Demand for Insight Bowl filled mostly by local residents

TEMPE, Ariz. – Fans gearing up this week for the 23rd annual Insight Bowl still have opportunities to purchase tickets at decent prices.

StubHub said the demand for bowl games great distances away from the teams' respective homes isn't usually driven by traveling fans, which typically amounts to 10 percent of their total sales. But this year, traveling Hawkeye fans trump Oklahoma 3-to-1, with 18 percent of tickets ordered from Iowa to Oklahoma's five, numbers show.

The secondary ticket marketplace giant has also sold a “sizable” 3,000 tickets, according to Public Relations Manager Joellen Ferrer, but have 1,000 still available.

According to Insight Bowl Spokesperson Andy Bagnato, bowl authorities aren't expecting prices to change on their end, but are hopeful to reach Iowa's record-breaking attendance record from last year at 53,453.

“We're optimistic about getting to that number again,” Bagnato said, noting close to 50,000 seats have sold so far.

Pamela Finke, University of Iowa director of ticket operations, said ticket sales are up from last year, at 7,050 tickets sold, and a limited number are still available through the university.

Ferrer said prices are still very affordable (as low as $30), ranging as high as $336. Because most of the ticket holders are Arizona locals, about 43 percent according to StubHub figures, prices may go down, Ferrer believes.

Tickets are still available through www.hawkeyesports.com. Beginning Thursday, tickets will have to be picked up at a location outside the Sun Devil Stadium.