Ohio State and Michigan. It's right up there with Yankees-Red Sox, Lakers-Celtics, USC-Notre Dame. One of the oldest rivalries in sports, dating back to 1897. Two of the most storied college football programs in the country. When they meet this Saturday it will be the first ever meeting of #1 vs #2 in this series. Winner goes to the BCS championship game for a shot at history.
So, it's no surprise that tickets are in serious demand. But do you have any idea how much they are going for? I found this one on Ebay going for about $900 per ticket. Well, they must be 50 yard line seats, right? Wrong. They're somewhere around the 10 yard line, maybe closer to the endzone.
A buddy of mine had Rose Bowl tickets last year for the "game of the century" (as about two or three games every year are dubbed). He sold them and took his girlfriend on a trip to Rome with the proceeds. He's a USC fan, so he made the right choice. But what if he was a die hard Longhorn fan? Missing that classic would be a tough pill to swallow.
This question isn't for non-sports fans. There's just no way non-sports fans can understand the value that hard core sports fans place on being at the biggest games. Every year we see Super Bowl tickets going for thousands of dollars. Same for the NBA finals. Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl all fetch hundreds, if not thousands of dollars per ticket.
But it's a gamble. You may spend a thousand bucks, travel halfway across the country, only to see your team blown out of the game before halftime. Or you might just witness an epic finish like 2005 USC-Notre Dame, Kirk Gibson's home run in game 1 of the 1988 World Series or Stanford-Cal "The band is on the field!"
Those are moments and memories that will last a lifetime, and others will talk about forever. Will we ever stop talking about Ali-Frazier, Miracle on Ice, Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point game? If you knew that was about to happen, how much would you have paid to be there? If you are a fan of Rutgers football and they make it to the championship game, this may literally be a once in a lifetime opportunity.
So, what is it worth to you? How much would you pay to see your team in the big game?
GO BUCKEYES!!!
Luckily I've been able to see a few incredible games without paying top dollar for them. As a season ticket holder in the past, I was at the awesome UofM vs. MSU game at Spartan stadium in 2001, now known by many as "Clockgate". I was able to witness the madness of an unforgettable win when T.J. Duckett caught that 4th down TD pass with 0:01 on the clock to win the game in dramatic fashion (although many say the game should have expired before that last play).
Same thing for the rivalry game in 2004, the game that went into triple OT, although the outcome was not in my team's favor... again, an incredible game to be at with lasting memories.
I think tickets for these games ended up being under $50, but I can tell you one thing, they would have been worth much more than that to be able to experience the thrill again.
Posted by: Jeremy | November 16, 2006 at 10:51 AM
Have you read this article on Slate? Frickin' hilarious.
http://www.slate.com/id/2153915
Posted by: Him | November 16, 2006 at 01:03 PM
Hey Sparty - why in the WORLD are you rooting for the Buckeyes?! Traitor to your state...
GO MICHIGAN!!!
I, too, have been to many a great game without paying 1 cent because I was a member of the marching band. How much would I be willing to pay now...? That's such a hard question... I'd love to spend $1000 to get any sort of seats but... I have this fear that doing so would curse my team terribly. Fortunately, I don't have to make that decision right now because I don't have the extra cash lying around.
Posted by: Charles | November 17, 2006 at 07:07 AM
Hey Charles, sorry I have it in my blood after attending MSU for 5 years, my wife for 7 to wish evil things upon the maize and blue! I do feel slightly bad about rooting against my own state, but in the end, it is all worthwhile to see Lloyd Carr crying and moaning to the officials or the Big Ten about some reason as to why he lost :)
Posted by: Jeremy | November 17, 2006 at 07:30 AM
That is too bad. Both of my brothers went to MSU and, though I mourn for their souls, as a result I can honestly say I root for MSU every game (except against us) of the year. It's been too bad that the fourth quarter of the Northwestern game and the first 3 quarters of the Notre Dame games have been the only shining moments for your team this year.
Anyways, GO BLUE! BEAT THE BUCKEYES! It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine!
Posted by: Charles | November 17, 2006 at 07:49 AM
Haha, actually the only shining moment for MSU this year was the moment they announced that John L was done after the season!
Posted by: Jeremy | November 17, 2006 at 08:13 AM
It's so nice to have you do all of the research for us. It makes our decision making so much easier!! Thanks.
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