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Which Big Ten College basketball teams have the most expensive tickets for the 2019-20 season

Jesse Lawrence

By Jesse Lawrence

Published:

When it comes to the number of college basketball teams among the Top 25 in terms of ticket prices, the Big Ten is No. 1. The conference has eight teams among the Top 25 by price, according to secondary ticket marketplace TicketIQ. The average cost for a ticket to a Big Ten basketball game is $99, making it the fourth priciest conference across the NCAA. The most expensive average is $218 for an Atlantic Coast Conference game and the cheapest is $80 for a Pac-12 game.

The priciest ticket in the Big Ten is $145 for a seat to see the Indiana Hoosiers play, while both Michigan at $122 and Michigan State at $115 are also in the Top 10. The cheapest ticket among Big Ten teams in the Top 25 price ranking is Nebraska, for which the average is $75. Here’s where the conference’s eight teams fall in the Top 25 price ranking: No. 5 Indiana, No. 6 Michigan, No. 7 Michigan State, No. 15 Wisconsin, No. 16 Iowa State, No. 17 Purdue, No. 18 Minnesota, No. 21 Ohio State, and No. 23 Nebraska.

Where To Buy Big Ten College Basketball Tickets?

From single-game tickets to mini-plans to season tickets, there are lots of different ways to get tickets to even the hottest college basketball games of the season. The question is where to shop. For most teams, fans can buy primary market tickets via Ticketmaster or Paciolan, but should always check the secondary market, as there are often better deals and a wider selection. Below we offer a more detailed analysis for the Top 25 teams, including primary vs. secondary average and unique offerings like mini-plans.

On the secondary market, TicketIQ has Low Price Guarantees on all Big Ten Conference basketball tickets on the 2019-20 schedule, in addition to Low Price Guarantees on all NCAA basketball tickets. That means that if you find a secondary market ticket for less on a site like StubHub or SeatGeek, we’ll give you 200% of the difference in ticket credit. TicketIQ customers save an average of 5%-20% compared to StubHub and SeatGeek. Below is a seating chart for a typical middle of the road demand game including ticket prices by zone.
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Below are breakdowns of the Big Ten teams in the top 25 in terms of secondary market average list price. For the full list, visit the TicketIQ blog.

5. Indiana

  • Secondary market average asking price: $145
  • Most expensive game: February 8, 2020, vs. Purdue – Tickets start at $142
  • Primary availability: Single-game tickets via Paciolan only remain for several games.  Season tickets and mini packages are sold out on the primary market.

6. Michigan

  • Secondary market average asking price: $122
  • Most expensive game: February 8, 2020, vs. Michigan State – Tickets start at$130
  • Primary availability: Single-game tickets start as low as $15 for the lower-interest games, and at $50 for the highest-interest games via the MGoBlue website.

7. Michigan State

  • Secondary market average asking price: $115
  • Most expensive game: December 3, 2019, vs. Duke – Ticket prices start at $199
  • Primary availability: Tickets for games through January 2 are available via Paciolan and all games after that go on sale on December 22. Of the six home games on or before January 2, the Duke game is sold out, and most other games start at $17 with availability only in the upper 200 sections. Also available are “Izzone” mini plans in the upper level. These ticket packs include games Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, and Illinois, and cost $51 in the high 200 Sections.  

15. Wisconsin

  • Secondary market average asking price: $86
  • Most expensive game: February 1, 2020, vs. Michigan State – Tickets start at $36
  • Primary availability: Besides regular single-game tickets, the Badgers have a “Seats and Treats” value pack for certain games that includes four tickets plus a $10 concession credit for each ticket. These packages are available for games against Wisconsin-Green Bay, Milwaukee, and Rider. Single-game tickets are available via Paciolan for most games starting as low as $29, though the Indiana, Michigan State, and Ohio State games are sold out.

17. Purdue

  • Secondary market average asking price: $84
  • Most expensive game: February 27, 2020, vs. Indiana – Tickets start at $124
  • Primary availability: Season tickets to Purdue are sold out, but mini plans are available for two or four games. The packages range in price from $98 for a two-game plan that includes Texas to $200 for a four-game plan that includes Virginia, Minnesota and two other games. Single-game tickets start as low as $25 and go up to $90 for “value” tickets for the highest-interest game that is not sold out, against Virginia on Paciolan.

18. Minnesota

  • Secondary market average asking price: $83
  • Most expensive game: February 5, 2020, vs. Wisconsin – Tickets start at $48
  • Primary availability: Season ticket packages start at $340 and mini plans start at $70 for six games. Both are available on the Minnesota website. Single-game tickets are available via Paciolan and start at $15 with good availability for most games.

21. Ohio State

  • Secondary market average asking price: $81
  • Most expensive game: December 29 vs. West Virginia – Tickets start at $53
  • Primary availability: Season tickets, half-season tickets, and five mini-plans are available for Ohio State basketball. In addition, the Buckeyes have a mobile pass called the Scarlet and Gray Pass for $125 that gets fans into every game with seats assigned and sent to a mobile device 48 hours before tip-off. Single-game tickets are available via Ticketmaster, starting as low as $7 for many games.

23. Nebraska

  • Secondary market average asking price: $75
  • Most expensive game: February 15, 2020, vs. Wisconsin – Tickets start at $15
  • Primary availability: Single-game tickets are available to four non-conference games via Paciolan and start at $7 in the upper deck. Season tickets for this season are sold out, though fans can get on the request list for 2020-21.
Jesse Lawrence