Tickets to the SEC Championship football game in Atlanta next weekend continued to climb as Georgia and Alabama each demolished their archrivals.

By early Saturday evening, after Georgia's 41-10 win over Georgia Tech and with Alabama leading Auburn 42-0, the cheapest ticket on StubHub.com was $324. That doesn't include shipping and handling. Those add-ons would push the price closer to $400.

And don't think that would get you nice seats, either. That's just for seats just a few rows from the top of the Georgia Dome in the corner of the end zone.

Upper deck seats on the 50-yard-line ran $500. Lower level seats close to midfield topped $1,000.

The game will be a de facto national semi-final, with the winner advancing to the BCS National Championship game in Miami. Alabama coach Nick Saban likes that status for the championship.

He's not so thrilled that the loser between the second-ranked Crimson Tide and No. 3 Georgia in Atlanta probably will not play in a BCS bowl. That slot figures to go to No. 5 Florida.

Saban says "it's not really a great scenario" for either division champion.

A better scenario for them is the winner faces No. 1 Notre Dame for a chance at the SEC's seventh straight BCS title.

Georgia coach Mark Richt says focusing on the stakes "doesn't really help you win the game."

This is Alabama's eighth time in an SEC championship game but the first time the team has played someone other than the Gators.

Tags: University of Georgia, Bulldogs, Georgia Bulldogs, SEC Championship, college football, southeastern conference