March Madness is here – and ticket prices are reflecting it. Fans are paying top dollar to see NCAA conference tournament action, with the Big East and SEC tournaments seeing the highest premium paid by consumers, according to data from ticket resale marketplaces. Both tournaments – which get underway this week – have seen an average ticket price paid exceeding $1,000, far above the other conference tournament asking price for all-sessions tickets. Both also have an average asking price for tickets at or close to $1,000 once fees are tacked on.
There’s less than a week to Selection Sunday, when the NCAA tournament bracket will be filled out with its 68 schools. Five schools – Fairleigh Dickinson (Northeast), Drake (Missouri Valley), Southeast Missouri State (Ohio Valley), UNC Asheville (Big South), and Kennesaw State (Atlantic Sun) – have already punched their ticket to the big dance by winning their conference automatic qualifying bids, with another 26 bids to be decided between now and the full bracket reveal next weekend.
According to data provided to TicketNews by ticket resale marketplace Ticket Club, fans are very big on tickets to the SEC tournament and Big East tournaments, as mentioned above. An all-sessions pass for the SEC has a “get-in” low price of $400 for the event that kicks off on Wednesday at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, with premium seats ranging as high as $4,000 on the resale marketplace (which does all-in pricing for members). Big East all-sessions strips aren’t available for anything less than $864 as of Tuesday afternoon for the event at Madison Square Garden in New York, with the average asking price just shy of a grand.
Lower, but still at a pretty strong premium, are the prices for two other Power 6 tournaments. Tickets to the Big 12 tournament at T-Mobile Arena in Kansas City are seeing an average listing price of $756, with PAC 12 tournament all-sessions strips averaging a listing of $524. Comparatively inexpensive, fans can get an all sessions ticket to the ACC tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina for an average of $398, the Big Ten tournament in Chicago at $316, or head to the AAC tournament in Fort Worth, TX for $291.
In terms of single sessions, the semifinal sessions are at the highest demand so far, with the SEC’s sixth session selling for an average price of $487, followed closely in price by the Pac 12 ($445) and ACC ($335) semifinal rounds.
Obviously prices will continue to move around as teams advance or fall, and matchups may raise or lower fan excitement for any particular matchup. Fans looking to score the best deal for NCAA men’s basketball conference tournament (or March Madness in general) should always comparison shop, and wait the market out if they can afford to. More pricing details and links to ticket marketplaces, TV information, and more are available below.
All-Sessions Pass Prices (P6 Conferences)
Data courtesy of Ticket Club, as of Tuesday afternoon
| Average Sold Ticket Price | Average Remaining Ticket Price | |
|---|---|---|
| SEC Tournament | $1,154 | $1,121 |
| Big East Tournament | $1,070 | $955 |
| Big Ten Tournament | $724 | $316 |
| Pac 12 Tournament | $717 | $524 |
| Big 12 Tournament | $661 | $756 |
| ACC Tournament | $581 | $398 |
NCAA Men’s Basketball Ticket Links
NCAA basketball tickets at MEGASeats | 10% off use code TICKETNEWS
NCAA basketball tickets at ScoreBig
NCAA basketball tickets at SeatGeek
NCAA basketball tickets at StubHub
NCAA basketball tickets at Ticket Club | Free membership use code TICKETNEWS
NCAA basketball tickets at Vivid Seats
March Madness Ticket Links
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament tickets at MEGASeats | 10% off use code TICKETNEWS
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament tickets at ScoreBig
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament tickets at SeatGeek
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament tickets at StubHub
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament tickets at Ticket Club | Free membership use code TICKETNEWS
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament tickets at Vivid Seats
2023 NCAA Basketball Tournament Schedule
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament schedule 2023 is as follows:
Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 12 (6 p.m. ET on CBS)
First Four: March 14-15
First round: March 16-17
Second round: March 18-19
Sweet 16: March 23-24
Elite Eight: March 25-26
Final Four: April 1
NCAA championship game: April 3
2023 NCAA Tournament Locations
First Four: Dayton, OH
First/Second Rounds: Birmingham, AL (Legacy Arena); Des Moines, IA (Wells Fargo Arena); Orlando, FL (Amway Center); Sacramento, CA (Golden 1 Center); Albany, NY (MVP Arena); Columbus, OH (Nationwide Arena); Denver, CO (Ball Arena); Greensboro, NC (Greensboro Coliseum)
Regional Semifinals/Finals: West – Las Vegas, NV (T-Mobile Arena); East – New York, NY (Madison Square Garden); Midwest – Kansas City, MO (T-Mobile Center); South – Louisville, KY (KFC Yum! Center)
Final Four: Houston, TX (NRG Stadium)
