With the University of Missouri men’s basketball team playing the first round of the NCAA Tournament in St. Louis on Friday, the Tigers’ game against the University of Miami isn’t just the hottest ticket in town — it’s the most expensive in the country.
This marks just the second time in 80 years the Tigers will play an NCAA Tournament game in Missouri, with the last coming in 1982. Ahead of such a rare occasion, ticket prices in St. Louis are soaring, university officials are seizing on the opportunity and businesses are bracing for crowds.
Ticket market spikes
The NCAA Tournament opens Thursday and Friday with eight cities hosting a combined 16 sessions, each featuring two games apiece. The session in St. Louis on Friday evening featuring Missouri’s game against Miami has the highest minimum ticket price by about $115.
The cheapest ticket for the evening session at the Enterprise Center was about $226 as of 9:30 a.m. Thursday, according to Ticketmaster. That session includes two games: Purdue University vs. Queens University of Charlotte and Miami vs. Missouri.
The next-highest ticket price for the first round was the Friday afternoon session at Viejas Arena in San Diego, at $111. This session features the University of Arizona vs. Long Island University and Villanova University vs. Utah State University.
The cheapest ticket to the early Friday session in St. Louis was about $73, which was fifth highest among first-round tickets. Those games feature the University of Kentucky vs. Santa Clara University and Iowa State University vs. Tennessee State University.
The cheapest first-round ticket was for the Thursday afternoon session in Oklahoma City, where tickets were available for a low as $7.14 to watch the University of Nebraska vs. Troy University and Vanderbilt University vs. McNeese State University.
University sees opportunity
Beyond stoking demand for tickets, MU playing in St. Louis also offers the university a valuable opportunity to engage with a large number of alumni. Todd McCubbin, executive director of the Missouri Alumni Association, said St. Louis is home to the most MU graduates in the country, totaling around 75,000 people.
"It makes sense that we would drive a lot of (ticket) demand," McCubbin said, "given the number of alums and number of fans that want to come see us."
The alumni association is hosting a pregame event at the Ballpark Village, the entertainment district about half a mile from the Enterprise Center. McCubbin said these events are a good way to keep alumni interested in the university.
"To have an opportunity to showcase the University of Missouri and our athletic program in our largest alumni market, especially at the big stage like that, with March Madness and the NCAA Tournament, it’s a big deal," McCubbin said.
McCubbin said he feels fortunate to have a big game so close to home.
"We're in the alumni engagement business," he said, "and athletics obviously is a big piece of that."
Brisk business expected
Ray’s Sportshouse is expecting to use the basketball game to boost revenue. The owner of the MU-themed bar in the Soulard neighborhood is expecting to draw a crowd for Friday night's game similar to what Ray's saw for MU’s football game against Kansas in September.
Ray’s Sportshouse owner and operator Corbin Ray said that during MU events, the bar and grill can see hundreds of customers. This Friday, Ray is expecting to fill up an hour to an hour and a half before the game starts.
"When we make March Madness, especially when it's essentially a home game, people are really, really, really pumped about it," Ray said. "And that's awesome to see."
