Texas fans were ready for the excitement around the Longhorns’ return to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. But a viral ticket-price post has shifted the conversation toward whether some seats this season are simply too expensive for regular fans.
While Texas State showdown tickets were available for far less than several marquee games, a viral screenshot showing seats for thousands of dollars generated a strong reaction online.
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A post from ESPN’s Pamela Maldonado showed ticket listings for one of the Longhorns’ games this season with prices that caught fans’ attention. The screenshot included upper-level seats listed for $676, $799, and $918, while some lower-level options climbed from $1,105 to $3,922.
The most expensive listings were even higher, with some premium seats carrying asking prices above $7,000. Maldonado summed up her reaction with, “WHAT ARE WE DOING??????” as she pointed out ticket costs for the Longhorns’ game.
The prices prompted fans to question whether attending games in person remains realistic for many longtime supporters.
One fan focused on the impact those costs could have on local supporters, writing, “Prices like these are why the real, true Texas fans can’t attend every game or any game at all. [Expletive] is preposterous.”
Still, the Texas State matchup itself was not among the most expensive games on the Longhorns’ 2026 schedule. Available listings showed prices below the $90 range, making the opener considerably cheaper than several major conference matchups.
This distinction did little to quiet the broader frustration over the prices shown in Maldonado’s post.
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Another fan decided the better option was staying home, writing, “Just crazy! I will be just fine with unlimited beer, snacks, and free parking at my house!”
Just crazy! I will be just fine with unlimited beer and snacks and free parking at my house! 🤣 https://t.co/vm1uGfxSRj
— Shawn Wilson (@ATXVegasFan) September 4, 2026
For another supporter, the cost was enough to make attending the game an easy decision. The fan wrote, “Parking my [expletive] on my couch & enjoying my mortgage.”
The reaction also shows frustration with ticket costs across the college football market. One fan kept the response brief, writing, “It’s madness.”
It’s madness. https://t.co/WwVidwPcbH
— Jeremy (@JKMJXH4) September 4, 2026
Another drew a direct comparison between the ticket cost and everyday expenses, saying, “Staying home. We are staying home, because no regular season college football game should cost my mortgage payment. Pure. Insanity.”
Staying home. We are staying home, because no regular season college football game should cost my mortgage payment. Pure. Insanity. https://t.co/GyaMjqnckO
— Linda (@ninergirl783) September 5, 2026
Texas’s schedule helps explain why ticket prices can vary so sharply. The Longhorns’ home games against Ohio State and UTSA Roadrunners were listed at much higher minimum prices, while the Lone Star Showdown against Texas A&M at Kyle Field also carries a major premium.
That contrast compared to the opener left another fan questioning the direction of prices in Austin. “Texas is drunk. Prices have been getting crazier year after year,” the fan wrote.
