Ticket prices soaring for Duke vs. North Carolina showdown at Cameron Indoor

Saturday marks yet another chapter in college basketball’s favorite blue-blooded rivalry in the form of Duke vs. North Carolina at the Dean E. Smith Center. That game has been sold out, so fans are looking to purchase tickets for their March 5 matchup at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Let’s just say the tickets aren’t cheap.

If you’re looking to spend a month’s salary on a single ticket, head over to Stub Hub where the cheapest ticket is $3,530 — and that’s for the “cheap seats.” Stub Hub is also offering $50,000 for a single ticket in Row 3, Section 20, which is right behind one of the baskets.

If Stub Hub isn’t your cup of tea, click on over to Ticketmaster where their least expensive seats go for $4,083. Their highest ticket options range north of $15,000. A bargain price compared to an entire year’s salary for a single ticket on Stub Hub.

This season will mark the 187 and 188th meetings between these two all-time great franchises. North Carolina leads the series 100-86. Duke is favored in ESPN’s matchup predictor 60-40 and judging by how both team’s seasons are going, it’s likely Duke will be favored against for the March matchup as well.

That, of course, doesn’t matter when it comes to rivalry games. North Carolina is still a formidable 15-6 and still control their own destiny heading into the final stretch of regular season conference play.

In fact, the Tar Heels swept Duke last season. Once on Feb. 6 91-87 (at Duke) and the second 91-73 (at UNC) a month later amid Duke’s worst regular season in modern memory. Duke had swept North Carolina the previous season as well.

The key matchup to keep an eye on in both blue-blood battles is freshman sensation Paolo Banchero vs. UNC’s Armando Bacot. Both players lead their respective teams in scoring and rebounds. Bacot in particular is averaging a double-double with 16 points and 12 boards per game — Banchero is in the conversation to be to No. 1 overall selection in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Whether you’re in the stands or watching from home, fans should bank on one of these two games being a game of the year contender, as it usually is. But remember, savor the popcorn. You only get this matchup twice a season, barring postseason pairings, of course.

Duke and North Carolina tip Saturday in Chapel Hill at 6 p.m. ET and can be viewed live on ESPN.