As with any gamble in life, inherent risks are involved.
For fans not yet secured of their place inside Mercedes Benz Stadium for the season-opening tilt of No. 1 Alabama versus No. 3 Florida State, the question one must ask oneself is if you believe market demand will increase or decrease when the tickets hit the secondary market next week?
For a game that is officially marketing itself as the “Greatest Opener of All Time, odds are likely that demand increases.
The cheapest face-value ticket for the game is $125. That’s the price if you were one of the lucky ones who were offered an opportunity to buy tickets through the institutions.
For the rest of of you, the secondary market is where you’ll have to go.
“It looks like it’s going to a very good market,” John Ed Belvin of T-Town Tickets said. “One thing is that tickets aren’t out yet so a lot of it is speculative. Anytime you’ve got the No. 1 and No. 3 team in the country playing the first game of the year, you can’t help but have good interest.
“I expect right now, the way it looks, you probably should be looking for about $400 to get in the door. It could change and come down a little bit depending on how many tickets hit the market and there’s a lot out there for sale.”
Part of the attraction lies in the unveiling of a new venue in Mercedes Benz Stadium. Much of the Alabama fan base was more than familiar with Georgia Dome, where the Crimson Tide played frequently.
Alabama played in the Georgia Dome in 2014-16 for the SEC Championship Game and won its last game in the Dome in a College Football Playoff semifinal over Washington.
Calls to the UA ticket office have been steady.
“Naturally, there is excitement around the start of a new season, and given some of the factors surrounding this game it is no surprise that tickets are in high demand,” Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne said. “Being able to experience a game in the newly-built Mercedes-Benz Stadium is certainly something special, while the proximity and location for a large number of Crimson Tide fans is also appealing. The matchup on the field features two programs that have won national championships in the last four years as well.”
Reach Aaron Suttles at aaron@tidesports.com or at 205-722-0229.
