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.
It’s Halloween weekend in college football, and there could be some spooky games for the nation’s top-ranked teams ahead. The top two teams in the country play away from home, while No. 4 takes on a rival that has had their number lately. With the first College Football Playoff rankings set to be released next week, these games could have a huge impact on the selection committee. Want to catch one of these high-profile showdowns? Here’s a look at the biggest matchups and most in-demand seats for this weekend.
Ohio State at Penn State, Oct. 29, noon ET
Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pa.
Demand Meter: 😍
This is the game of the week in college football, by far the biggest test of the season to date for an Ohio State team that has been dominant in 2022. Penn State has consistently given the Buckeyes trouble despite OSU winning the last five meetings of this series, and Happy Valley is one of the toughest places to play in the country. But PSU’s defense got gashed for more than 400 yards on the ground against Michigan last week and now has to deal with one of the most explosive offenses in the country just one week later.
The average ticket price for this Big Ten showdown is $258 on SI Tickets.
Kentucky at Tennessee, Oct. 29, 7 p.m. ET
Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tenn.
Demand Meter: 😍
With an average ticket price of more than $560 on SI Tickets, there may not be a hotter ticket this weekend in college football than Kentucky vs. Tennessee. The Vols have proven they can win shootouts, like the 52–49 thriller against Alabama two weeks ago that vaulted them into the national title picture. Kentucky plays a different, more grind-it-out style, trusting its defense and a gifted QB in Will Levis to win them games. Can UK slow down Hendon Hooker and the high-flying Vols to pull the upset?
Florida at Georgia, Oct. 29, 3:30 p.m. ET
TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Fla.
Demand Meter: 😍
This is a rivalry game that’s always worth watching, no matter how good or bad the teams are. But there’s no denying it means more when Georgia is No. 1 in the polls like they were again this week. The Gators are just 1–3 in SEC play in coach Billy Napier’s first season but have one of the most talented QBs in the country in Anthony Richardson, who seems to raise his game in the biggest moments. Richardson nearly led the Gators to an upset road win at Tennessee and helped UF knock off Utah in its opener. Does the dual-threat QB have more magic in store against the vaunted Georgia defense? Tickets are listed on average for $356 on SI Tickets.
Oklahoma State at Kansas State, Oct. 29, 3:30 p.m. ET
Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, Kan.
Demand Meter: 😍
The Big 12 race seems to shift every week. Oklahoma State was in trouble after a loss two weeks ago in OT to TCU, but then bounced back against Texas. Meanwhile, Kansas State was cruising early on the road against the Horned Frogs before falling apart late. But with both teams now with one loss in conference play behind unbeaten TCU, this feels like close to a must-win for a spot in the conference title come December.
Michigan State at Michigan, Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m. ET
Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Demand Meter: 😀
On paper, this game shouldn’t be overly close. Michigan was dominant against a very good Penn State team last week, while Michigan State has struggled all season long with a defense that hasn’t consistently been able to get off the field. But this is a rivalry game and one that the Spartans have won in back-to-back years. Last season, MSU’s special season peaked when it knocked off the Wolverines in East Lansing, and the year before, Mel Tucker pulled off a massive upset in just his second game as coach of the Spartans by knocking off Michigan. Can Tucker make it 3–0 against Michigan? Or will Jim Harbaugh’s club stay unbeaten and keep pushing toward a second straight CFP berth?
The average price on SI Tickets for this game is $531, the second-highest of the week.
Utah at Washington State, Oct. 27, 10 p.m. ET
Martin Stadium, Pullman, Wash.
Demand Meter: 😀
This Thursday-night clash has major Pac-12 title implications. Utah’s hopes of repeating as Pac-12 champions likely rest upon going undefeated the rest of the way, including this tricky road test against Washington State. The Cougars have struggled to a 1–3 start in conference play after consecutive losses to USC and Oregon State, but WSU is coming off its bye week, and it is always tough to win in Pullman.
Notre Dame at Syracuse, Oct. 29, noon ET
JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Demand Meter: 😀
Syracuse’s ACC title hopes were dealt a big blow when the Orange lost grasp of a double-digit second-half lead at Clemson last week, but this still has the makings of a historic season for Dino Babers’ team. Beating Notre Dame would be the latest accomplishment in what has been an incredibly impressive season. Orange fans are clearly fired up for this rare opportunity to host the Irish, with the average get-in price for this one at just over $150 on SI Tickets. But can Syracuse re-establish Sean Tucker in the running game against a stingy Fighting Irish defense?
Ole Miss at Texas A&M, Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m. ET
Kyle Field, College Station, Texas
Demand Meter: 🙂
Ole Miss was one of the biggest losers of Week 8 in college football, seeing their SEC title hopes drop precipitously with a loss at LSU that dropped their SEC Championship Game ticket reservation price by 82% on SI Tickets. But the Rebels do still have a path to winning the SEC West, one that likely requires them to win out. We’ll see if they get back on track on the road in a tough environment, albeit against a struggling Texas A&M team.
TCU at West Virginia, Oct. 29, noon ET
Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, W.Va
Demand Meter: 🙂
Just six undefeated teams remain in college football. One of them is TCU, which after back-to-back impressive Big 12 wins, is now in the pole position in the conference and very much in the College Football Playoff picture. That’s why the Horned Frogs can ill afford to slip up on the road Saturday against a West Virginia team that has been maddeningly inconsistent this season. The Mountaineers followed up a rousing 43–40 victory against Baylor two weeks ago with its worst performance of the season, getting blown out at Texas Tech. If we get the best version of WVU in this one, they’ve got a real shot to pull the upset. If not? Things could get ugly in a hurry. One thing the Mountaineers will have on their side is fan support, with tickets listed on average for $123 on SI Tickets.
Wake Forest at Louisville, Oct. 29, 3:30 p.m. ET
Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, Ky.
Demand Meter: 🙂
Scott Satterfield’s job security at Louisville has been a topic of discussion all season long. Beating a top-10 Wake Forest team would be the exact type of win that could give the embattled Cardinals coach a bit more security heading into the closing stretch of the season. Slowing down Sam Hartman and the dynamic Wake Forest offense won’t be easy though, as the Demon Deacons rank 10th nationally in scoring offense at over 40 points per game.
