Ticket Price Surge Reveals A Fan Frenzy For Oregon’s Playoff Game

The rankings are out, the locations are announced, and the College Football Playoff is headed to Eugene, Oregon. Hosting their first-ever first round home playoff game, the No. 5 Oregon Ducks take on the No. 12 James Madison Dukes at Autzen Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 20 and ticket sales are already heating up.

Earning a first round bye last season with a bid to the 2025 Rose Bowl, this first round game will be the first in the modern 12-team playoff era for Oregon. If Oregon wins at home against the Dukes, they head to Miami, Florida for the Orange Bowl against No. 4 Texas Tech as part of the News Years Six Bowls quarterfinals.

Oregon cheerleaders lead fans in a cheer during the Duck’s game against Oklahoma State at Autzen. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Not only does a home game for Oregon provide an advantage for the athletes on the field with a friendly crowd known for it's boisterous noise across the nation, it also gives Oregon fans a unique chance to see the Ducks in a postseason game close to home.

Prices For Oregon Ducks vs. James Madison Dukes

According to Ticketmaster, the cheapest tickets in Autzen start at $167 a piece with sections 24, 33, and 20 seeing a major surplus of the cheapest tickets (when searching for only one ticket, not groups). Sections 11 through 24 on the East endzone all boast the most available number of tickets. There's also a large amount of tickets being sold for $177 a piece.

When selecting the "Best Seats" feature on the Ticketmaster app, the club level for Oregon sees ticket sales starting at $349, with the highest tickets going for upwards of $1,785. A season ticket-holder source told Oregon Ducks on Sports Illustrated that they re-sold their tickets for around $700 a piece.

Nov 22, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning greets fans before the game against the Southern California Trojans at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Stub Hub's listing of the event shows similar prices, with the cheapest deals coming in sections 36, 25, 24, and 23. The cheapest ticket found on Wednesday was $204 in section 24, row 68. The club section also varied in price from $526 - $1,198. Stub Hub's fastest selling sections are section 36 and section 27, both close to the covered portion of Autzen.

Lanning Comments on What Makes Autzen Stadium Special

During his Sunday press conference after the announced College Football Playoff rankings reveal, Oregon coach Dan Lanning elaborated on the type of atmosphere he expects Duck fans at Autzen will bring to this match-up.

"I know our players are really excited about it. I know our fans will again create an incredible atmosphere. I think this is an opportunity for the whole world to kind of see a little bit about what makes Autzen special. So I'm anticipating that energy and enthusiasm there. I think we all got to see some cool games last year in similar formats, so I think that'll be a special opportunity to peel back the layers and Let people see what makes this place so special," Lanning said.

MORE: Oregon's Breakout Freshman Emerges As Potential X-Factor For The Playoff

Oregon fans are illuminated in the late afternoon sun as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on Nov. 22, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MORE: Why Cleveland Moving On From Dillon Gabriel Could Be a Blessing in Disguise

MORE: Four-Star Safety Makes Recruiting Announcement With Oregon, Alabama, Ohio State

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER HERE!

An Oregon elf looks for his Dan as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on Nov. 22, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Student Attendance May Be Impacted by Winter Break

In the same Sunday presser, Lanning also commented on the possibility of a dwindled student crowd. The University of Oregon's fall term final examinations last till Friday Dec. 12, and winter term doesn't commence until Monday, Jan. 5. This means the typical rowdy student section may struggle to fill the stands. Lanning thinks otherwise.

"I don't think I have to create a pitch. Our fans are going to show out for this game," Lanning said. "There's zero doubt in my mind that they'll be there. Well, if it's not a student, it'll be another working fan that's in there, but they don't want to miss the opportunity to see the one playoff game in Autzen Stadium that hasn't happened before. So I think we'll have a lot of fans who support it and are ready to see that myself."

Oct 25, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon football fans cheer during the second half during a game between the Oregon Ducks and te Wisconsin Badgers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

James Madison's Travel to Eugene

According to Google Maps, a drive from Harrisonburg, Virginia where James Madison's campus is located to Eugene, Oregon is about a 2,809 mile trip. However, the historic significance of JMU's first inclusion in the playoff since becoming an FBS team in 2022 may be an extra push for more Dukes faithful to go West.