NEW YORK -- Caitlin Clarkâs popularity is jacking up ticket prices for the womenâs NCAA basketball Final Four on Friday, making them even more expensive than the menâs.
The average ticket price sold for the womenâs games is US$726, slightly higher than the menâs matchups (US$710) on Saturday, according to data from secondary ticket website StubHub.
Part of the reason is Clark, the superstar guard who is constantly breaking records for her team, the Iowa Hawkeyes. The 22-year-old, who is the all-time scoring leader in menâs and womenâs NCAA Division I history, has sparked a surge in ticket prices that hasnât fizzled as she nears the end of her college career.
Another reason for the sky-high prices is the disparity in arena sizes: The women are playing in Cleveland, Ohio at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, which has about 20,000 seats. Meanwhile, the men are playing at State Farm Stadium near Phoenix, home of Arizonaâs NFL team, which has more than 63,000 seats.
With the womenâs tournament having a lot fewer seats, plus the high demand, prices are going to be higher compared to the menâs. The higher average prices for Womenâs Final Four games is a continuing trend from last year, according to StubHub.
âTicket sales for the womenâs semifinal has seen the biggest jump in sales for any ticket type among both the menâs and womenâs games since Monday, more than doubling sales from last year, showing the continued momentum for womenâs basketball,â said Adam Budelli, spokesperson for StubHub.
Since Clark helped secure Iowaâs spot in the Final Four on Monday, sales have surged even more â up 70 per cent â compared to when the menâs Final Four teams were decided on Sunday night â up 48 per cent â both tournaments showing strong growth.
Iowaâs Elite Eight win against LSU, a repeat of last yearâs championship game, drew an audience of 12.3 million, according to ESPN, peaking at 16.1 million viewers and setting the all-time ratings record for a womenâs college basketball game.
Clark and her top-seeded Hawkeyes play the No. 3 UConn Huskies on Friday at 9:30pm ET. Prior to that, NC State plays against South Carolina at 7:00pm. The menâs Final Four gets underway Saturday night.