When we created the TiqIQ Top 25 at the beginning of this season as a way to track the highest average price for all college football teams, we expected some movement. We did not however, expect anything as meteoric as Texas A&M’s rise from No. 21 to No. 3 over the course of just four weeks.
College Football Tickets: Texas A&M Shoots Up TiqIQ’s Top 25 Chart
Jesse Lawrence shares his thoughts on the latest TiqIQ’s Top 25 college football pricing list. Texas A&M has shot up from No. 21 overall to No. 3, buoyed by their move to the SEC.
When we first released the list in late August, the Aggies average ticket price for all home games was $136. Since then, they’ve risen 73 percent, to an average of $236, leapfroging such powerhouses as Alabama, Auburn as well as in-state rival Texas. Three weeks into the season, they trail only Nebraska and Oregon for the highest average secondary-market price in the nation.
There are two obvious reasons for the spike, one of which is their on-the-field performance. With their 2-0 start, A&M sits at No. 8 in the AP poll, a heigh they have reached in more than 15 years. As a result, fans are understandably excited. The second reason has to do with off-the-field media coverage of their pending move to the SEC. After their Week 1 win over SMU, the Aggies announced that they would be fleeing the Big 12 to the SEC. Despite a lawsuit by Baylor looking to hold up the move in court, A&M jumped nine slots from No. 21 to No. 12 in the week following the annoucement. In the subsequent weeks, they have moved up at an average of $37 per week, with this week being the biggest yet, at $56.
If one questions the financial benefits of the so-called super-conferences, A&M’s climb up the TiqIQ Top 25 may well be a leading indicator of the financial windfall to come. In the last four weeks, A&M sellers have gained $2.4 Million in profits in the secondary ticket market as a result of the move from No. 21 to No. 3. While not yet directly benefiting the team, a higher average ticket price in the secondary market will ultimately translate to higher primary ticket prices, which will directly benefit the school. With future match-ups against SEC schools such as Alabama and Auburn, booster donations are sure to increase as well. There are also the lucrative media rights that come with the SEC’s nationally televised games. ESPN alone pays the SEC a $150 million annually.
With all the money being unearthered in this realignment frenzy, it’s no surprise that Pittsburgh and Syracuse announced last week they would forsake tradition in the name of bigger revenue streams. So far, neither Pitt nor Syracuse are close to cracking the TiqIQ Top 25, but check back in 2015 after they’ve had a few years of ACC recruiting and exposure. If they’re really lucky, maybe they’ll even be Orange or Panther with their eyes on the White House.
Jesse Lawrence is the CEO of TiqIQ, SB Nation’s ticket partner. You can buy Texas A&M tickets through I Am The 12th Man’s Ticket Center.
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