As of Friday afternoon, a SeatGeek search reviewed by Chron showed tickets listed as high as $14,863, with other seats going for $5,320 and $5,685.
Patrick Rishe, director of the Sports Business Program at Washington University in St. Louis, told CBS Austin that average secondary-market prices across different sites were ranging between $800 and $900, with a typical buy-in around $450 to $500.
“You could anticipate that that could spike even higher as we’re getting closer,” Rishe told CBS Austin. “But oftentimes you will see prices start to come down, maybe not until hours before the game, just as secondary ticket sellers are trying to dump their inventory.”
The prices are not exactly coming out of nowhere. Texas and Ohio State enter Saturday as top-five teams, and ESPN’s College GameDay is broadcasting from Austin ahead of the matchup. ESPN said the Longhorns are hosting the pregame show for the 11th time, while Ohio State is making its 69th College GameDay appearance.
The Houston Chronicle reported Texas gave Ohio State 3,800 tickets for the game, the same number Ohio State gave Texas for last season’s game in Columbus. The game is also expected to break Texas’ all-time home attendance record of 105,215.
For fans priced out of the stadium, Austin still has free ways to get in on the weekend. CBS Austin said the game is sold out, but free events include ESPN College GameDay on the LBJ Lawn, Longhorn City Limits with Robert Earl Keen and Shinyribs, and a free Ohio State watch party at Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden on West Sixth Street.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Saturday.