Women’s Final Four hoops tickets resale for twice as much as men’s

CLEVELAND — The average price paid for a ticket on the resale market this week was twice as high for the NCAA women’s Final Four compared with that for the men’s semifinals, according to a technology company that analyzes prices across multiple platforms.

The average price of a ticket sold to the women’s semifinals was $2,323 US; the average price for the men’s was $1,001.21 US, Logitix reported Wednesday.

The women’s games Friday match Iowa against Connecticut and South Carolina against North Carolina State at 19,432-seat Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. Including data from sales made a month ago and longer, the average price for the women’s semifinals is $1,131.78, compared with $400.29 for the same period in 2023.

The men’s games Saturday pit Purdue against North Carolina State and Connecticut against Alabama at 63,400-seat State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Overall average ticket price for the men’s semifinals is $993.70, compared with $636.43 in 2023.

The higher price for the women’s games is partially due to ticket supply for the men’s games being greater because seating capacity at its venue is three times larger, a Logitix spokesman said. He added that demand for women’s tickets is unprecedented and driven by fanfare for Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, the all-time leading scorer in Division I. The Hawkeyes have played before sellout crowds — at home, on the road and at neutral sites — for all but two games this season.

The NCAA sells ticket packages — now sold out — that include all three games of the Final Four. Face value ranges from $200 to $400 for the women’s semifinals and final and $250 to $900 for the men’s semifinals and final.

Tickets on the resale market can be sold separately for the semifinals (both games) and final because they are held on different days.