Looking for 2018 March Madness tickets in Wichita? There’s still hope

If you are hoping to watch a round or two of hoops in the NCAA March Madness tournament in Wichita, you might have to pay quite a bit more than what you originally thought.

Wichita’s $240 and $270 all-session tickets for the first and second rounds of the 2018 tournament, which takes place March 15 and March 17, went on sale Nov. 4 and sold out the same day.

Christine Pileckas, director of sales and marketing with Intrust Bank Arena, said the quick sell out was anticipated based on “the very high demand and strong presale sales.”

While the Arena’s all-session tickets are already sold out through www.selectaseat.com, you can still purchase some game tickets, but only ones that include the Official NCAA Fan Experience — and they cost quite a bit more.

The NCAA Experience all-session tickets range from $840 to $1,785 a person. Or, you can purchase single-session Experience tickets that start at $265 for session one, $310 for session two and $422.50 for session three.

The Experience package includes a limited open bar, light hors d’oeuvres and snacks, a live television broadcast of the tournament and the appearance of a former legendary NCAA player or coach. The exclusive access is open prior to each session, but it is closed during game play and in between games.

These tickets can be purchased at www.intrustbankarena.com/ncaa.

Or, if you do not want the Official NCAA Fan Experience, you can wait until February 2018 and hope that you can score a ticket from a ticket holder who can no longer attend the tournament or who just wants to sell their ticket in the official NCAA Ticket Exchange.

The exchange is the only secondary-ticket marketplace that is guaranteed and approved by the NCAA. Sellers can list their tickets for free or at any price at or above face value. For more information about the exchange, visit www.ncaa.com/exchange.

Want to see the Shockers in tournament?

Shockers fans who just want to see their team play in the tournament have no need to worry about the sell out of all-session tickets at Intrust Bank Arena.

Wichita State cannot play at Intrust because WSU is one of the regional’s co-hosts, along with the Missouri Valley Conference. The Shockers would have to play elsewhere.

If WSU is among the first 3-4 seeds, it would likely be placed in Dallas, the closest regional to Wichita.

If you want to head to Dallas in hopes of seeing the Shockers play, first- and second-round tickets at American Airlines Center in Dallas can be purchased through the NCAA at 25 percent off through Thursday, Nov. 30.

All-session tickets for the Dallas site start at $198, not including the discount. To save 25 percent, use promo code SAVE at www.ticketmaster.com/event/0C005334DAE549AE.

The promo code is also valid for first and second-round sites in Pittsburgh, Nashville and Charlotte. It is not valid for Intrust in Wichita.

Third-party sellers

Available tickets for the tournament at Intrust Bank Arena are starting to appear online through third-party sellers, including one that looks as though you are purchasing them through the arena’s official website.

All-session tickets through Box Office Tickets, www.intrustbankarena.box-officetickets.com, start at $526 and single-session tickets start at $153. These tickets are not owned by any venue, and the prices are set by sellers.

Third-party tournament tickets can also be found online through StubHub and Vivid Seats.

This story was originally published November 22, 2017 at 8:34 AM with the headline "Looking for 2018 March Madness tickets in Wichita? There’s still hope."