This is what happens when fans are smarter shoppers than their schools are.

The secondary ticket market for bowl games means that people will still show up.  They’ll just be more prudent about it. But while Tech has sold only about 10,000 of its 17,500 allotted tickets, athletics director Jim Weaver has steadfastly maintained there will be 15,000-20,000 Hokies fans at the Sugar Bowl. After 19 consecutive trips to bowls, he said, Tech fans are savvy about acquiring tickets. And they can get cheaper seats, often with better views, by going through the secondary market and brokers. The downside is that some schools will be stuck with an even worse deal from their bowl ticket allotments. West Virginia’s sports marketing director, Matt Wells, said this week that the school has sold only about 7,500 of its Orange Bowl allotment of 17,500 tickets. While WVU will use another 1,500 tickets for staff and family members, the band and other school-related travelers, Wells said he does not expect the university to sell many more before the bowl against Clems...