CFB this year is more interesting than ever, but the star power at the top (in terms of schools) isn’t as high as previous years as we are seeing more mid-tier matchups to begin the season. TickPick’s internal pricing data shows the most expensive Week 1 matchup in 2026 is Wisconsin Badgers vs Notre Dame at a $187 get-in price. Compare this to last year’s most expensive Week 1 game, which was Ohio St vs Texas, with the cheapest ticket available at $328, and the average fan spending $532 to secure a seat in the arena. CFB has traditionally been a sport dominated by big brand names, but the expansion of the College Football Playoff, along with NIL and transfer portal rule changes, has completely reshaped the sport as we saw with Indiana winning the National Championship after being historically one of the worst programs in Division I. All of these changes have led to an even more competitive and interesting sport. With that said, the early part of this year has us seeing less BIG matc...