If you’re a basketball fan and want to witness the electrifying talent of Caitlin Clark in action this season, be prepared to pay a premium. Clark, the reigning player of the year and a few hundred points away from breaking the NCAA women’s basketball scoring record, has become the hottest ticket in town when the No. 3 Iowa Hawkeyes hit the road. With all but one road game at a Big Ten arena sold out for the remainder of the 2023-24 season, securing tickets on secondary market sites is no easy feat, and they come at a premium price.
The Caitlin Clark Phenomenon
Caitlin Clark is not just an outstanding scorer; she’s also one of the nation’s leaders in assists per game and is deadly in transition, both as a passer and a scorer. Her remarkable skills and the success of the Iowa Hawkeyes have contributed to an explosion in women’s basketball popularity. The Hawkeyes have managed to sell out nearly every road game this year, and the anticipation is high as they are likely to be a hot ticket when the NCAA tournament kicks off. Iowa’s Caitlin Clark would host the first two rounds as a top-four seed, further elevating the demand for tickets.
But Caitlin Clark is not the only star shining in the women’s basketball arena. Earlier this season, LSU star Angel Reese, who led the Tigers to the 2023 national title, drew a large crowd when she returned home to Baltimore to play against Coppin State. The 4,100-capacity arena sold out, highlighting the increasing demand to watch women’s basketball superstars in action.
Soaring Prices for Women’s Basketball
In essence, the price of admission to witness some of the game’s most significant superstars is on the rise. With the increased popularity and demand for women’s college basketball, here’s a breakdown of ticket availability and prices when Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes go on the road:
Wednesday, Jan. 10, at Purdue
- Venue: Mackey Arena (capacity: 14,240)
- Tickets left: Purdue had 135 general admission tickets left, priced at $15 for adults and $5 for kids under 13. Additional tickets are available on Seat Geek, Purdue’s official ticket partner. Resale tickets on Seat Geek range from as low as $3 to as high as $673.
Sunday, Jan. 21, at No. 16 Ohio State
- Venue: Schottenstein Center (capacity: 18,809)
- Tickets left: Officially sold out as of Jan. 8. However, tickets are available on the secondary market, though Ohio State does not partner with any secondary sellers, so tickets are not guaranteed by the university. Verified resale tickets on Ticketmaster start as low as $20 for general admission in the upper bowl and go up to $1,094 for seats eight rows behind Iowa’s bench.
Wednesday, Jan. 31, at Northwestern
- Venue: Welsh Ryan Arena (capacity: 7,039)
- Tickets left: Sold out. Resale tickets on Seat Geek were priced between $181 for general admission and $1,728 for the first row behind the scorers’ table.
Saturday, Feb. 3, at Maryland
- Venue: XFINITY Center (capacity: 17,950)
- Tickets left: Sold out. Maryland partners with Seat Geek and directs fans to purchase secondary market tickets there. On Seat Geek, ticket prices range from $94 to $1,104.
Sunday, Feb. 11, at Nebraska
- Tickets left: Sold out. The Nebraska ticket office recommends checking Seat Geek, where resale tickets range from $50 to $1,169. However, spectators are cautioned that it’s still a “buyer beware” situation as the tickets are on the secondary market.
- Venue: Pinnacle Bank Arena (capacity: 15,500)
- Tickets left: Sold out. Resale tickets on Seat Geek, Indiana’s official ticket partner, vary from $84 for upper bowl general admission to $1,348 for front-row center court seats, across from the benches.
In summary, Caitlin Clark’s rise to stardom and the growing popularity of women’s college basketball have led to increased demand for tickets to her games. The opportunity to witness her exceptional skills on the court has turned her into a basketball sensation, and fans are willing to pay a premium for the experience. As the women’s college basketball landscape continues to evolve, securing tickets to see Clark and other rising stars has become a coveted and potentially costly endeavor.
