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College basketball fans are calling this one of the worst Final Four fields ever after seeing the tumbling ticket prices online. That opinion stems largely from the lack of blue bloods remaining in play.
Duke, Kansas, UCLA, Kentucky, and Arizona have all been eliminated, with four of the five falling before the Sweet 16. Typical March Madness staples like Gonzaga and Michigan State have been cut, too, while North Carolina failed to make the Big Dance altogether.
In fact, this will be the first ever Final Four field that doesn’t include a No. 1, No. 2, or No. 3 seed. Instead, we’ll have fourth-seeded UCONN, five seeds Miami and San Diego State, and ninth-seeded Florida Atlantic battling it out for a championship.
Of those four remaining schools, only Connecticut has the history and fanbase following to move the needle. As a result, Final Four tickets are cheaper than ever.
At week’s start, you can attend college basketball’s premiere event for less than $150. For comparison, tickets for last year’s Final Four matchup between Duke and UNC were up around $500 apiece.
More surprisingly, tickets for this season’s Women’s Final Four are more expensive than the men’s matchups.
Get-in price to women’s Final Four on @stubhub: $200
Get-in price to men’s Final Four on @stubhub: $136
(women in arena, men in stadium, but it is what it is)
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) March 27, 2023
The prices began to plummet shortly after the Elite Eight wrapped up, mostly due to the elimination of final No. 1 seed Houston. The Cougars appeared destined to play for a title in their home city, but instead were upended by Miami.
That result caused prices to drop by more than $100 almost instantly.
Ticket prices to the Final Four have already dropped 36 percent on @TickPick.
Was $286 get-in with 5 min left in Miami-Texas. Was $182, 30 minutes after game ended. pic.twitter.com/v3wQK3kQ7N
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) March 27, 2023
Fans have been quick to comment on the plummeting prices online. Many are blaming the remaining field, which they call the worst Final Four of all time.
This fan wrote, “It obviously was the year of the underdogs. One of the worst 4s in years.” Another commented, “There’s only one compelling matchup left in the Final Four,” assuming he means Miami vs. UCONN.
Others are looking at it from a different perspective, though, seeing this as an opportunity to attend an event that’s often unattainable to the average fan.
One follower posted, “If you wanna see a Final Four game this is the year,” while someone else said, “It’s March Madness on a budget…”
It will be interesting to see how the prices fluctuate as the weekend approaches. The Final Four tickets could be even more affordable the closer we get to the action.