Bowl games don't come cheap.

Alabama's short trip to New Orleans for the 2015 Sugar Bowl came with a total price tag of nearly $2.6 million, according to documents recently filed with the NCAA. The expenses include the full travel party of 908 including band, cheerleaders and athletic department staff/faculty.

The total price tag was just over $300,000 more expensive than the previous season's Sugar Bowl trip. A year before that, the 2013 BCS Championship trip to Miami cost $3.4 million.

The most recent Sugar Bowl trip was especially pricey when put in context of the other three semifinalists. According to CBSSports.com, the $2.6 million price tag was the highest of the group, approximately $558,000 more than Sugar Bowl opponent Ohio State. The Buckeyes beat Alabama, 42-35 on Jan. 1 to advance to the inaugural College Football Playoff title game.

These expenses will be offset by payouts from the College Football Playoff through the conferences.

In terms of tickets, Alabama sold 11,116 of the 13,250 it was allotted for the Sugar Bowl. It absorbed the cost of 2,134 tickets ($388,600) for use by the university.

Face value for the tickets ranged from $150 to $250 with 76 percent of the allotment set at $175 apiece. According to CBSSports.com, Alabama absorbed the most of the four semifinalists as the other three averaged 1,329 apiece. Alabama still sold every ticket it intended to sell for the game, an athletics spokesman confirmed.

The 2,134 tickets-absorbed total is consistent with the numbers from the previous two Alabama postseason games.

Take a look at the expenses for Alabama's last three postseason trips according to documents Alabama files annually with the NCAA. Also read CBSSports.com's comprehensive look at expenses for playoff teams.