Indiana vs. Notre Dame College Football Playoff Tickets in High Demand

INDIANAPOLIS — The excitement is palpable as tickets for the Indiana vs. Notre Dame College Football Playoff game become highly sought after.

Notre Dame’s football stadium, which has a capacity of 77,622 seats, will see at least 3,500 fans in cream and crimson, thanks to the allocation from Indiana University’s athletic department.

Currently, 25% of those tickets are already secured. “Members of the band as well as the relatives of the players themselves,” explained Jeremy Gray, a spokesman for IU Athletics.

The remaining tickets for the December 20 game will be distributed via a lottery system. Students' chances in this lottery will vary based on their attendance at games throughout their time at Indiana. “We actually have the scan-in rate of every student season ticket holder; so the more you’ve actually shown up at games over your Indiana experience, the better your chance in the lottery,” said Gray.

Attendance rates for alumni ticket holders will also play a role in determining lottery outcomes, alongside financial contributions to the school. As Gray humorously noted, “My guess is if your name is on a building here, you’re probably going to get tickets to the IU-Notre Dame football game.”

Fans who miss out on lottery tickets may turn to secondary markets where prices are staggering. On platforms like Stubhub, entry-level tickets start at $914 for nosebleed seats—a shocking price point for many IU football supporters. “I’ve never seen that,” commented Gray.

The cost of tickets for this matchup surpasses that of any first-round games in the College Football Playoff. For comparison, Tennessee at Ohio State tickets are priced at $306, SMU at Penn State starts at $97, and Clemson at Texas goes for $296. The difference in pricing can be attributed to stadium capacities; while other venues can hold around 100,000 fans, Notre Dame's limit is just 77,622.

“I think that’s a driving factor. I think another driving factor is the novelty of Indiana making it. You’ve got a lot of alums and people interested in those programs within driving distance of the stadium; so I really think those three factors are really driving up the price,” Gray added.

As kickoff approaches on December 20th at 8 p.m., all eyes will be on how many dedicated Hoosier fans invested significant amounts to witness their team take on Notre Dame.