Houston Sweet 16 ticket prices soar as South Regional hits high demand

No. 2 Houston men’s basketball is set to take on No. 3 Illinois at the Toyota Center, in what will be a packed NCAA South Regional. 

What should come as no surprise is that tickets are high, with the most affordable single ticket listed on StubHub for the Sweet 16 coming at $378, and some exceeding $5,000 as of early Wednesday afternoon.

For the Elite Eight, it is no different, as tickets right now range from a low of $258 for upper-level seats to a high of over $2,000. Some seats in the venue exceed $5,000 with the most expensive being over $12,000.

South Regional is the second most expensive regional right now, behind the East, with an estimated average of $600-$900 for the Sweet 16, and $300-$500 for the Elite Eight as of Wednesday, March 25.

There are several factors behind the soaring prices, such as rivals Nebraska and Iowa playing for a spot in the Elite Eight, and Houston playing 2.7 miles from campus. 

Big Ten programs are known for traveling fanbases, with schools like Iowa and Nebraska constantly selling out large football/ basketball stadiums, and following their teams nationwide.

The biggest problem for people looking to get their tickets late is that tickets are currently going for more than last year’s Final Four, not to mention that Toyota Center holds about 18,000 seats whereas the Final Four was held in a football stadium. 

Last year’s Final Four had significantly lower prices, which shows how much in demand the South Regional has become. Prices are expected to rise as tipoff approaches.