It’s Final Four weekend in college basketball, both men’s and women’s. While this is undoubtedly one of the more exciting sports weekends of the year, there is a surprising development. It turns out that the Women’s Final Four if you want to attend, will cost you considerably more than the Men’s will. How is that for equality for you?
The tickets, in some cases, are as much as three times more expensive than the men’s games. So, what gives? Women’s college basketball is popular, especially compared to the WNBA, but it still doesn’t draw near what the men’s game does. Let’s dive in courtesy of Total Pro Sports:
Tickets to this weekend’s NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four are three times as expensive as tickets to the men’s games.
The women’s fixtures will be held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Friday and, as of this Tuesday, Ticketmaster has single tickets priced at a minimum of $327 before additional service fees. The tickets will cover both games, though, with LSU taking on Virginia Tech in the first and Iowa facing off with South Carolina in the second.
The championship game is cheaper, with the least expensive going for $210 before fees.
That is a pricey ticket for any sporting event, not just the Women’s Final Four. At that price point, you should get Taylor Swift or Bruce Springsteen as well. Ok, maybe just Nickelback. Either way, watching the ladies slug it out for the championship is an expensive weekend.
Re: Ticketmaster this morning:
Men's Final Four – Semi-Finals lowest ticket price: $99
Women's Final Four – Semi-Finals lowest ticket price: $323 pic.twitter.com/uRYjixQnNM— Sportico (@Sportico) March 28, 2023
How do the men compare? Total Pro Sports continues:
As for the men’s Final Four, tickets are as low as $82. This round of the tournament will see the Florida Atlantic Owls play San Diego State for the right to advance to the final while the Miami Hurricanes are set to go head-to-head with UConn.
This is a curious approach to ticket pricing. Certainly, the NCAA doesn’t want to keep fans away from the ladies’ finals, as a half-empty arena on television doesn’t look good for the game. The NCAA already knows the men’s finals will be before a packed house, even with the lack of the so-called glamour programs.
The price point for the men’s tournament is more than fair. It could actually be called a good value. Is the NCAA trying to inflate the reported revenue for the ladies’ tournament by jacking up the cost, even if it means fewer spectators? After all, if you only sold one ticket but charged a million dollars for it, you made a million dollars. Total Pro Sports concluded:
It’s worth noting that the NRG Stadium in Houston, where the men’s semis are being held, can accommodate over 70,000 fans while the American Airlines Center can only host around 20,000. Still, this is pretty impressive where the women’s games are concerned.
The LSU Tigers qualified for the Final Four with a win over Miami on Sunday while South Carolina beat Maryland to secure the progression after going undefeated. Iowa, meanwhile, scored a victory over Louisville on Sunday after beating Colorado.
We have been hit over the head with women’s sports for years, especially the WNBA. The honest truth is it will never be the draw that the men’s game is. However, it will be interesting to see what the ladies’ finals draw in relation to the arena capacity. If it offsets the increased ticket price, be prepared to see more pricing tactics like that moving forward.
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