Strategy for getting championship game tickets at reasonable price?
Does anyone know the general ticket price trend for the championship game during the week leading up to the game?
Obviously this is a Michigan blog and Michigan has never gone (which is likely pushing prices through the roof today) but do prices typically come down leading up to the game? Google didn’t turn up much information for me.
Thanks in advance for any insight and Go Blue.
November 29th, 2021 at 6:31 PM ^
Based on hotels already being impossible to find, I don’t see it dropping below $250/ticket to get in the building.
November 29th, 2021 at 6:40 PM ^
I would imagine there have been quite a few Buckeye fans dumping Indianapolis hotel reservations the last couple days.
November 29th, 2021 at 6:49 PM ^
Nope they are holding onto tickets which is driving ticket prices up. Also they aren’t canceling rooms. Read a ton of Twitter comments from buckeyes saying they are doing that to spite M fans.
November 29th, 2021 at 7:30 PM ^
Let them go ahead and burn that sunk cost hole in their pocket. I’m sure a lot of them aren’t, but if a good chunk of them are, then they’re dumber than I gave them credit for.
November 29th, 2021 at 8:56 PM ^
“Nobody has ever gone broke underestimating the intelligence of buckeyes”
-PT Barnum (probably)
November 29th, 2021 at 6:42 PM ^
$250 is a pipe dream at the moment. Last night you could get upper deck for around $325-350 all in. Right now, with all fees included, it's difficult to find anything under $450.
There will undoubtedly be a few deals that pop up the day before or day of the game, but those will be rare. I'm guessing even those tickets will be maybe $100 lower than current prices.
It's been quite a while since Michigan has played in such an important game; people are hungry and spending money.
November 29th, 2021 at 6:33 PM ^
Define reasonable.
November 29th, 2021 at 6:35 PM ^
As a former ticket scalper, you're likely to get the best price 1/2 hour prior to kickoff. Someone HAS to get their tickets sold. It's an emotional risk though.
November 29th, 2021 at 7:23 PM ^
Wouldn't recommend playing the scalping game, if you haven't pre-paid for parking close to stadium, you are in for a long walk, and prices do not drop til end of the 1st quarter.
Basically forget trying to get a table at any restaurant within a half mile unless you booked already.
Thousands of folks are just tailgating with TV, so parking is terrible.
In the future, play the Buckeyes game, and buy tickets, book hotels, and check on restaurants reservation rules in summer when general admission tix are sold.
November 29th, 2021 at 7:36 PM ^
Honest question: Do StubHub and/or other ticket brokers sell after kickoff?
November 29th, 2021 at 9:01 PM ^
Followup question (while also following for an answer to your question). Are scalpers even a thing now? I’m trying to figure my best angle for last minute tickets (parking not an issue as I can walk from my job downtown).
November 29th, 2021 at 10:04 PM ^
I don’t believe so. A Google search certainly has the answer but I’m too lazy to do it at the moment (when did tapping on my phone’s screen start to feel like “work?”).
November 29th, 2021 at 6:35 PM ^
Yesterday they were in the ballpark of $250 per. Today it’s more like $350. Any idea how that trend will continue?
November 29th, 2021 at 6:41 PM ^
When it's a week out you can ask anything you want and hope to get lucky. Price tends to come down and bottom minutes before kickoff.
November 29th, 2021 at 6:43 PM ^
If you really, really want to be there I always prefer to pay the $250/$300 and be able to enjoy the whole day rather than running around haggling and hoping to save a few bucks.
November 29th, 2021 at 10:30 PM ^
This is good advice.
For the 2018 NC bball game, I tried to wait out the market. I ended up saving maybe $100 total on 2 tickets. However, I spent about 5 hours of my day in San Antonio refreshing StubHub instead of simply enjoying the pre-game environment.
Next time, I’ll buy the tickets when I know I’m going and then enjoy the experience when I get there.
November 29th, 2021 at 6:53 PM ^
Those $350 prices don't include fees, which are running 20+%, so the real price is closer to $450 and availability at that price is low and getting lower.
November 29th, 2021 at 6:36 PM ^
I feel like they'll come down later because lots of people will have them that aren't going to make the trip. But I'm not sure they'll come down much. I think you'll find people trying to get rid of them who prefer not to wait it out just like we don't want to overpay today but also don't want to miss out.
November 29th, 2021 at 6:37 PM ^
I don't know how the dynamics work for the Big Ten football playoff. I will say that I live in Indianapolis, and a few years ago I had hoped to go to the NCAA basketball final. I waited until Monday night, and that didn't work, as there were essentially no tickets available. It was actually pretty weird, walking around looking at other groups who were all expecting to buy last minute tickets with nobody actually selling.
I hope you have better luck than I did.
November 29th, 2021 at 6:40 PM ^
Michigan season ticket holders are able to buy semi-final tickets. I bet if Michigan makes it they will get the chance to buy finals tickets too.
So find a season ticket holder who doesn't want to go and have them buy the tickets for you. The longer they have had their tickets (or the more donations they have made) the better their priority will be.
November 29th, 2021 at 6:42 PM ^
I should have clarified… I’m looking for tickets to this Saturday’s game.
November 29th, 2021 at 6:53 PM ^
Oh, Yeah I don' t know how that is working. I know TicketMaster had tickets but they are now sold out.
There are a ton listed on stubhub. If you can be patient and wait to buy on Friday, some people will get desperate to unload them.
November 29th, 2021 at 6:42 PM ^
I'd spend time in ohio fan blogs, pinch your nose & take some anti nausea meds..... shitloads of ohio fans will be unloading them.
November 29th, 2021 at 7:52 PM ^
I could see OSU fans still making the trip and cheering for Iowa…
November 29th, 2021 at 7:12 PM ^
I have a three part plan and I’ll give you part three of part two (so everyone can’t steal my plan): Color-code said documents™️
November 29th, 2021 at 7:16 PM ^
Buy on Friday, or if you are really high risk Saturday morning
People always dump last minute when they can’t make it or when their tickets haven’t sold and they are scared they’ll end up with nothing
This strategy is not for the feint of heart though lol, especially if you are booking plane tickets and hotels
November 29th, 2021 at 7:21 PM ^
Mug a scalper just outside the stadium.
November 29th, 2021 at 7:28 PM ^
I think armed robbery is your best option.
November 29th, 2021 at 7:50 PM ^
I just paid close to $1,000 for two upper deck seats on StubHub; fees included. Hotels are a joke currently, at least per my work travel app. Booked one about an hour outside Indy. Is the consensus that we should also pay ahead for a parking pass somewhere?
November 29th, 2021 at 8:03 PM ^
My strategy has been to accumulate vast sums of money through irresponsible investments in digital currency, thus making any price a reasonable one.
November 29th, 2021 at 8:16 PM ^
Very often the price DOES go down in the days before the game --- but it 99.9% likely won't for this one. Way way way too much demand, the weather will be fine (won't scare off those who need to commute in) and both fanbases really want to be there.
It is what it is.
November 29th, 2021 at 8:30 PM ^
Tickpick.com, 24-48 hours before the game. Place a bid.
November 29th, 2021 at 8:32 PM ^
I am 3 hours drive from Indy, going to see what prices are at noon Saturday afternoon and if they come down will grab a couple and head west.
November 29th, 2021 at 8:42 PM ^
How is parking at Lucas Oil? Sounds like if you don’t already have plans everything is going to be a nightmare.
November 29th, 2021 at 10:00 PM ^
Not sure about the stadium specifically. But if you look up the Indiana Convention Center and go to their page on Big Ten Fan Fest (I'd post link but not sure about the forum's policy around that), you can then follow a link to buy a parking pass at a nearby garage. I just bought one for the whole day/night. A friend and I are leaving the Livonia area early Saturday morning and we will see if we can get decently priced tix last minute (not feeling optimistic about it based on reading this thread, lol), otherwise we'll watch at a bar w/ other M fans somewhere in the downtown Indy area.
November 30th, 2021 at 11:16 AM ^
Been debating doing the same. I haven't seen anything from the alumni association having any kind of tailgate/watch party for those who couldn't get tickets.
Anyone know of the defacto UM bar near the stadium?
November 30th, 2021 at 7:11 AM ^
There are still a lot of Ohio state fans sitting on tickets. There should be a serious drop on Friday and Saturday morning because they will fear not making their money back.