The Sugar Bowl has officially turned into the hottest ticket in the College Football Playoff, and the reason is apparent. Band for band, the Georgia Bulldogs have been the most dominant program of the past decade. After ripping the “Boogeyman of college football” mantle away from Alabama, it’s clear that Dawg Nation is more than willing to pay a premium to watch its team.

As a result, UGA tickets have become one of the hottest and most expensive commodities on the secondary market.

On December 29, Georgia insider Lee Ring flexed the Bulldogs’ purchasing power on X. Ahead of the 2025 Sugar Bowl quarterfinal matchup against the Ole Miss Rebels, Georgia tickets were among the most expensive in the entire playoff field. In fact, Bulldogs games are running laps around other quarterfinal matchups when it comes to ticket prices.

The early get-in ticket prices on resale sites were sitting in the $244 to $261 range. For comparison, fans could get into the Cotton Bowl for around $82 and the Orange Bowl for about $67, which puts the Sugar Bowl in a completely different price tier. Even the Rose Bowl, with entry prices hovering near $59, came in noticeably cheaper.

The passionate “Dawg Nation” fanbase is known for traveling well and filling stadiums. A prime example occurred during the 2018 National Championship game, which took place in Atlanta, Georgia’s backyard.

The incredible local hype and the chance for a national title drove the average ticket price on some resale sites to a staggering $4,000. It obviously made it one of the priciest college football tickets ever seen at that level.

So why are Georgia tickets always so high? It all comes down to basic supply and demand.

Kirby Smart’s resume speaks for itself. While factors such as the opponent, venue size, and travel logistics can modify the final ticket price, the underlying demand from Georgia fans remains consistently high.

They often have the most expensive average home game tickets in the whole SEC during the regular season, a trend that naturally continues into the high-stakes world of the playoffs.

If you want to see Georgia chase another national championship in person, be prepared to open your wallet. Investing in Georgia tickets is like investing in Palantir stock. It’s the unofficial “fan tax” for backing one of college football’s true elite, and none of it exists without the architect at the center of the rise: Kirby Smart.

All thanks to Kirby Smart!

Kirby Smart has had a meaningful holiday season both personally and professionally. Georgia’s 28–7 win over Alabama in the SEC Championship gave the Bulldogs their fourth conference title under Smart. This came exactly 10 years after his alma mater hired him. The win also avenged Georgia’s only loss of the season and showed the program is still at the top of college football.

A few days later, Smart turned 50, an age that doesn’t really match how he’s viewed in the sport. When he first arrived in Athens, Georgia hadn’t won a national title since 1980. He was pretty anxious and overwhelmed about the hiring process.

“I also (was taking on) running a program, which I had not done,” Smart said. “I was just overwhelmed with: Who am I going to hire, what am I going to do?”

Top Stories

Cowboys Fire Defensive Coordinator Matt Eberflus: Contract, Salary, NFL Earnings & More

Huge Fire Destroys Over 125-Year-Old Golf Club Designed by 5x Open Winner in London – Report

Scottie Scheffler’s Caddie Shares Cryptic Message as He Bids Fans ‘Goodbye’

Russell Wilson Announces Retirement Stance as Giants QB Shares Hidden Injury News

Marina Mabrey Is Raising Eyebrows Again With Fiery Unrivaled Confrontation

Tiger Woods’ Warm Moment With Ex-Wife Elin Nordegren Caught on Camera at Son Charlie’s Junior Event

Georgia finished 8–5 in Smart’s first season, a record he later called unacceptable. Luckily, things improved fast. In his second year, Georgia reached the Playoff and won the Rose Bowl. From there, it’s high water for Kirby Smart.

After almost 10 years on the job, Kirby Smart says his role has changed. When he started, he was primarily involved in coaching defense and making game-day decisions. However, his job is now more about overseeing everything at once. He runs this program like a CEO, managing the coaching staff and recruiting players.

He even joked about the gray hair and how demanding the job can be. With Georgia heading back to the Sugar Bowl, Smart believes this season still has plenty left to accomplish.