional All Sessions at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit | $358 |
| March 29 – 31: South Regional All Sessions at American Airlines Center in Dallas | $361 |
So, the Caitlin bump is real! But that doesn’t mean you can expect to pay less than $200 for Men’s Sweet Sixteen tickets anytime soon.
Your March Madness bracket may have a few surprises left in store, but as far as tournament ticket pricing goes, you already know what to expect.
Sure, tickets cost a pretty penny, but can you really put a price on witnessing history?