When Do Madness Tickets Go On Sale?

  • Posted on: 26 Jul 2024
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  • March Madness is undoubtedly one of the best times of the year for college basketball enthusiasts. The NCAA Division I college basketball tournament involves 68 teams, and they participate in a knockout system to crown the champion. Matches are conducted at different arenas across the nation, and the final stage of the competition is known as the Final Four and the championship game. Fans of basketball long for the day when they will be able to watch March Madness games and support their favorite team. However, when do March Madness tickets become available for purchase in the market?

    Availability of the March Madness tickets depends on the specific games and ranges from early to mid-March. Typically, tickets for earlier rounds in arenas that are not large-scale are sold before tickets for the Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final Four, and the title game. Here is a breakdown:

    First Four Tickets Played Tuesday and Wednesday before the tournament's first full round are the first two games of the First Four. Four lowest-seeded automatic bids and at-large teams are part of these games. The University of Dayton Arena located in Dayton, Ohio hosts the first four games.

    Early February saw the general public purchase First Four tickets via the NCAA ticket exchange online. Given the allowed spectator count for these games is fewer than 15,000, these typically run out quickly. Where you wish to sit determines the ticket price—between $70 and $250.

    Here are the First and Second Round ticket assignments. Following the First Four, Thursday through Sunday forms the Second and Third rounds of the NCAA competition. Usually on the home court of the team with the highest ranking, games are hosted at eight different locations around the nation.

    Tickets for the first and second rounds become available in late February or early March in the run-up to Selection Sunday when teams, sites, and brackets are announced. Usually using the sporting website of the university, every host venue manages ticket sales for its events. Depending on the game and seat, you should get ready to pay between 50 and 300 bucks for a session. Usually, these early-round events are rather popular, and fans purchase tickets right away upon sale.

    Notes for Elite 8 and Sweet 16 Two weeks after four regional sites are the regional semifinal (Sweet 16) and finals (Elite 8). Among the major cities used as host venues are Los Angeles, New York, Indianapolis, and Memphis.

    Following the Selection Sunday and once the regional matchup is decided, the remaining Sweet 16 and Elite 8 tickets are for sale. The location and game will affect the ticket price; which ranges from $150 to $500. Once they are on the market, these tickets are widely sought after and most of them are sold in a fairly short period of minutes or hours.

    Final Four Notes Semifinal and championship games in college basketball comprise the Final Four tournament. It is scheduled for many years and takes place at a fixed site every year. Future Final Four sites are San Antonio, Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Houston, and Phoenix.

    There is great demand for tickets, hence a ticket lottery is used for the Final Four tickets. To be able to get tickets, the supporters can engage in the request period in February. After organizations randomly select a few from the applicants, some people are fortunate enough to be offered tickets to purchase. The higher levels of tickets cost as little as $500. Usually costing more than $1,500–$3,000 each ticket, lower bowl and floor seating usually cost.

    Additionally heavily traded in the secondary ticket market for the Final Four are Often, season ticket holders and brokers who sell their tickets at exponential rates of 5–10 times the face value. Getting inside the club is quite costly; anticipate paying more than $1000 for a ticket to even be inside. Still, thousands of people visit March Madness every year, regardless of the expenses involved in attending the tournament.

    Tips for Getting Tickets Since many of the March Madness games have experienced first-day sellouts, it is important to have a strategy on where to get the tickets at full price. Here are some top tips: Here are some top tips:

    • Get the exact on-sale date and time by subscribing to ticket alerts from the host venues or the NCAA ticket exchange. Be ready in front of the internet connection to buy immediately.

    • You can apply to become a member of the school fan clubs and can also make donations to become a season ticket holder to have the best chances of getting the Final Four tickets during the lottery draw.

    • For specific presale code or ticket giveaway information, fans should follow the host venues and the NCAA March Madness social handles.

    • Usually, there are tickets available on the morning of the session you want to attend; be sure to check with the box office. You may get lucky!

      Regardless of the March Madness games that you intend to watch, the level of attendee turnout will be high. If you plan well, buy tickets right when they are released, and get lucky, you will be supporting your team on the stands shortly.