Thanks to playing in a stadium with limited capacity this year, the Northwestern University football team entered the 2024 with the most expensive ticket average of any team in the Big Ten. But things have taken a major swing recently, as prices to Wildcats’ home games have dipped by over 50%.
Key Highlights:
- Northwestern’s average ticket price has dropped by 51%
- Get-in price for upcoming game against Duke is down from $223 to $38
- Nearly every game on Wildcats’ schedule is now $100+ cheaper
Due to ongoing renovations to Kyle Field, Northwestern’s usual home stadium, the team has been forced to play most of their games in a facility designed for lacrosse and soccer. They added extra seats to meet demand, but prices skyrocketed during the summer months. The Wildcats had an average home ticket price of $225, which was easily the highest figure in the Big Ten Conference.
But for some reason, that number has dropped considerably. The average get-in price for a single ticket for the rest of the home schedule for Northwestern now sits at $109, a downward swing of greater than 51%.
Game Against Duke Has Seen 83% Price Decrease
Back in early August, the cost for the cheapest single seat to the September 6th contest against Duke was listed at $223. As of the Tuesday before the game is set to take place, that price has dropped all the way down to $38, a decrease of nearly 83%. In fact, almost every game on the schedule for the Wildcats has seen a price drop of $100 or more, with the exclusion being the season finale against Illinois ($145 down to $70).
| Opponent | Previous Price | Current Price |
| Duke | $223 | $38 |
| Eastern Illinois | $182 | $60 |
| Indiana | $278 | $167 |
| Wisconsin | $374 | $189 |
| Ohio State | $236 | $132 |
| Illinois | $145 | $70 |
A couple of the most notable differences are the games against Wisconsin and Indiana. Both contests were ranked in the top-5 of most expensive tickets to any single game in the Big Ten in 2024, with a combined price tag of $652. Now, during the first week of September, a single ticket to both games can be purchased for a grand total of just over $350.
Northwestern was projected to be one of the worst teams in the Big Ten for the current season, which made their standing at the top of the price charts an interesting study. But after the pre-season excitement for football in general, it looks like any small amount of hype surrounding the program has diminished. Tickets to their games aren’t cheap now by any means, but the are significantly more affordable than they were in week’s past.
