Syracuse fans can rejoice because as of today, November 2, it is officially basketball season. With the football team adding another loss to it’s abysmal 3-6 record, there hasn’t been much to cheer about up on the Hill. But, starting with today’s tip against Carleton, the focus can shift back to the hardwood.
With data from SeatGeek, an online ticket search engine site, the Fizz has learned that this season’s tickets are breaking last year’s prices. Fans clearly are ready to forget football and fork over their dollars for hoops. Ticket prices have even spiked since the last time the Fizz covered basketball ticket prices in mid-summer.
Syracuse’s most expensive game is, obviously, the tilt with the Blue Devils. Last season, fans paid an average of $208 to get into the Dome and be part of record-setting crowd. This season, fans have already paid over $245 a ticket! While last year’s instant classic has raised this season’s demand, ticket prices are actually up all across the board.
Of the Orange’s 19 home games this season, six are costing fans more than $80 a seat. Aside from Duke, the Orange’s most in-demand games of the season will be against Louisville ($98 a ticket) in Rick Pitino’s return to the Dome, Pitt ($97), defending ACC-champ Virginia ($94), Miami ($89), and St. John’s ($87).
In addition to these high totals, every conference game is costing fans at least $60 a seat (against Virginia Tech). Prices have risen from last season, despite the team’s worse outlook. Before last season, the team was fresh off of a final four run. Having demand this high after barely cracking the AP/Coaches Polls last week is pretty impressive.
The least expensive game on the season is tomorrow’s exhibition against Carleton, coming in with just over $12 a ticket. The Orange’s home opener, against Kennesaw State is costing an average of $17 a ticket. The clear split between non-conference games and conference games is a common theme every year, as the attention tends to shift away from college football and the NFL, and more towards college hoops.
One interesting thing to point out is the extremely in-demand matchup with St. John’s. The long-time rivals faced off last season at Madison Square Garden, in a location Syracuse would like to continue to play at. But, Central New Yorkers want to see the Red Storm up at the Dome again significantly more than most other teams.
Either way, it seems expectations are high once again in Syracuse at the start of the basketball season. If certain players can perform up to their potential, the Orange should have another successful campaign.
Posted:  Jason Weingold
