CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Every day, multiple times a day, die-hard University of Tennessee fans have been looking at third-party ticket sites. "Looks like end zone corner seats on Tennessee’s sideline there," said Drew Crook, a lifelong Vols fan.
"Would prefer to be at the bottom," said Tyler Bond, who has traveled to several Tennessee road games.
The Tennessee - Ohio State football game in the first round of the College Football Playoffs is quickly becoming the hottest ticket, out of town, for Vols fans. That's why both fans have been keeping such a close eye on these ticket websites.
At least at first, the chance to travel to Columbus, Ohio to watch the Vols play in their first-ever CFP game, was a little too rich for both of their bloods. "Looking at the resale market, tickets were closer to the 400 range," said Crook.
"When the tickets first came out, they were pretty pricey," said Bond.
But Crook kept watching. "Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been keeping up with the tickets daily and they’ve actually been decreasing. So as they’ve decreased, they’ve become more attractive," he said.
The perception is — Big Orange Country may come close or actually outnumber the scarlet-clad fans Saturday night. But is perception really reality here?
I reached out to all the major third-party ticket sellers. According to StubHub, so far, Tennessee-based fans have bought up 37% of their inventory versus Ohio fans have bought up 34%.
The Vols take more of a commanding lead, according to SeatGeek's website. A representative for SeatGeek says a whopping 41% of their buyers so far have been from the Volunteer state. Only 24% of fans from the Buckeye State have made purchases.
Ticketmaster declined to share that information with us.
It's hard to definitively know what the fan makeup will look like at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State season ticket holders got first right of refusal to buy tickets to this game, and the University of Tennessee was given a 3,000-seat allotment. According to OSU, a good portion of season ticket holders bought tickets. But evidently, many of those season ticket holders have listed their seats for resale.
Tyler Bond is still on the fence about buying tickets. "I think it’s going to be a split decision for me if I decide to pick up the tickets," said Bond. "I mean honestly, these ticket prices are good. It’s hard to pass up."
While Drew Crook is ready to sing Rocky Top on the road. "We finally decided a few days ago, it was time to pull the trigger and go," said Crook.
Even with that decision made, he's still keeping an eye on tickets. Now he actually has to make the purchase. "Where we’re looking at is probably midfield," said Crook. "They say the closer to the event you get, the cheaper they get."
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@Newschannel5.com.
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