Brokers Reportedly Charge Fans $100 a Ticket to See Lute Olson Oppose Iowa

Brokers reportedly are charging as much as $100 a ticket for fans who want to see former Iowa basketball coach Lute Olson’s return to Iowa City.

Olson is now the coach at Arizona. His fourth-ranked Wildcats will play No. 3 Iowa Saturday night in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, a building put up largely at his bidding.

The game is a sellout, but brokers who have tickets reportedly are offering them at a hefty markup.

David Rubins of Los Angeles, an Arizona alumnus who plans to be in the Midwest on business and with a friend, said a local dealer quoted a price of $100 a seat.

“That’s a lot of money for a ticket to a college basketball game,” he said. “Especially when you consider that they only cost $9. I just put a call in to my friend and we’re debating if we want to pay that much.”

Judy Rhodes of Adel, Iowa, placed a classified ad in local newspapers in an attempt to get tickets so she can cheer on her favorite team--the Wildcats.

Iowa students Missy Rockhold and Lisa Murphy also have placed ads in an attempt to get tickets. Murphy has a ticket for herself but is trying to obtain two for an aunt and an uncle. Rockhold didn’t buy a season ticket, so she and two friends are hoping their ad will turn up three.

Murphy and Rockhold said $100 apiece would be out of their price range.

“I think they’ll probably pay quite a bit but not $100,” Murphy said. Rockhold said, “We were looking to spend around $20-$25 each.”