The college football national championship game in Miami on Monday is shattering records for ticket prices as the underdog locals from the University of Miami face off against Indiana University with President Donald Trump expected to be among the nearly 65,000 in attendance.<\/p>\n
The average ticket was going for $4,000 as of Thursday, nearly double the comparable price for last year\u2019s final, according to Victory Live, which analyzes sales across major secondary marketplaces. On resale sites, tickets are being listed for as high as $30,000, with premium parking spots costing up to $9,000 alone. Earlier this week, playoffpremium.com was marketing midfield suites with 18 tickets for $1.2 million.<\/p>\n
The frenzy is being driven by a large local alumni base and riveting story lines like Indiana\u2019s Heisman trophy-winning quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, returning home to play in South Florida, where his Cuban heritage has been engaging new audiences.<\/p>\n
The eye watering prices for the college sports final are on par with the Super Bowl or a late-stage World Cup game. UM, which was the lowest ranked team to enter the playoffs, made it to the final against the odds. The game had coincidentally been planned on the team\u2019s home turf at the Hard Rock Stadium.<\/p>\n
\u201cTickets are impossible to get,\u201d said Jorge Gonzalez, the CEO and vice chairman of City National Bank of Florida, UM\u2019s official bank. \u201cWe\u2019ve hosted Super Bowls, Formula 1, you name it, but this has probably been the ticket I\u2019ve seen most in demand.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The bank has several suites and a number of tickets, and Gonzalez has been fielding non-stop calls from clients hoping to score a spot. He estimated they\u2019ve been able to accommodate one client per every 20 requests he\u2019s gotten.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve stopped returning text messages and phone calls,\u201d Gonzalez said in an interview.<\/p>\n
Local fans without connections are facing sky-rocketing costs. The cheapest tickets at the top of the upper deck are going for around $3,000.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The hype around the event also highlights Miami\u2019s growing role as a global hub for major sports and entertainment where locals and visitors alike are willing to fork over small fortunes for live events. The Hard Rock Stadium alone is home to an F1 race, the Miami Open tennis tournament, Miami Dolphins home games and countless concerts. It will also host seven World Cup games this summer.<\/p>\n
Carlos Del Portal couldn\u2019t believe it when he scored two tickets to Monday\u2019s game via UM\u2019s allotment for season-ticket holders four days before the Hurricanes advanced to the final.<\/p>\n
Once UM made the final, resale prices began to soar.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t even conceive of us moving up like we did, and five seconds after we were in, it got to three-x, and it kept going,\u201d said Del Portal, who lives in Jupiter, Florida.<\/p>\n