Dan Hurley and his UConn Huskies became darlings of the 2026 NCAA tournament after their upset win over the Duke Blue Devils on Sunday, March 29, with a razor-close 73-72 victory. Duke, as usual, were favorites to go all the way in the tournament, so UConn knocking them out of the running shook up not only the games but millions of brackets.
While those who like an underdog story are happy about the Huskies’ victory, there’s often more interest when a legacy team, such as Duke, moves onto the Final Four. Nothing against UConn, but the Blue Devils are regulars at the Final Four and have build a following of people who are used to seeing them go all, or almost all, the way.
So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the numbers show less interest in the Huskies making it to the Final Four, but ahead of the games, there’s a stat that’s a bit embarrassing for Hurley and his team.
Research Shows Less Interest in UConn Huskies in the Final Four Over the Duke Blue Devils
According to a Thursday, April 2 report in Yahoo Sports, Final Four 2026 ticket prices “fell considerably” following Duke’s loss to UConn in NCAA tournament’s Elite Eight game. So, some of those who were lined up to travel to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, decided not to make the trip after the Huskies advanced.
Yahoo Sports’ report sites Gametime research and states that “get-in ticket prices peaked at $594 during the day on Sunday when it looked like Duke was going to secure a spot in the field on the final weekend.” But, after Duke lost, “that get-in price has dropped to around $500 for the semifinal matchups of UConn vs. Illinois and Michigan vs. Arizona.”
So, it’s a bit sad to see that the Huskies’ advancing dropped ticket prices so much, but if Hurley and company keep playing as solidly as they have been the past few years, they’ll gain that same kind of loyal, national following. The report adds that the average ticket price for the Final Four is $1,397, and the highest ticket price is$7,869.
UConn Huskies Head Coach Dan Hurley Made News With Referee Confrontation in the Elite Eight
Hurley made news following his team’s win over Duke, but not for the victory. He had a fiery moment with a referee as the game wrapped up, and it spread over the web the next day.
At the end of the game, freshman Braylon Mullins threw a three-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to notch the win over top-seeded Duke. After the shot, Hurley came close to the face of a referee, even though there was still 0.4 seconds left on the clock. He wasn’t handed a technical foul, even though he came into contact with a referee before the game was officially over.
Now, the referee who came face-to-face with Hurley in the incident, Roger Ayers, won’t be working the Final Four matchups. The NCAA has said the move wasn’t because of the Hurley incident, but that’s quite a coincidence.
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