Cheapest women’s Final Four ticket much, much pricier than lowest-priced men’s ticket

Thanks in part to Iowa’s star power, the cheapest women’s Final Four ticket is pricier than the cheapest men’s Final Four ticket in 2023.

Right off the top, yes, there’s more seats in NRG Stadium as compared to the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

More than 50,000 seats inside NRG Stadium as compared to the American Airlines Center to be precise. Per Sara Tidwell of Sporting News, the comparison is 19,200 versus 72,220 in capacity.

American Airlines Center can reach 21,146 capacity with standing room only tickets, while NRG Stadium is expandable to 80,000 for special events. So, there’s a sizable gap in the amount of total tickets to be sold.

That being said, the cheapest semifinal ticket on secondary markets for the women’s Final Four has been much, much pricier than its men’s Final Four counterpart during these 2023 NCAA Tournaments.

As of Tuesday morning, the lowest men’s Final Four semifinals ticket price was $99, while the lowest women’s Final Four semifinals ticket price was $323.

Per TickPick, those numbers for the men’s Final Four semifinals have actually since dropped. Now, the cheapest men’s Final Four semifinal ticket will run you $57.

Comparatively, the cheapest all-in women’s Final Four semifinals tickets were $257 last night.

Again, to some degree, there’s a difference in demand based simply on capacity. But, this is still a profound statement on how customers are viewing the relative star power at each.

The draw of the Iowa Hawkeyes is obvious. There’s the Naismith Trophy winner in star point guard Caitlin Clark who is doing things that just haven’t been done very often in women’s basketball.

She’s joined by star big Monika Czinano and a talented supporting cast that has Iowa (30-6, 15-3 Big Ten) in its second all-time Final Four appearance. That alone is a compelling storyline.

Pit all of that up against undefeated and defending national champion South Carolina and you’ve got yourself both a ratings and ticket sales winner. The Hawkeyes’ Elite Eight win over Louisville just reeled in 2.49 million viewers and this Final Four date is likely to race past that number with ease.

Both LSU (32-2, 15-1 SEC) and Virginia Tech (31-4, 14-4 ACC) bring compelling stories as well. LSU makes its first appearance in the Final Four in 15 years, while the Hokies are enjoying their first-ever Final Four trip.

The men’s Final Four has plenty of fresh faces, too. It boasts three first-time Final Four participants in Florida Atlantic, San Diego State and Miami. That trio alongside four-time NCAA Tournament champion Connecticut sounds like a pretty exciting Final Four.

Fans seem to be longing for the blue bloods, though. Or, at the very least, they aren’t sold that it boasts the same type of elite star power of Final Fours’ past.

Meanwhile, collectively, the stars are out in the women’s Final Four. The National Player of the Year is here in Clark along with fellow Naismith Trophy finalists Aliyah Boston of South Carolina and Elizabeth Kitley of Virginia Tech.

It’s certainly not apples to apples here, but the biggest takeaway is there’s some serious consumer and viewer interest in this women’s Final Four.

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