By Darren Rovell
CNBC.com
It's college football time and that means fans are willing to pay top dollar to see this year's top matchups. So what are the most coveted games? TiqIQ, a ticket market intelligence site, provided us with the highest list prices for the entire season. Not surprisingly, six of the top 10 games include a Southeastern Conference team.
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| Slideshow: Most expensive college football tickets |
The ticket prices displayed here represent the secondary market and are aggregated by TiqIQ from some of the largest ticket sellers, including StubHub, eBay and TicketNetwork. These ticket prices do not represent official face values for students or the general public.
So, what are the most expensive games to attend this year?
Most Expensive College Football Tickets 2011 Slideshow
5. Ohio State at Nebraska
Avg. Ticket List Price: $462.97 Date: Oct. 8 Ohio State makes its first Big Ten trip to Memorial Stadium as Nebraska is the new kid in town. Ohio State is tough to read thanks to the loss of its quarterback Terrelle Pryor and its coach Jim Tressel, but Nebraska could very well win the league in its first year. Memorial Stadium holds the current active record for the most consecutive sellouts at 311. The last game the Huskers didn't sell out? Oct. 20, 1962.
4. Texas vs. Oklahoma
Avg. Ticket List Price: $464.04 Date: Oct. 8 The game they call "The Red River Rivalry" has origins dating back to 1900, and it's been a real battle of late. In the last 30 matchups, Texas leads 15-14, with one tie. As is tradition, one school's fans sit in half the stadium seats, the others' on the other side. Both schools are among the 11 that have won the BCS National Championship since its creation in 1998 (Oklahoma in 2000, Texas in 2005).
3. USC at Notre Dame
Avg. Ticket List Price: $509.48 Date: Oct. 22 Even though USC has won eight of the last 10 contests, this mid-season rivalry dates back to 1926. If the game is at the Coliseum, the ticket isn't nearly as hard as it is in South Bend, Indiana, where the Irish play. Notre Dame should be the favorite in this game as the team opens the season ranked 18, while USC is unranked.
2. Alabama at Auburn
Avg. Ticket List Price: $514.96 Date: Nov. 26 The "Iron Bowl" between in-state rivals Auburn and Alabama is always a hot ticket. If you love Auburn, you hate Alabama and vice versa. The fact that the game is the last of the regular season for both teams means there's always something on the line. A 28-27 Auburn victory last year on Alabama's home turf was part of the Tiger's undefeated season that ended with a National Championship. Auburn might be the worst returning National Champion in a long time, while Alabama, which won the title in 2010, opens the season ranked second in the land. Still, the ticket is a tough one.
1. LSU vs. Oregon
Avg. Ticket List Price: $560.23 Date: Sept. 3 The Ducks, who lost by just three points in last year's BCS National Championship Game, host the Tigers in one of those first-week games with a lot on the line. This is the second game on the list that will be played at Cowboys Stadium in Texas and there's still great demand for this ticket. Oregon opens the season ranked 3rd by USA Today, while LSU opens the season ranked 4th. One of them has to lose.
Click here for complete slideshow to the full list of the most expensive college football games to attend this season. And click here for the latest deals on the greatest games.
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