With the College Football Playoff officially underway, the ticket market has shifted into its most telling phase. The rush that followed Selection Sunday has faded, and what remains is a clearer picture of how fans are actually choosing to spend — or wait — as kickoff approaches.
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Comparing today’s Ticket Club marketplace pricing to the initial post-selection snapshot, several trends have emerged across both the CFP and the broader bowl slate. Some games are still drawing late momentum, while others have become increasingly approachable for fans willing to move closer to game day.
A Few Best-Value Opportunities Right Now
Even with playoff football on the board, not every marquee game carries a premium price tag. Among CFP contests, Oklahoma versus Alabama stands out as one of the more affordable ways to catch a first-round matchup between two national brands, while the Orange Bowl currently sits as the lowest-priced CFP quarterfinal.
Outside the playoff, several traditional bowls offer strong value for die-hard college football fans. Games like the Independence Bowl, Sun Bowl, and New Mexico Bowl are all available at prices that would have been hard to imagine earlier in the season, creating an inviting entry point for fans focused more on football than spectacle.
First-Round Games Settle Into a Game-Week Rhythm
The debut of on-campus CFP games created an initial wave of excitement that pushed prices sharply higher across the board. As fans moved from reacting to the announcement to actually planning travel, the market began to reset.
Texas A&M hosting Miami remains the most expensive first-round ticket, even after a noticeable pullback from its early peak. Kyle Field is still commanding a premium, but today’s pricing suggests that the initial speculative rush has passed.
In Oxford, interest in Ole Miss hosting Tulane has moved in the opposite direction. That game is one of the few first-round matchups to see prices rise since the bracket was revealed, a sign of steady local demand as kickoff approaches.
Oklahoma versus Alabama has settled into a more accessible range, making it one of the more intriguing value options among marquee first-round games. Meanwhile, Oregon hosting James Madison has seen the sharpest cooling, reflecting lighter travel demand despite the playoff setting.
Quarterfinals and Beyond: Premium Games Still Define the Market
Among the neutral-site CFP games, Ohio State’s presence in the Cotton Bowl continues to anchor pricing at the high end, while Georgia’s Sugar Bowl matchup has also moved higher as fans anticipate another deep postseason run.
At the same time, the Orange and Rose Bowls have become more approachable from a pricing standpoint, suggesting buyers are waiting for matchup clarity rather than rushing into early commitments.
The semifinals have remained steady overall, and while the national championship game in Miami has eased slightly from its early peak, it remains the most expensive ticket of bowl season by a wide margin.
Non-CFP Bowls Drift Lower as Fans Focus on the Playoff
Outside the College Football Playoff, the broader bowl market has followed a more familiar December pattern. As attention shifts toward the CFP and travel windows narrow, prices for many non-playoff bowls have gradually softened.
Several high-profile traditional bowls that initially drew strong interest have become noticeably more affordable.
The Citrus Bowl matchup between Texas and Michigan, for example, has seen prices fall by roughly a quarter since Selection Sunday, even with two national brands on the field.
Games that initially stood out due to venue novelty have also cooled. The Fenway Bowl, which opened as one of the most expensive non-CFP games, has seen prices drop significantly as kickoff approaches.
Across much of the bowl slate, this late-stage pricing suggests a buyer-friendly environment, particularly for fans who are flexible and willing to make plans closer to game day.
College Football Playoff Ticket Pricing Snapshot
College Football Playoff Ticket Pricing Snapshot
| Date | Game | City | Avg. Price (Change) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/19/2025 | Oklahoma vs. Alabama (First Round) | Norman, OK | $559 (-26.6%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/20/2025 | Texas A&M vs. Miami (First Round) | College Station, TX | $896 (-41.1%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/20/2025 | Ole Miss vs. Tulane (First Round) | Oxford, MS | $651 (+14.0%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/20/2025 | Oregon vs. James Madison (First Round) | Eugene, OR | $233 (-39.0%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/31/2025 | Cotton Bowl Quarterfinal | Arlington, TX | $1,083 (+8.6%) | Buy Tickets |
| 1/1/2026 | Orange Bowl Quarterfinal | Miami Gardens, FL | $464 (-19.0%) | Buy Tickets |
| 1/1/2026 | Rose Bowl Quarterfinal | Pasadena, CA | $650 (-13.1%) | Buy Tickets |
| 1/1/2026 | Sugar Bowl Quarterfinal | New Orleans, LA | $572 (+10.4%) | Buy Tickets |
| 1/8/2026 | Fiesta Bowl Semifinal | Glendale, AZ | $757 (+15.4%) | Buy Tickets |
| 1/9/2026 | Peach Bowl Semifinal | Atlanta, GA | $761 (-1.6%) | Buy Tickets |
| 1/19/2026 | CFP National Championship | Miami Gardens, FL | $5,976 (-6.3%) | Buy Tickets |
Non-CFP Bowl Ticket Price Snapshot
| Date | Game | City | Avg. Price (Change) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/22/2025 | Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Utah State vs. Washington State | Boise, ID | $66 (-24.1%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/23/2025 | Boca Raton Bowl: Louisville vs. Toledo | Boca Raton, FL | $93 (-6.1%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/23/2025 | New Orleans Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss | New Orleans, LA | $119 (-1.7%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/23/2025 | Frisco Bowl: UNLV vs. Ohio | Frisco, TX | $116 (0.0%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/24/2025 | Hawaii Bowl: California vs. Hawaii | Honolulu, HI | $189 (+80.0%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/26/2025 | GameAbove Sports Bowl: Northwestern vs. Central Michigan | Detroit, MI | $77 (-24.5%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/26/2025 | First Responder Bowl: UTSA vs. Florida International | Dallas, TX | $136 (-0.7%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/26/2025 | Rate Bowl: New Mexico vs. Minnesota | Phoenix, AZ | $145 (-12.7%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/27/2025 | Military Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. East Carolina | Annapolis, MD | $91 (-27.2%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/27/2025 | Pinstripe Bowl: Penn State vs. Clemson | Bronx, NY | $146 (-34.8%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/27/2025 | Fenway Bowl: Army vs. UConn | Boston, MA | $146 (-85.8%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/27/2025 | Pop-Tarts Bowl: BYU vs. Georgia Tech | Orlando, FL | $127 (-23.0%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/27/2025 | New Mexico Bowl: San Diego State vs. North Texas | Albuquerque, NM | $55 (-32.1%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/27/2025 | Gator Bowl: Virginia vs. Missouri | Jacksonville, FL | $103 (-22.0%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/27/2025 | Texas Bowl: LSU vs. Houston | Houston, TX | $140 (-32.4%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/27/2025 | Arizona Bowl: Fresno State vs. Miami (OH) | Tucson, AZ | $63 (+5.0%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/29/2025 | Birmingham Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. Appalachian State | Birmingham, AL | $111 (-85.6%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/30/2025 | Independence Bowl: Louisiana Tech vs. Coastal Carolina | Shreveport, LA | $61 (-11.6%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/30/2025 | Music City Bowl: Illinois vs. Tennessee | Nashville, TN | $150 (-20.2%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/30/2025 | Alamo Bowl: USC vs. TCU | San Antonio, TX | $189 (+16.0%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/31/2025 | ReliaQuest Bowl: Vanderbilt vs. Iowa | Tampa, FL | $165 (-15.8%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/31/2025 | Citrus Bowl: Texas vs. Michigan | Orlando, FL | $342 (-25.8%) | Buy Tickets |
| 12/31/2025 | Sun Bowl: Duke vs. Arizona State | El Paso, TX | $61 (-1.6%) | Buy Tickets |
| 1/2/2026 | Armed Forces Bowl: Rice vs. Texas State | Fort Worth, TX | $236 (+68.6%) | Buy Tickets |
| 1/2/2026 | Liberty Bowl: Navy vs. Cincinnati | Memphis, TN | $85 (-18.3%) | Buy Tickets |
| 1/2/2026 | Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest | Charlotte, NC | $124 (-44.1%) | Buy Tickets |
| 1/2/2026 | Holiday Bowl: Arizona vs. SMU | San Diego, CA | $142 (-16.0%) | Buy Tickets |
All pricing reflects Ticket Club marketplace averages as of December 19.