Iowa Women's Basketball Has To Pause Season Ticket Sales, Thanks To Caitlin Clark And Final Four Run

Having to pause the sale of season tickets might be a bad thing for some schools, but for Iowa women's basketball, it's a fantastic situation.

Thanks to the Hawkeyes final four run and the emergence of superstar Caitlyn Clark, Iowa has put a hold on selling 2023-2024 season tickets. This comes after a record number of fans have requested to be put on the list for tickets next season.

Iowa's athletic department has seen an unprecedented interest in new season tickets. According to a report from the Des Moines Register, the basketball program has received 6,700 new seat requests for next season.

"We’re going to do our best so that those fans who want to support women’s basketball at Iowa get that opportunity,” said Matt Henderson, Iowa’s deputy AD for external relations who also oversees ticket sales.

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes shoots over Alexis Morris #45 of the LSU Tigers. (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Last season, the school sold 6,500 tickets. If you add in the new requests that started during the NCAA Tournament, Iowa might not have enough season-ticket seats inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. This includes the school keeping a number of tickets open for the general public, also visitor seating. Don't forget corporate sponsors, who will certainly want to cash-in next season.

This is obviously a great problem to have, but the school will have to make some tough decisions. Pricing has yet to be set for tickets next season, but fans were getting a great deal during the 2022-2023 season. Ticket prices started at $125 for adults, while kids under 18-years old were $30 for the season.

RELATED: CAITLIN CLARK OUTSCORES IOWA FOOTBALL IN JUST 8 GAMES

Obviously the school will raise prices this off-season, but not enough to run off fans. If you take into account the number of current season ticker holders and the new requests, the school would sell 13,200 season tickets, which is a massive number. There will be some folks who don't end up getting their request filled in the end, due to current holders renewing their tickets, while possibly asking for more.

Current season ticket holders have the right of first refusal, which is standard in college athletics.

Iowa's Caitlin Clark Captivates The Sports World

There wasn't a night during the women's NCAA Tournament that Caitlyn Clark was not discussed. Whether it be the wild shots Clark would hit from behind the arc or her record setting point totals, the Iowa point guard was a lightning rod for attention.

During her postseason run for Iowa, Caitlin Clark broke the record for most points scored in a single NCAA women's tournament, finishing with 191 points. Also, the Hawkeyes and South Carolina semifinal game peaked at 6.6 million viewers. The championship final against LSU drew 9.9 million viewers, making it the most watched NCAA women's basketball game in history.

Some folks decided to make a massive deal out of the on-court drama during her last few games of the season, with the 'You Can't See Me' gesture that sparked headlines. After LSU's Angel Reese decided to have fun with the gesture in the final 15 seconds of the National Championship win over the Hawkeyes, folks wanted to make Reese the villain.

Angel Reese #10 of the LSU Lady Tigers reacts towards Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

"I don’t think Angel should be criticized at all,” Caitlin Clark told ESPN about the commotion. “I’m just one that competes, and she competed. I think everybody knew there was going to be a little trash talk in the entire tournament. It’s not just me and Angel.

“We’re all competitive. We all show our emotions in a different way. You know, Angel is a tremendous, tremendous player. I have nothing but respect for her. I love her game – the way she rebounds the ball, scores the ball, is absolutely incredible. I’m a big fan of her and even the entire LSU team. They played an amazing game.”

There was also the discussion regarding a potential visit to the White House, when Dr. Jill Biden mentioned that maybe both teams should be invited to Washington. This was quickly met with intense debates from folks around the country, including Angel Reese, who mentioned that she'd rather go visit Barack and Michelle Obama.

This was put to rest late this week when Reese mentioned that she would attend the White House celebration if her team decided to go.

It's only April, so Iowa still has time to figure out this problem of overwhelming interest. But it's not a bad problem to have, especially with seven months until next season begins.

There's a gold rush happening in Iowa, thanks to the women's basketball team.