CLEVELAND — The ticket to this year's NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four in Cleveland is hot.
If you want to see Iowa vs. UConn or NC State vs. South Carolina tipoff from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse this weekend, you will have to pay a pretty penny.
Prices for the Final Four in Cleveland skyrocketed after the Elite Eight, which included Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes and Paige Buecker's UConn Huskies advancing to the Final Four.
Here's how much resale tickets are selling for on Ticketmaster:
Friday, April 5: NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four (ticket to both sessions)
- $931-$19,616
Sunday, April 7: NCAA Women's Basketball Championship
- $500-$24,247
Another noteworthy aspect of the ticket prices is the contrast between the Men's Final Four in Phoenix and the Women's Final Four in Cleveland.
According to Ticketmaster, tickets for the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship start at $196, with the highest-priced ticket sitting just over $9,000.
Additionally, StubHub told 3News that ticket sales for the Women's Final Four are expected to break records.
"Early ticket sales indicate that the Women’s Final Four will break records - we're confidently predicting it will attract more sales on StubHub than any past women's tournaments," said Adam Budelli, spokesperson for StubHub. "Last year marked a turning point for the women's tournament, and the excitement of watching Caitlin Clark on the court once again has driven an 80% increase in ticket sales - women's basketball is a can't-miss event."
StubHub is also offering the following tips when buying March Madness tickets:
- Never pay cash or buy off the street - Use an established service with an order guarantee & customer service
- Buy with confidence from a trusted service - StubHub offers peace of mind - all orders come with a FanProtect Guarantee that backs each purchase and has accessible customer service for the rare instance when there is a ticket issue
- The best time to buy Championship Game tickets is within 24 hours after teams are decided. Ticket availability is at its peak within 24 hours after teams are decided as fans start selling tickets once they learn their team is not headed to the Championship Game.
- Maintain your ticket’s security - Cover up your ticket barcodes when posting your tickets on social media, to avoid anyone who might want to steal your ticket
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is also asking customers to consider the following tips:
Purchase from the venue whenever possible. Many official ticket sales agents now offer secondary sales options, as well.
Consider your source. Know the difference between a professional ticket broker (a legitimate and accredited reseller), a ticket scalper (an unregulated and unlicensed ticket seller), and a scammer selling scam tickets.
Check out the seller/broker. Look them up on BBB.org to learn what other customers have experienced. Check to see if they are a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers. NATB members offer a 200% purchase guarantee on tickets. Look up the seller on VerifiedTicketSource.com to confirm you are buying from a NATB-member resale company.
Know the refund policy. You should only purchase tickets from a ticket reseller that provides clear details about the terms of the transaction. Sellers should disclose to the purchaser, before purchase, the location of the seats represented by the tickets, either orally or by reference to a seating chart; and, if the tickets are not available for immediate access to the purchaser, disclose when the tickets will ship or be available for pick up.
Use payment methods that come with protection. Always use a credit card so you have some recourse if the tickets are not as promised. Debit cards, wire transfers, or cash transactions are risky; if the tickets are fraudulent, you won’t be able to get your money back
The good news is if you don't feel like paying this much for a ticket, you can still get in on the Final Four festivities happening around Cleveland.
Beginning April 4-7, there will be free concerts, free fan festivals and red carpets. Your best chance to see some of the top players in the nation would be on Saturday during the open practice at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Click HERE for a full guide of everything you need to know ahead of the start of the Final Four in Cleveland.
