BYU billed North Carolina coming to Delta Center as the unofficial start of the AJ Dybantsa era.
“BYU fans get their first glimpse of the team in Utah,” the athletics website advertised before the Cougars’ preseason game on Friday.
But when the Tar Heels finally rolled into Salt Lake City, large chunks of the arena were empty due to the high ticket prices.
Dybantsa put up 18 points and eight rebounds in a 78-76 win, looking like the presumptive No. 1 pick. But only 9,030 fans were on hand in the 18,000-seat arena.
To sit in the lower bowl, tickets for the exhibition game were going for more than $300. Just to get in the door, upper bowl tickets were going for $94.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa (3) reacts to being called for a foul during the game between the BYU Cougars and the North Carolina Tar Heels at Delta Center on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025.
“It’s out of whack,” Max Lloyd, a BYU booster sitting in the upper deck, said.
Lloyd was a season ticket holder for years, but said he was priced out for the most anticipated season in BYU history. He understood the rising prices, but was disappointed.
“Wasn’t high enough on the Cougar Club [BYU’s booster club] list,” he said.
That meant he, like other BYU fans, scoured for single-game tickets or other packages for away games. Friday night’s exhibition against the No. 25 Tar Heels fit the bill — even if it was expensive.
But he noticed the empty seats below him.
“Those were $300,” Lloyd said, motioning to the empty seats in the lower bowl.
BYU fans expressed their frustration with the partly empty Delta Center and ticket prices for the scrimmage.
“BYU really missed the mark here,” Utah County Commissioner Skyler Beltran wrote on X, speculating that “$25 tickets would’ve filled The Delta Center tonight.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) BYU Cougars guard Kennard Davis Jr. (30) dunks the ball during the game between the BYU Cougars and the North Carolina Tar Heels at Delta Center on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025.
BYU did not comment on who set the price for the game.
“I didn’t know it was that much,” Cougars head coach Kevin Young said. “But, look, I hope everyone gets a chance to see us play. You know, there’s a lot of excitement around the team, rightfully so. So I think it’s a product of just trying to be a good team.”
When BYU brought in the No. 1 recruit in the country, the athletic department acknowledged season ticket costs would increase and it would be harder to get a ticket to regular season games.
Marriott Center season tickets were completely sold out in less than 24 hours. Those tickets cost tens of thousands to get in. Including the required donations for the most coveted seats, some even paid up to $50,000.
But some fans were displeased that even preseason games were going for hundreds of dollars, pricing out some average fans.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Fans sit in the stands during the game between the BYU Cougars and the North Carolina Tar Heels at Delta Center on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025.
BYU offered a three-game package that included the North Carolina scrimmage. The package also included tickets for the Wisconsin and Cal Baptist games at Delta Center. Those packages ranged from $176 to $597.
Other BYU fans in attendance said they felt they had to pay the high prices for a scrimmage. It might be their only chance to see a team that has its sights set on making a deep run in March.
“The Marriott Center games were all sold out. They were more expensive than this game,” Darin, a BYU fan in the upper bowl, said. “But still [people] were like, ‘How much for a game that doesn’t count?’”