College Football's Most Expensive Game Days in 2026 Might Surprise You

Much like food and houses and gas, and just about everything else, college football is getting more expensive every year, and that will also be true for fans going to the stadium on Saturdays this fall as the cost of attendance continues to rise for the 2026 season.

TickPick went about counting up all the dollars and cents and came up with a new ranking for the most expensive game days in the country on average, and like most college football lists, it’s the SEC that dominates the most formidable programs.

Everything’s bigger in Texas

College Football's Most Expensive Game Days in 2026 Might Surprise You — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

And more expensive if you’re a Longhorns fan, as the SEC championship hopefuls top this annual ranking with an estimated cost of $388 in overall purchase price this coming season, according to TickPick’s estimates.

That’s a jump of some 45.6 percent from last season, the second-biggest increase of any ticket in the country, ranking only behind another SEC powerhouse in Tennessee, which also cracked the top 10 but paced the NCAA with a whopping 64.1 percent rise from year to year.

Big Orange fans looking to head out to Rocky Top on Saturdays will now have to fork over $302 for the game day experience, a number that ranks fourth nationally.

Two new SEC contenders enter the field in 2026

Ole Miss and Texas A&M saw renewed success on the field a year ago, each making their first appearance in the College Football Playoff, and now the cost of maintaining that success is trickling down to Rebels and Aggies faithful alike in 2026.

Heading out to Oxford to see Ole Miss play will cost fans an estimated $349, while those venturing out to College Station will hand over $337 in total, ranking second and third, respectively, and both are new to the top 10 list this season.

Where the top schools ranked

Alabama was another school that jacked up its ticket prices this season, the third for head coach Kalen DeBoer, with an estimated 33.7 percent rise from 2025.

One notable program that saw a decrease in cost was Ohio State, the current national championship favorite and preseason No. 1 team, but which saw its tickets go down by nearly 14 percent, according to the estimates.

Texas: $388 (+45.9%)
Ole Miss: $349 (New)
Texas A&M: $337 (New)
Tennessee: $302 (+64.1%)
Notre Dame: $299 (+7.2%)
Ohio State: $291 (-13.9%)
Alabama: $274 (+33.7%)
Georgia: $271 (+2.3%)
Northwestern: $248 (+1.2%)
Wisconsin: $246 (New)

That pile of money Northwestern spent in building its new Ryan Field in Evanston that is scheduled to make its debut this year? Expect them to recoup it from charging fans nearly $250 to watch the Wildcats play this year.

Expect more price hikes in the future

Rising costs for fans reflect the stark reality of college football economics in the NIL and play-for-play era.

With schools now sharing revenue directly with players, athletic departments across the country face a serious financial reality, as millions of dollars must now be allocated towards player compensation, and the race is on to find that extra money.

Whether that means sewing advertisements on jerseys, demanding ever more from their base of donors, or putting ads in the stadiums themselves, as Michigan will do for the first time in 99 years this season, schools will have to find ways of getting their hands on more cash.

At the same time, expenses for coaching, facilities, travel, and other general operations continue to increase. As schools work to cover those growing costs while remaining competitive, higher ticket prices have become an increasingly important source of revenue.

(TickPick)

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