StubHub's 2023 College Football Preview: Sales up conference-wide, Alabama returns as #1 in-demand team

Colorado's offseason shake up spikes sales; Ohio State drives tickets on the road 

NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As fans gear up for what has already been a riveting start to college football, StubHub, the world's most trusted ticket marketplace, analyzed ticket trends to reveal the top in-demand football programs, most popular games, hottest trending teams and more. Alabama reclaims the #1 position on StubHub's list of in-demand teams for the third time, and, at #2, Michigan is the Big 10 frontrunner, after a defining season that now elevates their sales ahead of Ohio State.

Key highlights include:

• Alabama puts the SEC back on top: the Tide land at number one for the third time.
• Alabama sales are up 50% compared to the same time last season, hosting three of the top 10 highest-selling games of the season.
• Michigan, represents the Big 10, landing at #2: they outsell rival Ohio State by 180%, with the Buckeyes falling just short of the top 10 at #11.
• The Wolverines and Buckeyes clash in the #2 hottest-selling game of the season, doubling the sales of last year's same rivalry matchup.
• Notre Dame's highly-anticipated 2023 home schedule is boosting demand: the team has twice the sales compared to the start of the 2022 season.
• Notre Dame is hosting the #1 in-demand game of the season when they welcome Ohio State, driving 30% more sales of game #2 when the Buckeyes visit Michigan.
• Colorado sees the highest jump in sales: they debut on the most in-demand top 10 teams alongside Florida State and Tennessee.
• The Buffs are trending at a 15x increase in sales from last year, beating out Ohio State by 15% to land as the #10 most in-demand team.
• Ohio State dominates demand on the road: they drive the biggest increase on average ticket prices as the visiting team, triggering a nearly 92% spike in average ticket sales for the teams they play on the road.
• The Buckeyes are in the two top-selling games of the season when they visit Notre Dame (#1 game) and Michigan (#2).

"This is likely to be the last season of college football as we know it, with conferences realigning at a rapid pace and playoff expansion on the horizon. We predict that ticket sales will start to reflect changes in how fans travel, create new rivalries and spotlight more teams across the country," said Adam Budelli of StubHub. "Sales are trending up almost 50% over last season and we're seeing the most preseason sales of the past five years - Colorado leads the charge with the biggest jump in sales."

StubHub's Top In-Demand College Football Teams of 2023

1. Alabama Crimson Tide
2. Michigan Wolverines
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
4. Penn State Nittany Lions
5. Tennessee Volunteers
6. Georgia Bulldogs
7. Auburn Tigers
8. Florida State Seminoles
9. Texas A&M Aggies
10. Colorado Buffaloes

Based on cumulative StubHub ticket sales as of August 22 for the 2023 season. 

StubHub's Top In-Demand College Football Games of 2023

1. Ohio State Buckeyes at Notre Dame Fighting Irish on September 23
2. Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Wolverines on November 25
3. Texas Longhorns at Alabama Crimson Tide on September 9
4. Iowa Hawkeyes at Penn State Nittany Lions on September 23
5. Florida State Seminoles vs LSU Tigers* on on September 3
6. USC Trojans at Notre Dame Fighting Irish on October 14
7. West Virginia Mountaineers at Penn State Nittany Lions on September 2
8. Tennessee Volunteers at Alabama Crimson Tide on October 21
9. Ole Miss Rebels at Alabama Crimson Tide on September 23
10. Army Black Knights vs Navy Midshipmen* on December 9

Based on cumulative StubHub ticket sales as of August 22 for the 2023 season.
* Neutral site game

StubHub's Top Trending Teams of 2023

1. Colorado Buffaloes (1668%)
2. Florida State Seminoles (450%)
3. Tennessee Volunteers (242%)
4. Penn State Nittany Lions (162%)
5. Wisconsin Badgers (135%)
6. Michigan Wolverines (117%)
7. Auburn Tigers (102%)
8. Clemson Tigers (99%)
9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (96%)
10. Alabama Crimson Tide (58%)

Based on Power 5 teams with the highest rate of increase in cumulative StubHub ticket sales for the 2023 season, as of August 22, in comparison to sales ahead of the 2023 season. Number indicates the percentage increase in ticket sales. 

StubHub is the world's largest marketplace to buy and sell tickets with confidence.

Full data and insights from the college football preview can be found here.

About StubHub
StubHub is the world's leading marketplace to buy and sell tickets to any live event, anywhere. Through StubHub in North America and viagogo, our international platform, we service customers in 195 countries in 33 languages and 49 available currencies. With more than 300 million tickets available to events around the world annually -- from sports to music, comedy to dance, festivals to theater -- StubHub offers the safest, most convenient way to buy or sell tickets to the most memorable live experiences.

SOURCE StubHub