And then there were four.
The 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has showcased an overwhelming number of last-minute comebacks, thrilling upsets and Cinderella stories, leaving virtually nothing to imagination over the last two weeks. The stage is now officially set for the Final Four in Houston, and with Villanova, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Syracuse each still in the mix, 2016 Final Four tickets at NRG Stadium won't be cheap on the secondary market.
Three ticketing options are available for fans looking to catch the action in Houston this weekend. An All Sessions Pass, which grants access to both Semi-final games on Saturday night as well as the Championship Game on Monday, will be the most expensive option. According to resale aggregator TiqIQ, the average price for an All Sessions Pass is now $1,756.93 and the cheapest is listed for $412.
While those price points are high enough to make even the biggest fan balk, it is worth noting that last year's All Sessions Pass at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis posted even greater ticket demand. Duke, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Kentucky rounded out the 2015 Final Four, and the average price for an All Sessions Pass in Indianapolis was a record-setting $1,985.36 on the resale market. The get-in price started from $551.
For those fans conscious of their funds, perhaps the most fiscally responsible ticket option will be Final Four Session 1 tickets to both Semi-final games on Saturday night. Granting access to both Villanova-Oklahoma and North Carolina-Syracuse, Session 1 tickets currently own a secondary market average of $1,096.09 and the cheapest is listed for $256. Those numbers also fall slightly below last year's at Lucas Oil Stadium, where a Final Four Session 1 ticket averaged $1,108.95 and the get-in price was $290.
Record ticket prices are on the ledger for 2016 NCAA Championship Game tickets, however. As it stands now tickets to Monday's title game now own a secondary market average of $917.76, up 20.5% from last year's average of $761.34. The cheapest 2016 Championship Game tickets is now going for $134.
If lofty ticket prices weren't enough to break the piggy bank, expect to pay a pretty penny for flights into Houston. Priceline.com offers roundtrip flights from all four remaining school's home cities, including Philadelphia, Oklahoma City, Syracuse and Raleigh. The cheapest roundtrip airfare will be between Oklahoma City and Houston and ranges from $519-$552. The most expensive travel will come out of Philadelphia, where roundtrip airfare is priced between $1,052 and $1,243. Houston hotels on Priceline are also available at a much more affordable rate, with three-star hotels starting from $55 per night and four-star hotels listed from $219 each night.
Of the four remaining teams in this year's tournament, North Carolina was the last to claim a title back in 2009. Syracuse searches for its first championship since 2003 while Villanova last cut down the nets in 1985. Oklahoma has made four previous Final Four appearances but has never won a national championship.