Business and Economics Library

What are the chances of BYU’s football team making it to the national championship next year?

There’s a new kind of options market where the answer to questions like that could earn you a nice return on investment. The Allstate Sugar Bowl, which hosts next year’s game, is selling what amounts to options on the game’s tickets. For as little as $30 you can buy an option to purchase tickets at face value should BYU make it into the championship game. No refunds, should BYU fail to make the championship.

Want a less risky investment? Starting at $115 you can buy options for this year’s teams, Oregon or Auburn. Of course, if BYU were to be 12-0 at the end of next season, how much profit do you think you could make by selling your $30 options to other BYU fans?

They’re calling these “Team Ticket Reservations,” and you can find the market here.

So whether you’re willing to part with $30 just in case BYU somehow makes it to the championship and you want a guaranteed spot at low cost, or whether you’re willing to spend $85 for options on Alabama, knowing that if they make it to the game you could gain a huge return selling your options to the Crimson Tide faithful, in either case we have one more reason to pay as much attention to ESPN as NYSE.