The top and No. 2 seeds are set to face-off in the College Football Playoffs National Championship Game next week, but with just days away from kick-off, prices have dropped drastically.
The game is slated to take place at Houston’s NRG Stadium on January 8, leaving the Washington Huskies and Michigan Wolverines to face-off for the title. Since the semifinals solidified Washington and Michigan as the final contenders on New Year’s Day, the average price fans paid for tickets dropped by a whopping 40%, according to sales data from secondary ticketing site Ticket Club.
According to the membership-based ticketer, the average get-in price reached $3,746 when Alabama and Texas were still in the mix. However, once they were eliminated — and particularly when Texas was no longer in the running — those prices dropped down to $2,239 on Ticket Club. The $1,500 price drop aligns with the price fans were paying before the semifinalists were announced in December at $1,587.
The same story pans out on other secondary sites; over on GameTime, tickets dropped from $3,553 with taxes and fees to get into the title game after Michigan won to $2,101 once Texas lost, according to FOX26 Houston. Additionally, SeatGeek currently has seats available for under $1,000 with fees.
So, why the sudden drop?
Washington doesn’t seem to be bringing-in the same draw as Texas, particularly due to Texas’ proximity to the game. While there are Longhorns fans across the country, the less than three-hour drive to NRG Stadium seemed like an easy choice to most fans. However, Washington followers aren’t as likely to make the trek to see the game go-down in person.
While this isn’t great news for the teams, it’s certainly a plus for football fans, especially anyone looking to score a cheaper seat. Ticket Club found that the “get-in” price on Wednesday hovered around $1,000 for seats at the 600 level, followed by $1,360 in the 500 level and $1,874 at the 300 level. Find tickets via Ticket Club and enjoy a free membership to avoid service fees by using the code “TICKETNEWS.”