2021 Top 10 in-demand college football games

As we inch closer to the start of the 2021 college football season, fans across the country are making road trip plans and calling family members thousands of miles away to meet up at their favorite spot in the stadium parking lot.

On Wednesday, Forbes released which games will cost you, which teams everyone wants to see, and who is quickly climbing the ticket sale ranks.

2021 Top 10 In-Demand College Football Games

1. Duke’s Mayo Classic: Georgia Bulldogs vs. Clemson Tigers (Sept. 4)
2. Auburn Tigers at Penn State Nittany Lions (Sept. 18)
3. Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game: Alabama Crimson Tide vs Miami Hurricanes (Sept. 4)
4. Alabama Crimson Tide at Texas A&M Aggies (Oct. 9)
5. LSU Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide (Nov. 6)
6. Washington Huskies at Michigan Wolverines (Sept. 11)
7. Alabama Crimson Tide at Florida Gators (Sept. 18)
8. Ole Miss Rebels at Alabama Crimson Tide (Oct. 2)
9. Tennessee Volunteers at Alabama Crimson Tide (Oct. 23)
10. Nebraska Cornhuskers at Oklahoma Sooners (Sept. 18)

Everyone wants to see the Crimson Tide

Of the 10 games listed, six of them involve Alabama. The only Alabama game listed that does not include another SEC team is next weekend’s opening showdown against No. 14 Miami. 

“It might not come as a surprise that Alabama is on top of a college football list, but this is the first time they’ve led ticket sales in 10 years,” said Akshay Khanna, general manager of StubHub North America. “Penn State and Michigan, whose football programs boast the two largest capacity football stadiums in the country, follow the Tide at No. 2 and No. 3.”

Each of the Power Five conferences are represented, but SEC teams hold 13 of the 20 spots. The Big 12 (Oklahoma) and Pac-12 (Washington) have just one of the 20 selections. 

Alabama is also atop StubHub’s 2021 Top 10 In-Demand College Football Teams list: 

1. Alabama
2. Penn State
3. Michigan
4. Texas A&M
5. Notre Dame
6. Wisconsin
7. Auburn
8. Georgia
9. Florida 
10. Oklahoma

Notable matchups between these top-10 teams that are not listed as the top in-demand games include Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin in Chicago (Sept. 25), Georgia at Auburn (Oct. 9), Georgia vs. Florida in Jacksonville (Oct. 30) and Michigan at Penn State (Nov. 13).

Demand is normal again, at least for now

“Based on the demand we’ve seen for college football tickets, people are ready to watch their favorite teams play on Saturdays,” Khanna said. “Currently, ticket sales to-date on StubHub for 2021 college football games are on par with sales for 2019 ahead of the season, and we expect this trend to continue if not exceed 2019 given pent-up demand for experiencing a game in-person.”

As we approach flu season and the delta variant continues to rage, it will be interesting to see if some of the late-season games have a lower demand than in previous years.

The change in demand for certain teams is exceedingly high. For example, interest in Arkansas tickets is up 446%, which Forbes largely attributes to their matchup with Texas. The game between the two former rivals will be played for the first time since 2014. The teams played each other annually prior to Arkansas’ move to the SEC in 1991. 

Additionally, new head coach Sam Pittman offered Arkansas fans a few glimmers of hope last season. While Arkansas won just three games, they did so against an all-SEC schedule. Prior to 2020, they had not won an SEC game since October 2017. They kept games with Auburn, Texas A&M and LSU close as well. The Razorbacks seem to be trending in the right direction.