December 22, 2025
Primary-market face-value tickets for many College Football Playoff (CFP) games sell out quickly. For fans who still need seats, we offer fee-free College Football Playoff tickets.
This year’s College Football Playoff ticket market is behaving differently at every stage of the bracket, and the differences matter for fans trying to time a purchase. Using last season as a reference point helps clarify what’s changing — and why prices are more likely to rise than reset as the playoff progresses.
The College Football Playoff National Championship is set, with Miami and Indiana meeting on January 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. With the Hurricanes advancing to the final in their home stadium — and Indiana reaching its first-ever national championship game — the ticket market has reacted immediately and decisively.
Where National Championship Prices Started
At the start of the College Football Playoff, national championship tickets in Miami opened at relatively modest levels for a title game of this scale. Get-in prices hovered around $2,000, inventory was plentiful in the upper levels, and most buyers were waiting to see which teams would ultimately advance.
That hesitation has disappeared.
How Prices Have Moved Since the CFP Began
Following Miami’s advancement and Indiana’s breakthrough run, national championship ticket prices have surged across nearly every section of Hard Rock Stadium.
The current get-in price now sits in the mid-$3,500 range, representing an increase of roughly 70–80% since the CFP began. Lower-bowl and midfield inventory has moved even more sharply, with many premium listings now priced well into five figures.
Instead of flattening after the matchup was set — a common pattern for destination championships — prices have continued to rise, reflecting strong early commitment.
Why a Home-Team Championship Changes Everything
Most national championships depend on fans traveling long distances, booking hotels, and planning weeks in advance. Miami’s presence changes that equation entirely.
With the Hurricanes playing at Hard Rock Stadium, local fans face no travel barriers. That dramatically expands the buyer pool and reduces price sensitivity. Fans who might normally watch from home are now willing to pay championship-level prices to attend a historic event.
That urgency is magnified by context. Miami has not won a national championship since 2001, making this a rare opportunity for a fan base that has waited more than two decades for another title.
Indiana’s First-Ever Championship Appearance Adds a Second Demand Layer
Indiana’s presence in the final adds another unique demand dynamic. The Hoosiers have never appeared in a national championship game, and this unprecedented run has triggered early buying from fans eager to witness program history.
While Indiana fans must travel, the novelty of the moment has pushed many to commit sooner than expected. That has tightened inventory further, particularly in mid-level sections where price and view intersect.
How This Compares to the Last Near-Home Championship
The closest modern comparison is the 2018 CFP National Championship, when Georgia played Alabama at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. That game benefited from regional proximity and saw elevated pricing, with get-in tickets ultimately settling in the low-$2,000 range.
This year’s Miami market has already surpassed that benchmark — and done so earlier — underscoring the difference between regional access and a true home-stadium championship.
What to Expect Going Forward
With Miami already in the final, prices are unlikely to experience the late-stage drops seen in most neutral-site championships. Local demand tends to absorb remaining inventory as kickoff approaches rather than wait for discounts.
Indiana’s historic run only reinforces that dynamic by adding urgency from a second fan base that knows this opportunity may not come again soon.
Bottom Line
National Championship ticket prices for Miami vs. Indiana are no longer behaving like a typical CFP market. Opening near $2,000 and climbing into the mid-$3,500 range reflects demand driven by proximity, history, and belief — not speculation.
When a home team reaches the final and a first-time finalist joins them, prices don’t pause. They move.
The College Football Playoff National Championship ticket market has entered uncharted territory now that Miami has advanced to the title game at Hard Rock Stadium, its home venue. Prices that were already elevated have surged again over the past week, reflecting a rare combination of local demand, historical urgency, and limited supply.
This is not a typical neutral-site championship market. It’s behaving more like a hometown title game — and history suggests that changes everything.
2025–26 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF: FORMAT & SCHEDULE (AT-A-GLANCE)
The expanded 12-team CFP format continues this season. Key structural points:
- First Round: Four on-campus games (seeds 5–12) determine which teams advance to the Quarterfinals.
- Quarterfinals: Four games held at New Year’s Six bowl venues.
- Semifinals: Two CFP semifinal games hosted at rotating bowl sites.
- National Championship: Single neutral-site final.
Below are the matchups and the ticket pricing data used for analysis:
First Round
- No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama — Get-in $227 (Average list price $591)
- No. 10 Miami vs. No. 7 Texas A&M — Get-in $393 (Average list price $1,378)
- No. 11 Tulane vs. No. 6 Ole Miss — Get-in $342 (Average list price $522)
- No. 12 James Madison vs. No. 5 Oregon — Get-in $191 (Average list price $389)
Round average list price: $763
Quarterfinals
- Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (Miami/Texas A&M winner vs. No. 2 Ohio State) — Get-in $375 (Average list price $945)
- Capital One Orange Bowl (JMU/Oregon winner vs. No. 4 Texas Tech) — Get-in $212 (Average list price $1,042)
- Rose Bowl (Alabama/Oklahoma winner vs. No. 1 Indiana) — Get-in $324 (Average list price $812)
- Allstate Sugar Bowl (Tulane/Ole Miss winner vs. No. 3 Georgia) — Get-in $219 (Average list price $668)
Round average list price: $867
Semifinals
- Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (State Farm Stadium, Glendale) — Get-in $302 (Average list price $878)
- Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta) — Get-in $212 (Average list price $979)
Round average list price: $929
National Championship (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens)
- Get-in $2,169 — Average list price $5,295
HOW MUCH ARE CFP TICKETS IN 2025–26? KEY TAKEAWAYS
Using the get-in figures above, several clear patterns emerge:
- Cheapest get-in overall: James Madison vs. Oregon (First Round) — $191.
- Most expensive get-in (all games): National Championship — $2,169.
- Most expensive non-championship get-in: Miami vs. Texas A&M (First Round) — $393.
- Average get-in across all CFP games: ≈ $451.
Two immediate conclusions: first-round get-ins are surprisingly variable — ranging from sub-$200 to nearly $400 — and second, the championship game remains by far the single biggest price outlier on the secondary market.
BREAKDOWN BY ROUND: WHAT THE NUMBERS MEAN
First Round — volatility and local premiums
First-round get-ins average about $288 per game. The spread here is large: the James Madison–Oregon ticket floor sits at $191, while Miami–Texas A&M is at $393. On-campus and regional demand drives variability: games hosted at schools or in regions with concentrated fanbases command premiums, while less-traveled matchups show more affordable floors.
Buying note: If you want the best value for early CFP action, target smaller on-campus venues or less marquee matchups — those are where you’ll find sub-$200 get-ins.
Quarterfinals — New Year’s Six still commands a premium
Quarterfinals show a slightly higher get-in average (~$283), but the highest non-championship get-in is in this pool as well (Cotton Bowl — $375). The Rose and Sugar Bowls sit in the mid-$200s to low-$300s, reflecting their marquee status and bowl-associated travel packages.
Buying note: Quarterfinal pricing is sensitive to which teams advance. If a blockbuster matchup forms, expect immediate price spikes. Conversely, some bowls (notably the Orange/Capital One in this cycle) retain lower floors that can soften in the weeks after matchups are set.
Semifinals — expensive, but more stable than finals
Semifinal get-in floors — $212 (Peach) and $302 (Fiesta) — average roughly $257. These games are premium events, but the two-game structure means pricing tends to compress: demand concentrates on fewer tickets but also spreads across two semifinal sites.
Buying note: Historically, the cheapest seats for semifinal games drop materially (often 30%–50%) in the 7–14 days after matchups are set. That’s a window for opportunistic buyers who can wait.
National Championship — the outlier
The championship get-in of $2,169 dwarfs all other floors. Average list price above $5,000 demonstrates the immense secondary-market premium for neutral-site title games, where scarcity and national demand combine to push prices into a separate tier.
Buying note: If attending the championship is essential, expect to pay a substantial premium. Consider premium packages and hospitality if certainty is worth the cost; otherwise, plan well in advance and monitor price shifts closely.
WILL PRICES DROP BEFORE GAME DAY?
Yes — historically. For semifinals and many high-profile bowl/quarterfinal games, the cheapest ticket prices on the secondary market have declined 30%–50% between the time matchups are announced and game-day. Most of that downward movement happens in the first 10–14 days after matchups are set; after that window prices tend to stabilize or drift modestly downward.
Expect similar behavior this season:
- Short-term buyers (within a week of matchups): likely to face higher floors.
- Buyers who can wait (10–14 days): often see the best opportunities for sub-floor deals, especially for semifinals and quarterfinal bowls.
- Championship buyers: less likely to see dramatic drops; expect persistent premium pricing.
BEST STRATEGIES FOR BUYERS
If you want the absolute lowest price: wait 10–14 days after pairings are set and monitor TicketIQ for price dips, particularly for semifinals and quarterfinals.
If you want certainty (and a seat near midfield/floor): buy earlier and consider Ticketmaster Official Platinum or premium resale options — these will cost more but reduce uncertainty.
If you’re budget-conscious and flexible on seating: target first-round games with lower get-in floors (e.g., the James Madison–Oregon matchup at $191) or bowl sites that historically maintain high inventory (the Rose or Sugar Bowls when demand is softer).
Use TicketIQ for fee-free comparison and its Refund Guarantee to reduce risk if you must buy early.
BOTTOM LINE
This CFP season presents a wide range of ticketing outcomes. While the National Championship remains a clear price outlier, substantial opportunities exist for price-conscious fans in the first round, certain quarterfinal bowls, and — most reliably — the 10–14 day window after matchups are announced. Buyers who combine patience with active price tracking on fee-free resale marketplaces like TicketIQ will often find the best balance between value and certainty.
