When Do Madness Tickets Go On Sale?

March Madness is undoubtedly one of the best times of the year for college basketball enthusiasts. The NCAA Division I college basketball tournament involves 68 teams, and they participate in a knockout system to crown the champion. Matches are conducted at different arenas across the nation, and the final stage of the competition is known as the Final Four and the championship game. Fans of basketball long for the day when they will be able to watch March Madness games and support their favorite team. However, when do March Madness tickets become available for purchase in the market?

Availability of the March Madness tickets depends on the specific games and range from early to mid March. Typically, tickets for earlier rounds in arenas that are not large scale are sold before tickets for the Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final Four, and the title game. Here is a breakdown:

First Four Tickets The first two games of the First Four are played on the Tuesday and Wednesday before the first full round of the tournament. These games involve the four lowest seeded automatic bids and at-large teams. First Four games are held at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio.

Tickets for the First Four go on sale to the general public in early February through the NCAA ticket exchange online. These usually run out fast because approved spectator total is less than 15,000 for these games. Ticket prices are between $70 and $250 depending on where you want to sit.

The tickets for the First and Second Round are presented below. The Second and Third rounds of the NCAA tournament are scheduled for Thursday through Sunday after the First Four. Games are played at eight different sites across the country, generally on the home court of the team which has the highest ranking.

Tickets for the first and second rounds become available in late February or early March in the build-up to Selection Sunday when teams, sites, and brackets are revealed. Every host venue controls ticket sales for its games, usually through the institution’s athletic website. You should prepare to pay between 50 to 300 dollars for a session depending on the matchup and seat location. Usually, these early round games are quite popular and fans tend to buy tickets as soon as they go on sale.

Tickets to Sweet 16 and Elite 8 The regional semifinals (Sweet 16) and finals (Elite 8) are played the subsequent week at four regional venues. Some of the large arenas that have been used as host cities include Los Angeles, New York, Indianapolis, and Memphis among others.

The remaining Sweet 16 and Elite 8 tickets are available for sale after the Selection Sunday and after the regional matchup is determined. Ticket prices differ depending on the location and the game and range from $150-$500. These tickets are very much sought after and most of them are usually sold within a very short time usually minutes or hours once they are out in the market.

Final Four Tickets The Final Four is an event that consists of college basketball’s semifinal and championship matches. It is conducted at a fixed venue annually and is planned many years ahead. Future Final Four sites are Houston, Phoenix, San Antonio, Las Vegas and Indianapolis.

Because of the high demand for tickets, a ticket lottery is implemented for the Final Four tickets. The fans can participate in the request period in February in order to be able to purchase tickets. A few people are lucky to be given an offer to buy tickets after organizations randomly sample a few from the applicants. Tickets can be purchased for as little as $500 for the upper tiers. Lower bowl and floor seating typically cost more than $1,500–$3,000 per ticket.

There is also a lot of trade in the secondary ticket market for the Final Four as well. In many cases, brokers and season ticket holders sell their tickets at exponential rates of 5–10 times the face value. It is very expensive to get into the club; expect to shell out more than $1000 for a ticket to even get into the club. However, thousands of fans attend March Madness annually, regardless of the cost of being part of the event.

Tips for Getting Tickets Since many of the March Madness games have experienced first-day sellouts, it is important to have a strategy on where to get the tickets at full price. Here are some top tips:Here are some top tips:

• Get the exact on-sale date and time by subscribing to ticket alerts from the host venues or the NCAA ticket exchange. Be ready in front of the internet connection to buy immediately.

• You can apply to become a member of the school fan clubs and can also make donations to become a season ticket holder to have the best chances of getting the Final Four tickets during the lottery draw.

• For specific presale code or ticket giveaway information, fans should follow the host venues and the NCAA March Madness social handles.

• Usually there are tickets available the morning of the session you want to attend; be sure to check with the box office. You may get lucky!

  Regardless of the March Madness games that you intend to watch, the level of attendee turnout will be high. If you plan well, buy tickets right when they are released, and get lucky, you will be supporting your team on the stands in the near future.