UNC Vs. Kansas National Title Game Ticket Prices Plummet After Duke Gets Eliminated

The North Carolina Tar Heels and Kansas Jayhawks are hours away from facing off in the NCAA National Championship on Monday ... and anyone looking to catch the game in person is in luck -- 'cause ticket prices are torpedoing.

TMZ Sports has learned ... ticket prices have been steadily dropping since the title game matchup was announced.

According to Gametime -- an app for last-minute tickets -- fans can purchase seats starting at just $22 ... a far cry from Saturday's lowest asking price of $123.

Before UNC upset Duke and Kansas topped Villanova ... the top-priced seats for the big game were a whopping $9,423 per ticket.

But now, fans will have to cough up $5,561 per ticket for a premium seat in the building -- which is nothing to scoff at, but not nearly as much as they would have paid before perennial powerhouse Duke got eliminated.

There's a logical theory behind the price change -- many fans had hopes of seeing Coach K and the Blue Devils go out on top in the title game ... as Krzyzewski previously announced this season would be his last.

Coach K -- who's won 5 national championships with Duke -- was seeking that elusive 6th title ... but the Tar Heels, led by stars Caleb Love and Armando Bacot, and coach Hubert Davis had other plans.