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The road to the Final Four is officially underway, as the reveal of the NCAA men’s basketball bracket means it’s time for March Madness to begin.
Each qualifying team knows who – and where – they will be playing in the first round, and who they could meet in the second round, should they win. But of course, nothing is guaranteed during the tournament.
With eight cities across the country hosting the opening rounds, some fans can see their favorite teams just a few hours away from home, while others will have to travel thousands of miles to see opening round action. That, along with other factors, will affect how much tickets for opening round games cost, with prices much higher for some.
Here’s what to know about NCAA Tournament opening round tickets:
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2023 March Madness first round locations
First and second round games are being held in the following cities and arenas:
- Albany, New York: MVP Arena
- Birmingham, Alabama: Legacy Arena
- Columbus, Ohio: Nationwide Arena
- Denver, Colorado: Ball Arena
- Des Moines, Iowa: Wells Fargo Arena
- Greensboro, North Carolina: Greensboro Coliseum
- Orlando, Florida: Amway Center
- Sacramento, California: Golden 1 Center
How much are NCAA Tournament tickets?
There are a few things to remember about NCAA Tournament opening round tickets:
- Each opening round site hosts six games – four first-round games and two second-round games.
- Tickets are NOT sold for individual games, but in sessions. A session consists of two games, typically the teams scheduled to face each other in the next round. Example: No. 1 seed vs. No. 16 seed in Game 1, No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed in Game 2.
- Session 3 are tickets to both second-round games at a site.
- Tickets can also be sold in all-session packages, which gives access to all six games at each site.
Because games are sold in sessions, tickets may cost more for one than another in the same site. StubHub told USA TODAY blue blood teams will boost demands in the opening rounds.
“Blue blood teams UCLA, Kentucky, Kansas, Arizona, Indiana and Duke are highly ranked heading into the tournament and will be sought after games for fans of the teams and basketball fans in general,” StubHub said.
Another factor will be teams playing close to home; an example would be in the Birmingham site, where tickets for the session that includes Alabama will cost more than the other sessions. For the opening round, get-in prices range from $30-$150, according to Vivid Seats.
What are the cheapest men’s NCAA Tournament tickets?
The least expensive opening round tickets can be found in Greensboro, where tickets for the first session at Greensboro Coliseum Complex cost $31 ($40 with fees), according to TicketSmarter. That session includes games between No. 3 seed Xavier vs. No. 14 seed Kennesaw St. and No. 6 seed Iowa State vs. the winner of a First Four matchup.
Here are the five least expensive opening round games, plus their session:
- Greensboro, North Carolina – Greensboro Coliseum Complex Session 1 (Xavier vs. Kennesaw St. and Iowa State vs. TBD): $31 ($40 with fees).
- Orlando, Florida – Amway Center Session 1 (Virginia vs. Furman and San Diego State vs. College of Charleston): $33 ($43 with fees).
- Sacramento, California – Golden 1 Center Session 1 (Missouri vs. Utah State and Arizona vs. Princeton): $42 ($55 with fees).
- Greensboro, North Carolina – Greensboro Coliseum Complex Session 2 (Kentucky vs. Providence and Kansas State vs. Montana State): $42 ($55 with fees).
- Des Moines, Iowa – Wells Fargo Arena Session 2 (Texas vs. Colgate vs. Texas A&M vs. Penn State): $49 ($64 with fees).
Printable March Madness bracket:Fill out your 2023 men’s NCAA tournament picks here
What are the most expensive men’s NCAA Tournament tickets?
The most expensive opening round ticket is in Birmingham, where tickets for the second session are $170 ($219 with fees), according to TicketSmarter. That session includes No. 8 seed Iowa vs. No. 9 seed Auburn and No. 1 seed Houston vs. No. 16 seed Northern Kentucky, with the other session at Legacy Arena also in the top five most expensive sessions.
Here are five most expensive opening round games, as well as what session they are:
- Birmingham, Alabama – Legacy Arena Session 2 (Iowa vs. Auburn and Houston vs. Northern Kentucky): $170 ($219 with fees).
- Albany, New York – MVP Arena Session 1 (St. Mary’s vs. VCU and UConn vs. Iona): $119 ($154 with fees).
- Albany, New York – MVP Arena Session 2 (Miami vs. Drake and Indiana vs. Kent State): $103 ($133 with fees).
- Birmingham, Alabama – Legacy Arena Session 1 (Maryland vs. West Virginia and Alabama vs. TBD): $98 ($128 with fees).
- Denver – Ball Arena Session 2 (Gonzaga vs. Grand Canyon and TCU vs. TBD): $89 ($116 with fees).
Gannett has a partnership with TicketSmarter that provides readers with access to tickets through Gannett’s websites, including USA TODAY.com.
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.
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