Heavy demand forces Iowa to pause women's basketball season ticket sales

April 7 (UPI) -- The University of Iowa paused sales on season tickets for the 2023-24 women's basketball season because of demand triggered by the Hawkeyes' run through the 2023 NCAA tournament, the school said Friday.

"We are so thankful for the incredible support our women's basketball team receives," the school said in a statement. "There is significant enthusiasm for new season tickets, and we look forward to accommodating as many new season ticket holders as possible."

Iowa received more than 6,700 requests for season tickets for the 2023-24 season, the school said.

The Hawkeyes, led by National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark, went 31-7 en route to the title game in 2022-23. They beat Southeastern Louisiana, Georgia, Colorado and Louisville through their first four games at the tournament. They then upset top-ranked and previously undefeated South Carolina in the Final Four.

The LSU Tigers went on to beat the Hawkeyes 102-85 in the finale Sunday in Dallas.

Iowa's season ticket base is 6,500, not including students. Season tickets last year were $125 for adults, but the Hawkeyes said pricing has not been determined for 2023-24. The program plans to focus first on renewals for current season ticket holders.

Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena, in Iowa City, has a capacity of 15,056 people.

The LSU-Iowa tournament finale was the most-viewed women's basketball game on record, according to ESPN and Nielsen. ESPN said earlier this week that nearly 10 million viewers watched.

Clark scored a game-high 30 points and logged eight assists against the Tigers. The junior guard, who was limited because of foul trouble, also broke Glen Rice's record for the most points scored in a single NCAA tournament, men's or women's.

ESPN announced last week that the Iowa-South Carolina tournament game drew 5.5 million viewers, setting a record for the most-viewed semifinal on ESPN platforms.

The network reported March 28 that the Iowa-Louisville tournament game was the network's most-viewed Elite Eight game on record, with 2.5 million viewers.

The Hawkeyes made the NCAA tournament in five of the last six years. They've appeared in two Final Fours, but failed to win the title both times.