One ticket for Saturday’s No. 1 Ohio State at No. 4 Texas game reportedly hit a mind-blowing $42,000 on SeatGeek. No joke, that’s what we are talking about for one of the biggest college football weekends Austin has seen in years.
The Sticker Shock Is Real
Tickets for the game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium are soaring to insane levels. While that $42,000 listing was at its peak according to CBS Austin, other seats on SeatGeek were still going for five figures, like one for $14,863. Seats were going for $5,320 or even $5,685. You could literally buy a used car, or you could buy one Texas-Ohio State ticket. Even the “cheaper side” wasn’t cheap, with tickets starting at $441. Patrick Rishe, director of the Sports Business Program at Washington University in St. Louis, told CBS Austin that average secondary-market prices ranged between $800 and $900, with a typical buy-in around $450 to $500. Rishe hinted these prices could spike higher closer to the game, though they might come down hours before as sellers try to dump inventory.
Why This Game Is Going Nuclear
So, what gives? Why are these tickets hitting such wild numbers? It is not a mystery. You’ve got two top-five teams squaring off: No. 1 Ohio State going against No. 4 Texas. That is a marquee matchup. On top of that, ESPN’s College GameDay is broadcasting live from Austin ahead of the game. That pregame hype machine just adds to the insane demand. Texas is hosting the show for the 11th time, while Ohio State is making its 69th College GameDay appearance. The Houston Chronicle reported Texas gave Ohio State 3,800 tickets for the game, the same number Ohio State gave Texas for last season’s game in Columbus. This Saturday’s showdown is expected to shatter Texas’ all-time home attendance record of 105,215. This place is going to be absolutely packed.
The game is completely sold out, so if you didn’t get a ticket, you’re outta luck on getting inside. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Saturday, but for those priced out, Austin still has free ways to get in on the weekend action. You can still hit up ESPN College GameDay on the LBJ Lawn, check out Longhorn City Limits with Robert Earl Keen and Shinyribs, or swing by a free Ohio State watch party at Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden on West Sixth Street. So, yeah, you might not be in the stadium, but you can still feel the energy. Let’s hope the game lives up to the hype that these ticket prices are creating.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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