This season, the most sought-after tickets in college basketball have been for the Iowa Hawkeyes featuring Caitlin Clark. However, the upcoming game against No. 2 Ohio State, potentially Clark’s last home game and a chance for her to break the NCAA all-time scoring record, has set unprecedented ticket prices in women’s basketball. According to TickPick, the average purchase price for a ticket to the game is $557, making it the most expensive women’s basketball game ever, both in college and the WNBA. The lowest-priced ticket for standing room only is $358, while a seat for the game starts at $450 as of Wednesday afternoon. The highest-priced ticket, located in row nine of Section NN, is listed at $6,489.
Despite Carver-Hawkeye Arena being sold out for the entire season, this game is particularly significant as it could mark the last time Clark plays in front of the home crowd, given that she is a senior with one year of eligibility remaining. Additionally, Clark has the opportunity to surpass Pete Maravich’s NCAA record of 3,667 career points during the game. Before facing Ohio State, Iowa has one more game against Minnesota on Wednesday, with Clark just 51 points away from Maravich’s record.
The high demand for tickets is attributed to Caitlin Clark’s exceptional impact on women’s college sports. In fact, seven Iowa home games from this season constitute the top 10 most expensive women’s basketball games ever, based on average purchase price. Brett Goldberg, co-CEO of TickPick, emphasized Clark’s influence, comparing it to the impact of star athletes like LeBron James or Stephen Curry on demand within the college sports space. The list of the 10 most expensive women’s basketball games by average purchase price is as follows:
1. Ohio State at Iowa (March 3): $557
2. Michigan at Iowa (Feb. 15): $394
3. Illinois at Iowa (Feb. 25): $381
4. Indiana at Iowa (Jan. 13): $273
5. Northwestern at Iowa (Jan. 31): $256
6. Alabama at South Carolina (Feb. 22): $190
7. Nebraska at Iowa (Jan. 27): $173
8. 2022 WNBA All-Star Game (July 10, 2022): $150
9. Game 3 of the 2023 WNBA Finals: Las Vegas Aces at New York Liberty (Oct. 25, 2023): $148
10. Penn State at Iowa (Feb. 8): $142
