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When Do College Football Tickets Go On Sale? 2026 Timeline, Prices and Playoff Tickets

When Do College Football Tickets Go On Sale? 2026 Timeline, Prices and Playoff Tickets

by TicketScanner Team

TicketScanner does not track college football, but if you also follow the NFL, check today’s get-in prices on TicketScanner’s NFL page.

Key Takeaways

  • There is no national on-sale day. At the eight programs we checked, 2026 public single-game sales opened between May 18 (Texas Tech) and early August (Florida was on sale by Aug. 3), with presales two to five days earlier at the schools that published them.
  • Season tickets come first. Purdue’s 2026 renewal deadline was March 1 (LSU’s is usually the same date), and Texas Tech announced May 11, 2026, that its season tickets had sold out for a fourth straight year.
  • 2026 starting face values ran from $30 (Georgia Tech; Alabama’s upper deck for two games) to $195 for Michigan vs. Oklahoma, and Alabama priced Texas A&M single-game tickets at $200.
  • The 2026-27 College Football Playoff starts Dec. 18-19 at campus sites, with Selection Day on Dec. 6. The title game is Jan. 25, 2027, in Las Vegas, and most of its tickets go to the two schools playing.

When do college football tickets go on sale?

Each school sets its own college football on-sale schedule. Season-ticket renewals are due in late winter, donor and member presales and public single-game sales run from May to early August, and many postseason tickets sell in November and December. In 2026, the eight programs we checked opened public single-game sales between May 18 and early August.

That spread is why the answer is hard to pin down: each athletic department runs its own donor club, points system and calendar, so the most reliable date is the one your school publishes.

The college football ticket calendar at a glance

When What goes on sale Verified example
December to March Season-ticket renewals, often with a required donation Purdue renewals opened Dec. 9, 2025, due March 1, 2026; LSU renewals usually due by March 1
April to June Student season-ticket requests Clemson April 20-24; Ohio State May 26 to June 4
Spring Away-game tickets for donors and season-ticket holders LSU request deadline April 30; Purdue away sales opened May 27
May to early August Donor presales, then public single-game sales Texas Tech public sale May 18; Florida on sale by Aug. 3
August to November Conference championship games Big 12 title game on sale Aug. 14; Texas took SEC title requests until Nov. 13, 2025
Early to mid-December CFP first round and bowl games, once matchups are set Selection Day Dec. 6, 2026; first round Dec. 18-19
Dec. 30 to Jan. 25 CFP quarterfinals, semifinals and the title game Title game Jan. 25, 2027, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas

College football season tickets and priority points

The cycle starts in winter with season tickets, and at many schools the right to buy them requires a donation. LSU says about 45,000 of its season tickets require a Tradition Fund contribution, billed with renewals in January and usually due by March 1. Purdue opened 2026 renewals on Dec. 9, 2025, with a March 1, 2026, deadline.

Donations also earn priority points, and points determine who gets priority for most other ticket sales. Michigan’s 2026 single-game sale ran in tiers, each opening at 9 a.m. ET:

  • July 7: donors with 500 or more priority points
  • July 8: donors with 100 or more points
  • July 9: donors with at least one point
  • July 10: the Michigan Athletics Digital Community
  • July 11: the general public

Texas Tech tiered its presale by giving level instead: Red Raider Club members at $10,000 and up on May 13 ($25,000 and up first), smaller donors and season-ticket holders on May 14-15, and the public on May 18.

Popular programs can sell out before single games go on sale. Texas Tech announced May 11, 2026, that it had sold out its season-ticket allotment for a fourth consecutive year, with more than 33,400 season tickets sold and a 95% renewal rate. The school said information on its 2027 wait list will come later this fall.

College football single game tickets: 2026 on-sale dates

We verified 2026 public single-game on-sale dates for eight programs across four conferences, all from the schools’ own athletics sites.

School (conference) Presale Public single-game sale Notes
Texas Tech (Big 12) May 13-15, by Red Raider Club level Mon., May 18 All seven home games
Penn State (Big Ten) Not listed in release Fri., June 5, 10 a.m. ET Mobile tickets only
Ohio State (Big Ten) Alumni Association, June 23 Fri., June 26, 10 a.m. ET Pick 3 mini-plans went on sale June 16
Alabama (SEC) Not listed in release Tue., July 7, 9 a.m. CT Four of seven home games only
Michigan (Big Ten) July 7-10, by priority points Sat., July 11, 9 a.m. ET Prices set per game
Georgia Tech (ACC) Not listed in release Wed., July 15, 10 a.m. ET Includes Colorado and Tennessee openers
Purdue (Big Ten) John Purdue Club, July 14 Thu., July 16, 9 a.m. ET Flex plans went on sale June 3
Florida (SEC) Not listed in release On sale by Mon., Aug. 3 Season tickets also still on sale

Three patterns stand out. Public dates spanned about 11 weeks. Presales led the public sale by two to five days where the school published them. And not every game reaches the public: Alabama released single-game tickets for East Carolina, Florida State, Chattanooga and Texas A&M, but not for Georgia, South Carolina or Auburn.

Purdue’s published calendar shows the whole sequence at one school: renewals Dec. 9, 2025; renewal deadline March 1; group sales April 1; seat upgrades April 14; away-game tickets May 27; flex plans June 3; donor single-game sale July 14; and the opener against Indiana State on Sept. 5.

College football student tickets

Student tickets run on a separate, earlier track, and seniority can decide who gets in. Clemson opened 2026 student season-ticket requests April 20 with an April 24 deadline, then notified students in early May, with seniors and IPTAY Collegiate Club members getting the most selections. A season ticket cost $300 in the lower deck or $175 in the top deck, and Clemson says a season ticket is the only way for students to attend all seven home games. Free single-game lottery requests open in mid to late August.

Ohio State’s 2026 student request window ran May 26 to June 4. Students pay less in the postseason, too: Big 12 Championship student tickets start at $75 through each university’s ticket office.

Away-game tickets

Visiting schools sell a block of seats to their own fans, and donors and season-ticket holders get first access. LSU’s standing away-game request deadline for season-ticket holders is April 30; any remaining away tickets go to the public in June, if available. LSU also notes that the host school sets the price. Purdue opened its 2026 away-game sales May 27 to John Purdue Club members and season-ticket holders only.

If your school’s block is gone, the remaining options are the host school’s public sale and the resale market.

How much are college football tickets?

Face value depends more on the opponent than on the school. These are 2026 prices as the schools and the Big 12 published them:

Game or ticket (2026) Published price
Georgia Tech single game From $30
Alabama upper deck: East Carolina, Chattanooga $30
Alabama upper deck: Florida State $125
Alabama: Texas A&M (homecoming) single game $200
Ohio State single game From $57 (Pick 3 mini-plan from $205)
Michigan: UTEP / Western Michigan From $50 / $60
Michigan: Oklahoma From $195
Big 12 Championship, Dec. 4 From $109 (students $75)

Michigan’s cheapest seat for Oklahoma cost nearly four times its cheapest UTEP seat. Alabama’s single-game prices ran from $30 in the upper deck for East Carolina to $200 for Texas A&M. These are mostly starting prices, so better seats cost more.

Resale prices can be much higher. Resale marketplace TickPick’s 2026 preseason estimates, reported by Sports Illustrated’s College Football HQ on Aug. 20, 2026, ranked Texas first at $388 in estimated overall purchase price, followed by Ole Miss ($349) and Texas A&M ($337). Ohio State dropped nearly 14% to $291.

The postseason sits in another tier. For the 2025-26 title game (Indiana vs. Miami, Jan. 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium), Indiana’s face values ranged from $575 to $1,450. CBS Sports reported an average secondary-market price of $3,964.44 before fees, measured a week before the game (Victory Live), and a cheapest StubHub 300-level seat of $3,644 including fees shortly after Indiana clinched its spot. Those are 2025-26 prices, not 2026-27 prices.

Conference championship game tickets

Conference title games sell before anyone knows who is playing, and each league does it differently.

  • Big 12: Friday, Dec. 4, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The public sale opened Aug. 14 at 10 a.m. CT, exclusively on SeatGeek, from $109.
  • SEC: Saturday, Dec. 5, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Participating schools sell to their own fans through request programs. For the 2025 game, Texas season-ticket holders requested seats by Nov. 13, 2025, and cards were charged only if Texas qualified. Prices ran $150 to $370 plus a $30 processing fee per fulfilled request, seats were assigned by loyalty points, and any public sale depended on availability.
  • Big Ten: Saturday, Dec. 5, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. As of Sept. 14, the Indiana Sports Corp. event page says suite and ticket pricing will be released in September.

Bowl game tickets: when do they go on sale?

Bowl season opens Saturday, Dec. 12, with the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta and continues with a doubleheader on Tuesday, Dec. 15. Schools sell their bowl allotments by priority. Purdue says that when it is selected for a bowl, John Purdue Club members buy first, then season-ticket holders, then the public, with all tickets allocated by priority points. Texas allocates bowl and postseason tickets in loyalty-points rank order.

In practice, if you want face-value bowl tickets through your school, the priority points you built up matter more than how fast you click.

College football playoff tickets (2026-27)

The CFP keeps its 12-team bracket for a third season. Here is the 2026-27 schedule from the CFP:

Round Date Where Who sells tickets
First round Fri., Dec. 18, and Sat., Dec. 19 Campus sites, announced Dec. 6 Host school
Quarterfinals Wed., Dec. 30 (Fiesta); Fri., Jan. 1 (Cotton, Peach, Rose) Bowl sites Bowl ticket offices; schools take requests
Semifinals Thu., Jan. 14 (Orange); Fri., Jan. 15 (Sugar) Bowl sites Bowl ticket offices; schools take requests
National championship Mon., Jan. 25, 2027 Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas Mostly the two schools

First-round sales move fast because the bracket comes out less than two weeks before kickoff. In 2025, Oklahoma hosted Alabama on Dec. 19 and opened a season-ticket-holder presale on Dec. 8, ordered by Sooner Club level and Championship Points, then a public sale on Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets started at $173, and student tickets were $35.

For the title game, the CFP says the majority of tickets are allocated to the two participating schools and sold through them. The CFP also offers Playoff Premium hospitality packages (on sale now for Las Vegas), a Ticketmaster fan-to-fan exchange, and CFP RSVP, which sells reservations for a chosen team at prices set by demand, then charges the set ticket price only if that team reaches the title game.

Buying college football tickets mid-season

With the 2026 season underway, start with your school’s ticket site, where remaining primary tickets stay on sale “while inventory lasts,” as Michigan puts it. After that, go to the school’s official resale partner. Ohio State points fans to verified resale on Ticketmaster, OhioStateBuckeyes.com and its app, and warns that tickets from other sources may not be valid for entry. Alabama names SeatGeek as its authorized secondary marketplace, and Texas Tech links to SeatGeek for buying and selling.

Independent resale marketplaces list the same games. Compare the total price including mandatory fees, not the listed price. For how prices behave as game day gets closer in pro sports, see do tickets get cheaper closer to the game; that data does not include college football.

Does TicketScanner track college football prices?

No. TicketScanner does not track college football, so this article contains no TicketScanner price data. For the pro version of this calendar, see when NFL tickets go on sale, and for what NFL games cost, see how much NFL tickets cost.

FAQ

When do college football single game tickets go on sale?

Usually in summer, after donor presales. In 2026, public single-game sales opened May 18 at Texas Tech, June 5 at Penn State, June 26 at Ohio State, July 7 at Alabama, July 11 at Michigan, July 15 at Georgia Tech, July 16 at Purdue and by Aug. 3 at Florida. Not every game is offered: Alabama’s July sale left out its Georgia, South Carolina and Auburn games.

How much are college football tickets?

At face value in 2026, prices started at about $30 for lower-demand games (Georgia Tech, Alabama’s upper deck for East Carolina and Chattanooga), with marquee games such as Oklahoma at Michigan and Texas A&M at Alabama starting at $195-$200. On resale, TickPick’s 2026 estimates put Texas at $388 in overall purchase price, the highest in its ranking.

When do college football playoff tickets go on sale?

After Selection Day, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2026. First-round host schools sell within days for games on Dec. 18-19. Quarterfinal and semifinal tickets come from the bowls and the schools. National championship tickets go mostly to the two finalists, with Playoff Premium, CFP RSVP and the Ticketmaster exchange as other routes.

When do bowl game tickets go on sale?

In December, after matchups are announced, which for most bowls comes after conference championship weekend (Dec. 4-5, 2026). Bowl season starts Dec. 12. Schools sell their allotments by priority; at Purdue, donors buy first, then season-ticket holders, then the public.

How do college football season tickets and student tickets work?

Season tickets renew in winter, often with a required donation; Purdue’s 2026 deadline was March 1, and LSU’s is usually March 1. Student tickets are requested in spring; Clemson’s 2026 window was April 20-24, with seniors getting priority. For 2027 season tickets, watch for wait-list news this fall, as Texas Tech has promised.

For NFL games, compare get-in prices across marketplaces on TicketScanner’s NFL page.

Sources

  • https://texastech.com/news/2026/5/11/football-texas-tech-sells-out-2026-football-season-tickets (Texas Tech season tickets sold out May 11, 2026, fourth consecutive year; more than 33,400 sold; 95% renewal rate; 2027 wait list info later this fall; presale tiers May 13-15; public single-game sale May 18; all seven home games)
  • https://gopsusports.com/news/2026/05/27/penn-state-football-single-game-ticket-sale-begins-june-5 (Penn State public single-game sale Friday, June 5, 10 a.m. ET; mobile ticketing only)
  • https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/news/2026/5/22/on-sale-dates-set-for-2026-football-mini-plan-and-single-game-tickets (Ohio State student requests May 26 to June 4; Pick 3 mini-plan June 16 from $205; alumni presale June 23; public single-game sale June 26, 10 a.m. ET; singles from $57; verified resale on Ticketmaster, OhioStateBuckeyes.com and app)
  • https://rolltide.com/news/2026/7/6/footballs-single-game-tickets-on-sale-july-7 (Alabama single-game tickets for select games July 7, 9 a.m. CT; ECU, FSU, Chattanooga and Texas A&M; upper deck $30 (ECU, UTC) and $125 (FSU); Texas A&M single-game tickets $200, deck not stated; seven-game home schedule; SeatGeek authorized secondary marketplace)
  • https://mgoblue.com/news/2026/7/1/football-michigan-announces-2026-single-game-ticket-sales-and-theme-games (Michigan priority-point presale tiers July 7-10 at 9 a.m.; public sale July 11, 9 a.m. ET; sales “while inventory lasts”; per-game starting prices including $50 UTEP, $60 Western Michigan, $195 Oklahoma)
  • https://ramblinwreck.com/news/2026/07/14/2026-georgia-tech-football-single-game-tickets-go-on-sale-july-15 (Georgia Tech public single-game sale Wednesday, July 15, 10 a.m.; from $30; Colorado and Tennessee games)
  • https://www.ajc.com/sports/2026/07/single-game-tickets-for-georgia-tech-football-go-on-sale-wednesday/ (Georgia Tech on-sale and $30 starting price, July 14, 2026)
  • https://purduesports.com/football-ticket-information (Purdue 2026 calendar: renewals Dec. 9, 2025, deadline March 1, 2026, group sales April 1, upgrades April 14, away tickets May 27 for donors and season-ticket holders, flex plans June 3, single-game July 14 for John Purdue Club and July 16 for the public, opener Sept. 5; bowl ticket priority by points)
  • https://floridagators.com/news/2026/8/3/florida-football-single-game-tickets-now-on-sale (Florida single-game tickets on sale to the public, announced Monday, Aug. 3, 2026; six home games; season tickets on sale)
  • https://lsusports.net/tickets/football/info (LSU Tradition Fund on about 45,000 season tickets; renewals billed in January, usually due March 1; standing away-game request deadline April 30 for season-ticket holders; remaining away tickets to the public in June; host school sets away prices)
  • https://clemsontigers.com/2026studenttickets (Clemson 2026 student requests April 20-24; early May notification with seniors and IPTAY Collegiate Club priority; $300 lower deck and $175 top deck; season ticket only way to attend all seven games; free single-game lottery in mid to late August)
  • https://www.si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq/rankings/college-football-rankings-most-expensive-game-days-2026 (TickPick 2026 estimates reported Aug. 20, 2026: Texas $388, Ole Miss $349, Texas A&M $337, Ohio State $291, down nearly 14%)
  • https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/cfp-national-championship-tickets-prices-miami-indiana-game/ (Jan. 19, 2026 title game: Indiana face value $575 to $1,450; Victory Live average ticket price $3,964.44, before fees, measured a week before the game; cheapest StubHub 300-level ticket $3,644 including fees, shortly after Indiana clinched)
  • https://big12sports.com/news/2026/8/13/big-12-football-championship-tickets-go-on-sale-friday-aug-14.aspx (Big 12 Championship on sale Aug. 14, 10 a.m. CT, exclusively on SeatGeek; from $109, students $75 through their school; Friday, Dec. 4, AT&T Stadium, Arlington)
  • https://www.mercedesbenzstadium.com/events/sec-championship-4 (SEC Championship Dec. 5, 2026, Mercedes-Benz Stadium)
  • https://texaslonghorns.com/sports/2023/9/28/SEC-championship-ticket-information (Texas 2025 SEC Championship requests due Nov. 13, 2025; charged only if Texas qualified; $150 to $370 per ticket; $30 processing fee; loyalty-points allocation; public sale based on availability; bowl and postseason tickets allocated by loyalty points)
  • https://indianasportscorp.org/events/upcoming-events/big-ten-football-championship-game/ (Big Ten Championship Dec. 5, 2026, Lucas Oil Stadium; suite and ticket pricing to be released in September)
  • https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2026-07-22/2026-27-college-football-bowl-game-schedule-scores-tv-channels-times (2026-27 bowl season starts Saturday, Dec. 12, with the Celebration Bowl, then a doubleheader Tuesday, Dec. 15)
  • https://collegefootballplayoff.com/news/2026/2/3/2627-2728-bowls (2026-27 quarterfinals Dec. 30 at the Fiesta Bowl and Jan. 1 at the Cotton, Peach and Rose bowls; semifinals Jan. 14 at the Orange Bowl and Jan. 15 at the Sugar Bowl)
  • https://collegefootballplayoff.com/news/2026/6/1/26-27-broadcast-sked.aspx (first round Friday, Dec. 18, and Saturday, Dec. 19, at campus sites announced on Selection Day, Sunday, Dec. 6; title game Jan. 25, 2027, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas)
  • https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2026-08-04/2026-27-college-football-playoff-schedule-dates-tv-channel-sites (12-team bracket for the third year; Selection Day Dec. 6)
  • https://collegefootballplayoff.com/sports/2018/9/25/cfp-tickets.aspx (majority of title game tickets allocated to the two participating schools; Playoff Premium; Ticketmaster fan-to-fan exchange; CFP RSVP; quarterfinal and semifinal tickets through bowl ticket offices)
  • https://playoffpremium.com/ (Playoff Premium on sale for the 2027 CFP National Championship, Allegiant Stadium, Monday, Jan. 25, 2027)
  • https://www.si.com/college/oklahoma/football/how-can-oklahoma-fans-get-tickets-for-the-college-football-playoff-01kbx1eepdsf (Oklahoma 2025 first-round game vs. Alabama Dec. 19; season-ticket presale Dec. 8 by Sooner Club level and Championship Points; public sale Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. CT from $173; student tickets $35; later-round requests sent to season-ticket holders)
  • https://blog.ticketmaster.com/college-football-tickets-buyers-guide/ (season tickets and packages in spring; single-game tickets for the public typically in early summer)

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