MSU-UConn Sweet 16 Sees Massive Ticket Price Surge

The Spartans and Huskies are a hot ticket this coming Friday.

Michigan State mascot "Sparty" looks on during a game against Louisville during the second round of the NCAA Tournament at the KeyBank Center on Saturday, March 21, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

It's going to cost you in order to get into the building on Friday.

Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., will likely be jumping that night. The normal home of the NBA's Washington Wizards and the NHL's Washington Capitals will shift to high-level college basketball. Top-seeded Duke takes on 5-seed St. John's there first at 7:10 p.m. ET, which is then followed by 3-seed Michigan State's game against 2-seed UConn at approximately 9:45 p.m. ET.

Michigan State's Tom Izzo watches from the sideline against North Dakota State during the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the KeyBank Center on Thursday, March 19, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

That doubleheader of Sweet 16 games in the East Region between four very storied programs in the nation's capital is a very, very hot ticket. According to a Tuesday morning tweet from TickPick, the get-in price on Friday was all the way up to $482.

For additional comparison, TickPick places the Sweet 16 prices for the South Region's games (Houston) at $356, the Midwest Region (Chicago) at $274, and the West Region (San Jose) at $228. All four schools have storied basketball traditions, but the fact that the game is in D.C. and within at least a semi-drivable distance of all four schools likely leads to an increase in demand.

More on Tickets

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo talks to guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) after a play against Louisville during the first half of NCAA Tournament Second Round at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Saturday, March 21, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Something to keep in mind is that $482 is just the get-in price, which just grants you a seat near the last row in the corner of the arena. The price only goes up more and more if you want a better seat.

Glancing at TickPick's site, as of Tuesday evening, the cheapest seat in the lower bowl and 100s sections is up at $830 for one spot. The most expensive ticket on the site, in Row A of section 102, will run somebody $4,693.

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. drives to the basket against North Dakota State during the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the KeyBank Center on Thursday, March 19, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

MSU Looking To Advance

Michigan State has also had some good memories made inside Capital One Arena in relatively recent memory. The Spartans' most recent Final Four appearance was in 2019, and they went through D.C. to get there, taking down 3-seed LSU in the Sweet Sixteen and then upsetting 1-seed Duke in the Elite Eight. That marked Tom Izzo's eighth Final Four as a head coach.

This game will also technically be the second time MSU and Connecticut have met. Michigan State traveled to Hartford in October, losing an exhibition game, 76-69. That was nearly five months ago, though, with both teams going through several ups and downs to get to this point. The Spartans are 27-7 this year, while the Huskies are 31-5.

Michigan State's Coen Carr defends against Louisville during the second round of the NCAA Tournament at the KeyBank Center on Saturday, March 21, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

MSU looks to get back to the Elite Eight with a win over the East Region's 2-seed.