5 On Your Side

NC State fans attending Final Four face pricey paths to Phoenix, Cleveland

5 On Your Side priced out the cost of flights, hotels, and tickets to get a sense of just how much it'll cost you to attend the Final Four in person.

Posted 2024-04-01T22:14:59+00:00 - Updated 2024-04-01T22:40:14+00:00

The road to the Final Four is expensive for fans

Keely Arthur

, WRAL consumer reporter

It may be April, but everyone wants to go to March Madness. If you want to witness the Wolfpack men’s or women’s team play in person, it comes at a hefty price.

5 On Your Side priced out the cost of flights, hotels, and tickets to get a sense of just how much it’ll cost you to attend the Final Four in person.

The grand total for flights, hotel, and tickets: For the men’s game in the Phoenix area, $2,805. For the women’s game in Cleveland, $1,666.

When it comes to last-minute deals, there’s really no such thing when it comes to the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s like last-minute deals on the Super Bowl; they don’t really exist,” said travel expert Nneya Richards.

Flights cost between $800 to $2,000

The NC State men’s team plays Purdue on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona.

If you fly from RDU, a nonstop flight to Phoenix on Delta will cost you $1,422 round trip from Friday to Sunday. Some flights are cheaper, like one on Frontier, but it requires a layover in Orlando. To see the women’s team play Friday in Cleveland, a round-trip flight leaving Thursday and coming home Saturday will cost you about $490.

Two nights in a hotel will cost between $800 to $2,000

5 On Your Side looked at hotels within ten miles of the stadiums. A two-night stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Phoenix will cost $1,033 including taxes and fees. In Cleveland, two nights at the Fairfield Inn will cost $826 including taxes and fees. Richards says while Airbnb gives you more options, it may not be the best choice in this scenario.

“Airbnb is doing a big push right now. They’re saying: ‘Your apartment could be making you a lot of money if you are in a game city and want to host.’ However, in that case, you have a lot of people hosting for the first time, and it’s not going to be your typical Airbnb experience,” Richards said.