Demand Rankings is Sports Illustrated’s weekly look at the games and sports events that are driving the most demand for tickets across sports, including college football, NFL, NBA, golf, tennis and more. Here’s this week’s list of the most sought-after seats in college football.
Conference play in college football is in full swing, and games just feel like they mean more. It may only be October, but conference titles are won and lost every week this time of year, and we’ve got a huge slate of in-league showdowns to look forward to this Saturday. Want to catch a pair of ranked-vs-ranked matchups in the Pac-12, two coaches with bad blood between them in the SEC or college football’s biggest surprise in the Big 12? Here’s a look at the biggest matchups and most in-demand seats for this weekend.
1. Texas A&M at Alabama, Oct. 8, 8 p.m. ET
Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Demand Meter: 😍
Jimbo Fisher became the first former Nick Saban assistant to ever beat the legendary coach, then sparks flew this offseason after Fisher and Saban traded barbs that essentially accused each other of violating recruiting rules. Suffice to say, there’s no love lost between these coaches or fanbases, which is why this game should be so much fun despite the Aggies’ struggles this year. Heck, the fan reaction alone to Fisher in Tuscaloosa would be worth watching. On the field, the status of Heisman winner Bryce Young is in doubt after suffering a shoulder injury against Arkansas. If he can’t go, we’ll see backup QB Jalen Milroe again for the Tide.
At $315 per ticket, the average get-in price for this one per SI Tickets is the second-highest of Week 6.
2. Tennessee at LSU, Oct. 8, noon ET
Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, La.
Demand Meter: 😍
Pat Forde called this a trap game for Tennessee ahead of next week’s huge showdown with Alabama, and it’s hard not to agree. The Vols have looked the part of a top-10 team thanks to an explosive offense led by Hendon Hooker, but LSU has rebounded well from its season-opening loss to Florida State and has pulled off multiple second-half rallies to start SEC play 2–0. So while it’s hard not to look ahead, Tennessee will need its ‘A’ game to beat LSU in Baton Rouge on Saturday.
Brian Kelly is pleading with fans to come out despite an early kick-off time, but average ticket prices are still over $260 per SI Tickets.
3. Utah at UCLA, Oct. 8, 3:30 p.m. ET
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
Demand Meter: 😍
The Pac-12 title race is going to be all kinds of fun, and this battle at the Rose Bowl should tell us a lot. The Utes won last year’s title and still look the part of a top-15 team, but they’ve got plenty of competition, with the Bruins among the top contenders. Dorian Thompson-Robinson shredded the Washington defense a week ago in a huge ranked win for Chip Kelly’s club, and now they get a chance for a second straight victory over a top-15 squad on their home field.
4. Ohio State at Michigan State, Oct. 8, 4 p.m. ET
Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Mich.
Demand Meter: 😍
On paper, this game shouldn’t be close. Michigan State hasn’t led for a single second against a Power 5 opponent this season, with the Spartans’ latest setback coming against Maryland this past weekend. Ohio State is an offensive juggernaut, and Sparty’s defense hasn’t been able to get off the field against far less potent units from Maryland, Minnesota and Washington. But just as we saw last week with Missouri nearly toppling Georgia, strange things can happen for even the most elite teams when they have to go on the road as big favorites. Maybe there will be a little magic in the air for the Spartans in East Lansing. They’ll certainly have the fans on their side, with this game ranking as one of the five most in-demand tickets of the week per SI Tickets.
5. Auburn at Georgia, Oct. 8, 3:30 p.m. ET
Sanford Stadium, Athens, Ga.
Demand Meter: 😀
Georgia looked vulnerable on the road last Saturday at Missouri, but found a way to win in a game that serves as a good reminder of just how difficult it is to win away from home. Fortunately for the Bulldogs, they return to the friendly confines of Sanford Stadium for this week’s rivalry clash with Auburn. Georgia fans seem ready to welcome their Dawgs home, with average ticket prices a Week 6-high $446 per SI Tickets.
Bryan Harsin might need a miracle to save his job, and beating the Bulldogs Saturday would certainly qualify. But after three straight underwhelming home performances against Penn State, Missouri and LSU, it’s hard to imagine things going well this weekend for the Tigers.
6. TCU at Kansas, Oct. 8, noon ET
David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, Kan.
Demand Meter: 😀
Kansas (yes, Kansas) is hosting College GameDay this week. The 5–0 Jayhawks are the talk of the college football world, riding great QB play from Jalon Daniels and terrific coaching from Lance Leipold to a spot in the polls and the program’s most wins since 2009. Can KU continue its remarkable season against a TCU team fresh off a dominant victory over Oklahoma? The Horned Frogs offense looked explosive against Brent Venables’ defense a week ago. But the crowd should be rocking and Daniels is dynamic enough to give the Jayhawks a chance if this one becomes a shootout.
7. Washington State at USC, Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, Calif.
Demand Meter: 😀
This might just be USC’s toughest test yet under Lincoln Riley. Washington State is off to a 4–1 start, with its only loss of the year coming in a thriller at the hands of Bo Nix and Oregon. Wazzu’s defense should pose some problems for Caleb Williams and this potent Trojan offense, though Nix and the Ducks did put up over 600 yards in that win last month. WSU QB Cameron Ward is the most dynamic QB USC has seen this season, too.
Can the Trojans get to 6–0? You can see this one in person from the Coliseum for an average of just under $130, per SI Tickets.
8. Texas vs. Oklahoma, Oct. 8, noon ET
Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas
Demand Meter: 🙂
The Red River Showdown is always worth watching, even with both programs not off to the best starts in Big 12 play. Texas has had its share of promising moments despite having to play multiple quarterbacks due to injury, but a loss in Week 4 to Texas Tech does make the road to the Big 12 title a bit harder. That said, the Longhorns could have a field day offensively against Oklahoma, which got gashed for nearly 700 yards and 55 points by TCU Saturday. This rivalry has been dominated by OU lately (six wins in the last seven meetings) but this game always seems to be close: Eight of the last nine meetings have been decided by one score.
9. BYU vs. Notre Dame, Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m. ET
Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
Demand Meter: 🙂
This is yet another high-profile opponent on BYU’s schedule after earlier showdowns with Baylor and Oregon and matchups with Arkansas and Stanford still to come. Notre Dame’s dominant win over North Carolina two weeks ago may be a sign that the Fighting Irish have righted the ship offensively after a slow start to the season, but their defense will have their hands full with Jaren Hall and the Cougar offense. This also might be the best jersey matchup of the week, with BYU debuting black uniforms and Notre Dame rocking special edition whites.
10. Texas Tech at Oklahoma State, Oct. 8, 3:30 p.m. ET
Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, Okla.
Demand Meter: 🙂
After coming inches away from a Big 12 crown a season ago, the Cowboys look like they’re in pole position to win the conference in 2022. Saturday’s road win at Baylor was quite the way to open Big 12 play for OSU, which looked more explosive on offense than it did in 2021 while still stout on defense. That win boosted OSU Big 12 Championship Game reservation prices by 52% on SI Tickets, now the highest in the Big 12.
Meanwhile, Texas Tech is off to a 1–1 start in league play after dropping last week’s contest on the road at Kansas State. Can the Red Raiders pull off the upset, or will the Cowboys hold serve at home?
