Florida’s regular season finale against Kentucky on Saturday at the O’Connell Center is already is a sellout. But that hasn’t stopped demand for tickets for the game between the Southeastern Conference rivals through secondary markets.
According to the website seatgeek.com, the average ticket price through secondary means such as Stubhub.com is $249. Even the cheapest seats are going for four-times face value (an average $30 upper bowl ticket is going for $122). Lower level seats are going as high as $333 behind the baskets and $534 for seats behind the Kentucky bench.
Those average ticket prices have risen by 77 percent since Florida defeated Kentucky at Rupp Arena on Feb. 15.
A number of factors are contributing to the high demand. They include (1) No. 1 Florida having a chance to finish off a perfect 18-0 mark in SEC play (2) Florida’s four senior starters being honored in what shapes up to be an emotional Senior Day and (3) Kentucky’s fanbase, which will travel as far as Antarctica to watch the Wildcats, even in a down season.
Seatgeek.com says there are less than 160 tickets available through secondary markets, representing less than 2 percent of the capacity of the O’Connell Center, which seats 12,000 for basketball. The website says this will be the highest-demand ticket for a college basketball game in the state of Florida since it started charting secondary markets in 2009.
