Miami Hurricanes show their support after the Canes defeat the Mississippi Rebels during a College Football Playoff semifinal between the Canes and the Mississippi Rebels in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on Friday, January 9, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona.
Tickets to the big game on Monday at Hard Rock Stadium aren’t only expensive — and going up and up by the day – they’re also hard to get. Especially for students.
Of the 20,000 tickets allotted to the University of Miami, only 1,000 were designated for students. Half went for face value, $475, and the other half freebies from playoffs sponsor Taco Bell. The tickets were distributed via lottery by the UM ticket office.
But the supply has been nowhere near the demand.
Apparently, everyone in South Florida wants to go to the game, especially since the Canes are playing on their home field against the Indiana Hoosiers for the national championship. Indiana University also got a 20,000-ticket allotment. Hard Rock has room for about 65,000 fans for the game.
But what if you aren’t a UM student? Good luck.
Forget about face value and freebies. We’re talking tickets on the secondary market that may drive you to the bank for a loan.
Yes, tickets are still available on sites including Stubhub.com and VividSeats.com. But prices are increasing every day.
On average, the lowest price for a ticket is about $3,000. The highest will cost you about $35,000.
MORE: ‘Canes for life!’ UM students celebrate team’s ticket to championship game
At UM, the supply of free and face-value student tickets was nowhere near the demand on the campus ticket office, a spokesperson told the Miami Herald.
“We received more than 4,000 student requests for the CFP Championship Game and allocated the 500 based on 2025 home football game attendance,” said Carter Toole, executive associate athletic director for strategic communications. After UM qualified for the championship game, the ticket office released 500 more upper-level tickets.
Potential student buyers went into a virtual waiting room this week for a lottery — and were picked at random for their ticket to the game.
On Tuesday, a limited number of tickets also were designated for 2026 UM season-ticket holders or Hurricane Club members to purchase.
As for the rest of us? Take note:
The game will be televised on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19.
This story was originally published January 13, 2026 at 4:43 PM.
Michael Butler
Miami Herald
Michael Butler writes about minority business and trends that affect marginalized professionals in South Florida. As a business reporter for the Miami Herald, he tells inclusive stories that reflect South Florida’s diversity. Just like Miami’s diverse population, Butler, a Temple University graduate, has both local roots and a Panamanian heritage.
