ESPN NEWS: Caitlin Clark is breaking more…
A Caitlin Clark game wouldn’t be the same without a record being shattered. The Iowa guard is driving ticket prices to all-time highs. Since breaking the record for most points scored in NCAA women’s basketball earlier this month, her fame has skyrocketed.
According to TickPick, tickets for Clark’s final regular-season home game against Ohio State on Sunday are now the most expensive for a women’s basketball game ever, more expensive than those for college and the Women’s Basketball Association.
The lowest price for a seat right now is $491, which is an astounding 45% more than the “get-in” cost for the game on February 15 when she broke the scoring mark versus College of Michigan.
According to TickPick, the most expensive listing at Carver-Hawkeye Arena is $3,853, with a first-row ticket. FOX will broadcast the game at 1 pm ET for free for anyone who want not to pay.
Additionally, because of Clark’s fame, tickets are now more expensive than for pros. As of Tuesday morning, the average cost to purchase her game was $557, 1,100% higher than the average cost of a WNBA game, which is $49.
“This game is surpassing that demand to see her break the all-time women’s scoring record earlier this month hit record highs,” co-CEO of TickPick Brett Goldberg told CNN. “Iowa fans, as well as fans of college sports generally, should celebrate this historic occasion.”
Her fame has also contributed to the Big Ten selling out tickets for the first time ever for the women’s basketball conference tournament, which takes place after the regular season. Beginning on March 6, it will be held in Minneapolis, which is less than five hours’ journey from the University of Iowa.
This Sunday’s match might be her last at home with Iowa. Clark has not stated if she would stay in college for a fifth season or forego the 2024 WNBA draft, in which it is anticipated that she will be taken first overall. Because of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on past NCAA seasons, the senior has an extra year to be eligible for college.
Clark’s request
The appeal of the 22-year-old is also being heard outside of court. Since Fanatics started selling collegiate sporting goods in 2022, Clark’s name has been featured on jerseys and shirts that are flying off the (virtual) shelves. The guard has emerged as the online retailer’s best-selling college player, the website previously told CNN.
A 2021 Supreme Court decision permitted student athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness, or NIL, or personal brand. This implied that collegiate players, such as Clark, may begin to profit from their likeness. Stores soon followed suit, making a tidy profit.
Caitlin Clark has made history on the court and secured hefty sponsorship deals.
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The new era of profitability in college athletics and Caitlin Clark’s economics
Less than a day after she broke the record, ardent fans sold more Clark-branded apparel “than any other individual men’s or women’s NIL-era college athlete across all sports has sold since 2022,” the business told CNN.
She earned the #1 spot on Fanatics’ website by surpassing University of Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who happens to be the son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders and his coach.
Among others, Clark has agreements with Gatorade, Nike, and State Farm. The worth of those relationships as a whole is estimated by the sports data site On3 at $818,000, which is far more than Clark might earn as a professional in the WNBA, where the top salary currently stands at $250,000. This ranking is fifth in all women’s college sports.
