• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

2

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

3

Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026

1

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

2

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

3

Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026

Here’s How You Can Score the Cheapest Tickets for March Madness

By
Jonathan Chew
Jonathan Chew
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Chew
Jonathan Chew
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 13, 2016, 5:00 AM ET
Wisconsin v Kentucky
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - APRIL 04: (EDITORS NOTE: Image is a digital panoramic composite.) A general view during a game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Kentucky Wildcats during the NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 4, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Wisconsin won 71-64. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)Photograph by Lance King — Getty Images

You’ve got your March Madness bracket in one hand, and your school jersey in the other. But if you want to actually see some live college basketball games, here are some tips for scoring the best tickets.

Firstly, this is a marathon, not a sprint: the NCAA tournament is a month-long, winner-takes-all race to the trophy, ending up inside the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on April 2 and 4. The venue is no stranger to the Final Four—it last hosted the four-team extravaganza in 2011.

If you’re hoping to get tickets for the Final Four, but don’t want to splurge, one way is to buy tickets solely for the National Championship game instead of the semifinals. “The National Championship game is always cheaper than the semifinals, although of course, that makes sense since it is only one game versus two games,” Chris Leyden, analyst for online ticket marketplace SeatGeek, told Fortune.

However, the NCAA tournament is made up of the rabid fanbases of 64 teams, and that means a whole lot of sites and traveling for those interested in catching their squads in action. The list of this year’s tourney sites are here, and with Selection Sunday done, here are some tips from SeatGeek on what to remember when getting the best value on your March Madness game tickets:

Local teams have a huge impact on demand. Last season, the three most expensive locations in the early rounds were Seattle, Omaha, and Louisville. Why? Because ticket prices are driven by “local teams,” which are teams whose campuses are relatively near those host cities. For example, Seattle was largely driven by demand from Gonzaga fans, Omaha by demand from fans of Kansas, Wichita State and Wisconsin, and Louisville by fans of Kentucky. “College basketball fans are more than willing to take short road trips to see their teams in the NCAA Tournament,” said Leyden. So if you want cheaper tickets, you’ll need to eye venues with as little local teams as possible.

Smaller fan bases can lead to bargain prices. At last year’s tournament, the first sessions in both Louisville and Jacksonville had average resale prices of below $60 on SeatGeek, a great deal compared to other locations. This probably was down to the eight teams playing: SMU, UCLA, UAB, Iowa State, Xavier, Ole Miss, Baylor and Georgia State. All of them—other than UCLA—are regarded as smaller schools or ones with less prominent major-conference cachet, yet that doesn’t mean the quality of the games will be diminished. Last year’s upset by Georgia State over Baylor featured a down-to-the-wire shot, and was regarded as one of the standout games of the tournament.

Full strip packages may not be a smart investment. Think of “full strip” packages as a bundle of all the NCAA tournament games played at the site, versus buying individual sessions of much fewer games. While it sounds like great value, appearances may deceive: in six of the eight locations last year on SeatGeek, buying each session individually ended up being cheaper in a sum total than buying the all-in-one package. “Even if you are a fan who is planning to attend all three sessions, it may be wiser to purchase each session individually,” said Leyden.

The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight can be very reasonably priced. Think that tickets to the later rounds would be more expensive? Not necessarily. Last year’s East Regional Final in Syracuse, said Leyden, had an average resale price of $74, far lower than most of the first and second round sessions. You should especially keep an eye out for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight for value scores.

Wait to buy regional tickets. For last year’s March Madness, SeatGeek compared the median listing prices on Selection Sunday with the prices listed on the day before the actual game, and discovered an interesting trend. On the day before the games, the listing prices had dropped an average of 27% for the Sweet 16, and an average of 36% for the Elite 8.

How is that possible? “Upsets are sure to knock the expected teams out of the picture,” said Leyden. “If last year’s tournament is any indication, even if you are supremely confident your team will make the regional, it still may save you some money to wait until much closer to the games to buy tickets.” This year’s tournament is thought to be especially unpredictable, and that means you could be buying up unwanted tickets at discounted prices. Just remember not to cry over your spoiled bracket.

About the Author
By Jonathan Chew
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Anthropic cofounder and CEO Dario Amodei pictured in profile.
AIAnthropic
Anthropic disables Fable and Mythos AI models after U.S. government bars it from giving foreigners access
By Jeremy KahnJune 13, 2026
2 hours ago
Courtney Robinson, head of policy and communications, at Akoya speaks on a panel at Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026.
RetailBrainstorm Tech
AI shopping agents are coming. No one is ready for them
By Jeremy KahnJune 12, 2026
7 hours ago
AI can be a ‘secret sauce’ or a way of ‘democratizing mediocrity’—Here’s how business leaders are getting the best of the technology
C-SuiteBrainstorm Tech
AI can be a ‘secret sauce’ or a way of ‘democratizing mediocrity’—Here’s how business leaders are getting the best of the technology
By Amanda GerutJune 12, 2026
7 hours ago
‘Buy a ticket for 60 bucks and resell it for $6,000’: NYC Mayor Mamdani criticized FIFA’s resale market, but his jersey drop created the same thing
North AmericaNew York City
‘Buy a ticket for 60 bucks and resell it for $6,000’: NYC Mayor Mamdani criticized FIFA’s resale market, but his jersey drop created the same thing
By Catherina GioinoJune 12, 2026
9 hours ago
Elon Musk stands behind the Nasdaq opening bell and in front of a "SpaceX" background.
Startups & VentureSpaceX
Founders Fund, Andreessen Horowitz, Valor, and the biggest VC winners from SpaceX’s IPO
By Allie GarfinkleJune 12, 2026
10 hours ago
Liability Car Insurance Explained: What It Covers and How Much You Need
Personal FinanceInsurance
Liability Car Insurance Explained: What It Covers and How Much You Need
By Joseph HostetlerJune 12, 2026
11 hours ago

Most Popular

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
Investing
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
By Jim EdwardsJune 12, 2026
20 hours ago
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
Environment
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
By Catherina GioinoJune 9, 2026
4 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 12, 2026
18 hours ago
American taxpayers have spent $33 billion on sports stadiums. They got fewer seats—and higher prices
Success
American taxpayers have spent $33 billion on sports stadiums. They got fewer seats—and higher prices
By Catherina GioinoJune 11, 2026
2 days ago
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
Energy
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
By Sasha RogelbergJune 10, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.