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Wisconsin and Duke fans flock for rallies, Fan Fest

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Pep rallies leading up to the NCAA championship game, and the final day of Fan Fest, brought out hundreds of Duke and Wisconsin fans.

And those who needed a ticket to the game paid less for it than for the semifinals. Online ticket price tracker TiqIQ said Kentucky’s loss drove prices down.

“This is awesome,” said Alex Couto while shooting hoops at Fan Fest. “I want to live here.”

“It’s a great experience for everyone, no matter what age you are,” said Ana Couto.

From free throws to three-pointers, many say the Final Four was a slam dunk for the city.

“Its all about these kids having a great experience,” said Rene Couto with his children and nieces and nephews. “And its been tremendous.”

“Just to come down here and play with all these coaches and watch the basketball teams compete,” said Grace Scariano.

While Fan Fest was free, tickets to the game were top dollar.

“These guys are trying to drive the prices through the roof,” said Paul Sedillos, a Wisconsin fan looking for tickets while on Georgia Street.

TiqIQ said the average price for tickets to the championship game was $522. The cheapest was $129.

“If I wanted to take the chance, I probably could’ve saved a little bit of money but I wanted to make sure I got tickets,” said Jeremiah Redden, a Duke fan who bought tickets right after Duke made it into the Elite 8.

“This is a monumental day in history for Badger fans,” said Sherman Hackbarth, who drove down from Wisconsin in search of deal for tickets. “This is one of the best sporting events possible and we have a high budget but at the same time we’re smart shoppers.”

“We’ll wait until the cost goes down and strike then,” said Sedillos.