Want NCAA tickets?
Think about $500
University of North Carolina basketball fans are living up to their reputation as big spenders, making the NCAA East Regional at Charlotte's Bobcats Arena the hottest college basketball ticket in the country this week.
The top-seeded Tar Heels, along with Tennessee, Louisville, and Washington State, begin play with two regional semifinals Thursday, followed by the regional final on Saturday. The winner will advance to the Final Four.
Tickets for the East Regional have sold for an average $457 on secondhand ticket seller StubHub, about $150 more than the next priciest regional, Phoenix, says StubHub spokesman Sean Pate. StubHub counts three-game "strip" purchases, which includes a two-game session Thursday and a one game session Saturday, as one ticket.
On auction-site eBay, "strip" tickets to all sessions have sold for as much as $800, with tickets to both semifinals Thursday as low as $125 each. Ticket broker Greatseats.com is offering single-game upper level seats for $210 and more in Charlotte, with lower-level seats starting at $600.
The NCAA advertised the tickets, which are sold out, at $142 per session.
The high prices this week stem, in part, from having three teams -- UNC, Louisville, and Tennessee -- with fan bases that travel well, especially when games are within driving distance, said Greatseats.com spokeswoman Michelle Alonso.
But UNC stands out.
"Far and away, they are the largest, most dedicated fan base we deal with," said StubHub's Pate. "They're willing to pay."
A contributing factor: Charlotte and Phoenix are the smaller arenas hosting a regional, each seating around 20,000, while Houston's Reliant Stadium will seat 35,000 for the South Regional and Detroit's Ford Field more than 60,000 for the Midwest Regional.
"The entire secondary market is determined by supply," Pate said. "In Detroit, there are 3,000 tickets available on our site. For Charlotte, we have about 500."
For those wanting tickets, Pate suggests waiting until right after Thursday's games, when disappointed fans of defeated teams will be looking to dump tickets to Saturday's regional final.
If UNC is one of those losing teams? "The prices will drop like a stone."
PETER ST. ONGE
pstonge@charlotteobserver.com
http://www.charlotte.com.
Tickets for the NCAA East Regional
Charlotte Bobcats Arena
Charlotte, North Carolina
Host: University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Ticket Info: SOLD OUT
Ticket Price: $142
Phone: 704/688-9008
Web site: www.charlottebobcatsarena.com
Official Packages: ncaa.com/regionals
NCAA Tournament Updates:
East Regional
West Regional
Midwest Regional
South Regional
Final Four
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