Michigan fans trying to go to national championship game in Houston will have to spend big
Michigan football finally broke through the College Football Playoff semifinal after beating Alabama, 27-20 in overtime, and will be playing for its first national championship since 1997.
The Wolverines will play the winner of Monday night's Sugar Bowl between Texas and Washington. The national championship game will be Jan. 8 at NRG Stadium in Houston. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and will be on ESPN (and several other ESPN networks).
More: Watch Michigan vs. Washington in 2024 national championship game with tickets from VividSeats
But if you're trying to get there in person, we hope you didn't blow all of your money on holiday gifts.
Airfare
A drive from Ann Arbor to Houston is 19 hours nonstop. So maybe you want to take a flight down to Texas for the game.
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Sports business reporter Darren Rovell found that flights from Detroit to Houston and back on Saturday and returning the day after the game are starting at $2,397. '
$2,397: Price for all-Delta non-stops leaving from Detroit on Jan. 6, staying in Houston for the Natty on Jan. 8 and returning back on Jan. 9.
(H/T @BRGolfer) pic.twitter.com/4OY2xAPAjo— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) January 2, 2024
The drive down doesn't sound as long now.
Getting into the game
Tickets for the Rose Bowl started near $500 but quickly rose as demand to see the heavyweight matchup between the two blue bloods increased, with some tickets being sold for as much as $13,000.
But if you thought that was expensive, just wait to see the prices for the national championship. Tickets on secondary markets online start north of $2,500 for the cheapest seats in NRG Stadium.
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Tickets are going quickly, too. Prior to the Rose Bowl, multiple ticket-resale services listed the tickets as “going fast” or "popular" on their website, and each showed there were tickets available in about half the stadium. The 200 and 400 levels, which are reserved for suites, are sold out, while a number of tickets remain available for club seats at the 300 level.
Here is a quick cheat sheet of ticket prices for the national championship on secondary markets. Prices and availability could fluctuate.
Ticketmaster
600 level
Cheapest ticket: $2,850
500 level
Cheapest ticket: $3,375
300 level (club seats)
Cheapest ticket: $3,579
Price range: $2,596-$9,448
100 level
Cheapest ticket: $3,518
StubHub
600 level
Cheapest ticket: $2,716
500 level
Cheapest ticket: $2,897
300 level (club seats)
Cheapest ticket: $3,464
100 level
Cheapest ticket: $3,385
SeatGeek
600 level
Cheapest ticket: $2,414
500 level
Cheapest ticket: $2,525
300 level (club seats)
Cheapest ticket: $3,391
100 level
Cheapest ticket: $3,077
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan-Washington national championship tickets: Expect to spend big