Demand Rankings is Sports Illustrated’s weekly look at the games and sports events that are driving the most demand for tickets across sports, including college football, NFL, NBA, golf, tennis and more. Here’s this week’s list of the most sought-after seats in college football.
Conference play is in full swing in college football. We’ve already reached Week 4 of the new season, and this week’s slate features plenty of big conference showdowns that could shape championship races for the rest of the season. We’ve got huge divisional clashes in the SEC and ACC, a pair of intriguing Pac-12 showdowns and even a potential Big Ten championship preview. Here’s a look at the biggest matchups and most in-demand seats for this weekend’s slate.
Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tenn.
Demand Meter: 😍
Is Tennessee football finally back? After a strong first year under Josh Heupel, the Vols are off to a 3–0 start and look the part on both sides of the ball. Beat Florida on Saturday, and the UT hype train will go out of control. Hendon Hooker and the rest of this Tennessee offense are incredibly fun to watch, producing tons of explosive plays. Meanwhile, the Gators have looked shaky since a huge Week 1 win over Utah, struggling to get past South Florida last week as quarterback Anthony Richardson has dealt with accuracy issues.
This is the hottest ticket of Week 4, with the average price, per SI Tickets, at a college-football-high $554.
Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Demand Meter: 😍
Could this be a preview of this year’s Big Ten championship game? The Badgers are the favorite to win the Big Ten West according to SI Tickets’ reservation prices, while the Buckeyes have the edge to win the East. These teams win in very different ways, and for the Badgers to have any chance of pulling this upset, they’ll need to be able to control tempo and feed star running back Braelon Allen. They won’t be able to keep up if this becomes a shootout against C.J. Stroud, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the rest of this stacked Buckeye offense.
Average ticket prices to catch this game from The Shoe are around $323, per SI Tickets.
Truist Field, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Demand Meter: 😍
Last season marked the first time since 2014 that Clemson didn’t play in (and win) the ACC championship game. The team that took their spot from the Atlantic division? Wake Forest. Now, the 3–0 Tigers have to go on the road to Winston-Salem for this huge, ranked clash that pits one of the sport’s best defenses against one of its most explosive offenses. QB Sam Hartman missed Wake’s first two games but is back now and is one of the most dynamic players in the sport, while the Tigers had the nation’s second-best scoring defense a season ago and look like they’re on a similar trajectory this year. The winner moves into the driver’s seat for a spot in the ACC title game.
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Demand Meter: 😍
Arkansas’ 3–0 start has earned the Hogs a top-10 ranking in the AP Poll and plenty of hype. But things really get interesting for the Razorbacks this week, kicking off a five-game stretch that will determine just how legit this team is. It starts with a neutral-field clash with Texas A&M, but also includes a showdown with Alabama and three straight road games against Mississippi State, BYU and Auburn. The Aggies are coming off a big win over Miami on Saturday night behind an elite defensive performance against Tyler Van Dyke and the Canes.
The average ticket price for this matchup is $470, per SI Tickets.
Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Demand Meter: 😀
Despite, as Pat Forde put it, “having not yet played a single stressful minute of football this season,” Michigan does look the part of an elite team… especially when J.J. McCarthy is in at quarterback. That’s why, per SI Tickets, reservation prices for CFP national championship tickets for the Wolverines are up another 9% after a drubbing of UConn on Saturday.
This could be Michigan’s first real test of the season. Maryland has a gifted quarterback in Taulia Tagovailoa and talent on the outside. It seems unlikely that the Terps will pull the upset, but Maryland should be able to challenge Michigan in ways UConn, Hawaii and Colorado State couldn’t. Average ticket prices for this Big Ten opener are just under $200, according to SI Tickets.
Martin Stadium, Pullman, Wash.
Demand Meter: 😀
Perhaps no team was more impressive in Week 3 than Oregon, which dominated against a BYU team coming off a win against top-10 Baylor. Bo Nix looked like the Bo Nix college football fans have been wanting to see since his first collegiate game, and the Ducks flew around on defense to slow down a talented BYU offense. Heading to Pullman is never easy though, especially against a Wazzu team with a stout defense that won at Wisconsin earlier this season. This is a huge game for both teams’ Pac-12 title hopes.
Memorial Stadium, Norman, Okla.
Demand Meter: 😀
This matchup lost a bit of luster when Kansas State was upset by Tulane last week, but the Big 12 opener should be plenty of fun regardless. The Wildcats have been a bit of a thorn in the side of the Sooners over the years, winning this matchup in two of the last three years. In all, four of the last five meetings have been decided by one score. Oklahoma looks much improved on defense with new coach Brent Venables, who was the mastermind of several elite defenses at Clemson. Pair that with a stellar offense, and you have one of the best teams in the sport.
The average ticket price for this nighttime showdown in Norman is $253, per SI Tickets.
Reser Stadium, Corvallis, Ore.
Demand Meter: 🙂
Oregon State clearly has momentum right now, starting 3–0 this season after reaching a bowl game for the first time since 2013 last season. But the Beavers will step up in weight class Saturday night against a USC team that has cruised through the first three weeks of the Lincoln Riley era. The Trojans are averaging more than 50 points per game. Will that explosive offense travel well into a tough road environment against a well-coached team like Oregon State? This game feels like a great litmus test for both teams and should be a fun watch.
Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock
Demand Meter: 🙂
Texas appears much improved in 2022 after taking Alabama to the wire in Week 2, but the Longhorns still have a ton to prove as Big 12 play gets underway Saturday. There’s always a little extra to play for when in-state rivals like these two collide. Tech has road games against Kansas State and Oklahoma State the next two weeks, so a win here to avoid a potential slow start in conference play would be big.
Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, Va.
Demand Meter: 🙂
This used to be an annual matchup when these teams were Big East rivals but is yet another victim of conference realignment. Still, it’s nice to renew the showdown in non-conference play, and both teams could really use a win. West Virginia is still without an FBS win this season, which has earned coach Neal Brown a spot on hot seat lists. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech lost the first game of the Brent Pry era to Old Dominion, but starting 3–1 overall before a road-heavy stretch would be big.
Tickets for this Thursday-night clash are listed on average for $170, per SI Tickets.
More College Football Coverage:
• ‘I’m Glad to Be Alive’: How Walt Wells Is Still Here, Loving Life and Football
• Four Matchups Between Unbeatens to Watch in Week 4
• College Football Expert Picks: Which Teams Will Stay Undefeated?
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