College Football Playoff ticket prices: Cost to see Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl highest in years

The controversy surrounding the 2023-24 College Football Playoff will rage on for weeks, but there's no doubt in the demand to see this year's field compete for a national championship, as ticket prices are among the highest in recent years.

This year's playoff will feature Michigan vs. Alabama in the Rose Bowl and Washington vs. Texas in the Sugar Bowl, and the marquee matchups between national powerhouses has played a factor in how expensive it is to see the semifinal games. Whether you're a fan of a participating team, or a college football fan, you can expect to pay hundreds of dollars just to get in to watch who will make the national title game, as some ticket companies say prices are at least twice as high as year's past.

Here's what to know about College Football Playoff tickets:

College Football Playoff tickets for Rose Bowl

Expect to pay prices not seen in years to see the Wolverines and Crimson Tide play in "The Granddaddy of Them All." StubHub said the Rose Bowl is more expensive than the Sugar Bowl, and it's on track to be the best-selling College Football Playoff semifinal game since the 2018 Rose Bowl that featured Georgia and Oklahoma.

"As we head toward the last four-team College Football Playoff, the 2024 Rose Bowl dominates demand," StubHub spokesperson Adam Budelli said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. "The matchup between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Michigan Wolverines boasts twice the sales of the Sugar Bowl but sales for both games are outpacing last year’s games. We are really seeing the demand of a Rose Bowl that features two marquee programs in an iconic setting."

The average price of a ticket to the Rose Bowl game varies on the secondary market, but it's averaging more than $1,000 per ticket on places like TicketSmarter and TickPick.

The cheapest tickets available for the game can be found on TickPick for $599 with fees. The cheapest tickets for the game are typically found in the upper parts of the endzone sides of the Rose Bowl.

Here are the cheapest tickets for the Rose Bowl on on the secondary market, as of Tuesday:

• StubHub: $580 ($741 with fees)
• Ticketmaster: $590 ($713 with fees)
• TicketSmarter: $544 ($685 with fees)
• Gametime: $526 ($711 with fees)
• SeatGeek: $525 ($721 with fees)
• TickPick: $599 with fees
• Vivid Seats: $509 ($687 with fees)

College Football Playoff tickets for Sugar Bowl

Although not as expensive as the Rose Bowl, tickets for the Sugar Bowl matchup between the Huskies and the Longhorns will still cost hundreds of dollars to attend.

The average price of a ticket to the Sugar Bowl game varies on the secondary market, but it's around $930 on TicketSmarter, which is more expensive than the semifinal games in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Sugar Bowl prices are also three times as much as last year's edition of the game, according to Gametime.

The cheapest tickets available for the game can be found on StubHub for $441 with fees. The cheapest tickets for the game are typically found in the 600 level section − the highest in the stadium.

Here are the cheapest tickets for the Rose Bowl on on the secondary market, as of Tuesday:

• StubHub: $315 ($441 with fees)
• Ticketmaster: $465 ($562 with fees)
• TicketSmarter: $443 ($562 with fees)
• Gametime: $410 ($628 with fees)
• SeatGeek: $419 ($578 with fees)
• TickPick: $557 with fees
• Vivid Seats: $409 ($552 with fees)