College football fans hoping to witness history in Monday’s national championship will need to open their wallets wider than ever before.
At a Glance
- Cheapest resale tickets top $2,800 each across major platforms
- Average purchase price hits $4,196, shattering last year’s record of $2,898
- 32.2% of buyers come from Florida, 17.4% from Indiana
- Why it matters: Fans face the priciest championship admission on record, driven by Indiana’s perfect-season story and Miami’s home-field advantage
The unbeaten No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers and No. 10 Miami Hurricanes collide at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, with secondary-market prices already approaching the $3,000 mark for upper-deck seats.
Ticket prices by platform
According to News Of Philadelphia‘s analysis, the least-expensive pair of tickets Thursday carried these all-in costs:
- TickPick: $2,822 each
- Vivid Seats: $2,845 each
- SeatGeek: $2,982 each
All listings place buyers in the stadium’s uppermost deck.
Record average dwarfs 2024 mark
Data from TickPick shows the matchup is on pace to become the most expensive national-title game ever tracked. Last season’s Notre Dame-Ohio State showdown set a then-record average purchase price of $2,898, but the Miami-Indiana contest has surged to $4,196 as game day nears.
Geography of demand
TickPick provided the following geographic breakdown of purchases:
| State | Share of Sales |
|---|---|
| Florida | 32.2% |
| Indiana | 17.4% |
| Illinois | 11.6% |
Indiana’s perfect-season surge
Kyle Zorn, TickPick director of content, credited the Hoosiers’ meteoric rise for the pricing explosion.
“The fanfare around Indiana, a school that has taken the college football world by storm, is playing a significant role in driving ticket prices,” Zorn said. “Following a massive program overhaul last season under [head coach Curt] Cignetti, Hoosier fans have been eagerly awaiting a chance at their storybook ending.”
Zorn added that a strong Indiana travel contingent paired with Miami’s unexpected playoff push and home-field setting has created unprecedented demand.
“We’re seeing a notable amount of Indiana fans making the trip for the matchup. You pair that with Miami’s unexpected run and this being a home game, the combination of the two storylines is making it the most in-demand National Championship we’ve seen on record,” he said.
Stakes for both programs
Indiana enters at 13-0, seeking its first national title and the sport’s first perfect season since 2020. Miami, finishing its inaugural College Football Playoff appearance, can secure its sixth claimed championship and first since 2001 by winning on its own turf.
Key takeaways
- The cheapest seats cost more than many used cars
- Indiana’s turnaround under Cignetti fuels a travel surge
- Miami hosting amplifies local demand
- Average resale prices have climbed 45% above last year’s record
