Another jackpot surpasses $1 billion. Is this the new normal?

Remember this moment because it probably won't last: A U.S. lottery jackpot soared above $1 billion, and that's still a big deal.

After three months without anyone winning the top prize, a ticket worth an estimated $1.22 billion was sold in California for the drawing Friday night. The high number evoked headlines and likely lured more people to convenience stores with dreams of private spacewalks above the Earth.

It doesn't seem to matter that the nation's top 10 jackpots, not including Friday, already boasted 10-figure payouts. For many of us, something stirs inside when a number ticks one dollar above $999,999,999.

“The question lurking is, what happens when $1 billion becomes routine and people don’t care about it anymore?” said Jonathan D. Cohen, author of the 2022 book “For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America.”

“There's no easy round number after a billion,” Cohen said. "But also, how much money can one person possibly, possibly, possibly need?”

Mega Millions ticket prices are set to rise from $2 to $5 in April. The increase will be one of many changes that officials say will result in improved jackpot odds, more frequent giant prizes and even larger payouts.

Here's brief history of lotteries and why jackpots are growing:

Cohen notes in his book that lotteries have existed in one form or another for more than 4,000 years.

In Rome, emperors and nobles held drawings at dinner parties and awarded prizes that ranged from terra cotta vases to people who were enslaved. As early as the 1400s, lotteries were used in Europe to fund city defenses and other public works.

Sweepstakes were common in the American colonies, helping to pay for the revolution against Britain. Cohen noted in his book that Thomas Jefferson approved of lotteries, writing that they were a tax “laid on the willing only.”

Lotteries began to fall out of favor in the U.S. in the 1800s because of concerns over fraud, mismanagement and impacts on poor people. But starting in the 1960s, states began to legalize them to help address financial shortfalls without raising taxes.

“Lotteries were seen as budgetary miracles, the chance for states to make revenue appear seemingly out of thin air,” Cohen wrote.

When Mega Millions started in 1996, it was called “The Big Game” and involved only six states. It was meant to compete with Powerball, which then had 20 states and the District of Columbia.

The original payout for The Big Game started at $5 million. The value would be nearly twice that today accounting for inflation.

In 2024 dollars, the before-taxes prize could buy a rare copy of the U.S. Constitution or cover Michael Soroka's $9 million contract to pitch next season for the Washington Nationals.

By contrast, the pre-tax winnings from Friday’s Mega Millions prize could theoretically buy a Major League Baseball team. The Nationals would be too expensive. But Forbes recently valued the Miami Marlins at $1 billion.

A better comparison might be Taylor Swift's tour revenue at the end of 2023. Her Eras Tour became the first to earn more than $1 billion after selling more than 4 million tickets.

Swift, however, was expected to bring in a total of more than $2 billion when her tour finally wrapped up Dec. 8, according to concert trade publication Pollstar.

These days, Mega Millions and its lottery compatriot Powerball are sold in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball also is sold in Puerto Rico.

In October, Mega Millions said it hoped increased ticket revenue and less stratospheric odds would lead to more people winning, even as prizes grow extraordinarily high.

Games with massive payouts tend to be more popular despite the slimmer odds. Larger jackpots also attract more media attention, increase ticket sales and bring in new players, Cohen said.

Lottery officials have allowed the odds to become lower with a larger pool of numbers to pick from, Cohen said. And that has made games harder to win, leading to payouts rolling over into even larger prizes.

The first $1 billion jackpot was in 2016. Cohen said he expects the upward trajectory to continue.

Meanwhile, he warned against the tropes of the troubled or bankrupt lottery winner.

A well-known example is Andrew “Jack” Whittaker Jr. He won a record Powerball jackpot after buying a single ticket in 2002 but quickly fell victim to scandals, lawsuits and personal setbacks as he endured constant requests for money, leaving him unable to trust others.

Most winners don't turn out like him, Cohen said.

“Even if we deny it, we all sort of believe in the meritocracy — this belief that if you won your money through luck, then you probably didn’t actually deserve it,” Cohen said. And yet various studies have shown “lottery winners are happier, healthier and wealthier than the rest of us.”

A digital Mega Millions ticket is seen on a screen as a person makes their selections on a self-serve terminal inside a gas station ahead of Friday's Mega Millions drawing of $1.15 billion, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

A person makes their lottery ticket selections on a self-serve terminal inside a gas station ahead of Friday's Mega Millions drawing of $1.15 billion, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

A person retrieves a Mega Millions lottery ticket from a self-serve terminal ahead of Friday's Mega Millions drawing of $1.15 billion, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

A person inserts cash into a self-serve terminal while holding their play slip ahead of Friday's Mega Millions drawing of $1.15 billion, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Rob holds up a Mega Millions ticket at Rossi's Deli in San Francisco, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

A person fills out a Mega Millions play slip ahead of Friday's Mega Millions drawing of $1.15 billion, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Rob, right, buys a Mega Millions ticket at Rossi's Deli in San Francisco, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Rina Flores, middle, works behind the counter over a sign advertising the estimated $1.15 billion Mega Millions jackpot, bottom right, at Rossi's Deli in San Francisco, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

A pedestrian walks behind a sign advertising the estimated $1.15 billion Mega Millions jackpot at Rossi's Deli in San Francisco, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Oscar Flores, left, works behind the counter next to a sign advertising the estimated $1.15 billion Mega Millions jackpot at Rossi's Deli in San Francisco, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

A Mega Millions lottery ticket is displayed at a store on Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, in Tigard, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Fidel Lule buys a MegaMillion lottery ticket at Won Won Mini Mart in Chinatown Los Angeles, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

The option to play the $1.15 billion Mega Millions jackpot is seen on a self-serve terminal inside a gas station in Baltimore, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

ATLANTA (AP) — Freshman Tahaad Pettiford and senior Denver Jones turned in dazzling performances when it mattered most, rallying top-seeded Auburn to a 78-65 victory over Michigan in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night.

The Tigers (31-5) wiped out a nine-point deficit in the second half, outscoring No. 5 seed Michigan 39-17 over the final 12 1/2 minutes to advance to the Elite Eight for only the third time in school history. They also became the fourth Southeastern Conference team to reach a regional final, with the SEC joining the Atlantic Coast Conference (2016) and Big East (2009) as the only leagues to do that.

Auburn will face Michigan State in the South Region final on Sunday, with a trip to the Final Four on the line. The Spartans held off Mississippi 73-70 in the first game of the night in Atlanta.

“Just the kids' will to win,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “Denver got heated up. Tahaad got heated up. We went to them, and they delivered.”

Johni Broome scored 22 points to go along with 16 rebounds, but it was Pettiford and Jones who took control with Auburn's season on the brink in the South Region.

The Wolverines (27-10) built their biggest lead, 49-38, and seemed headed for their most improbable performance yet in a remarkable comeback season under first-year coach Dusty May.

But Pettiford sparked the comeback with a step-back jumper from beyond the 3-point stripe, Jones knocked down two straight from long range before scoring on a drive to the hoop, and Pettiford finished off Michigan with two stunning shots: a trey after briefly losing the ball but getting it back, followed by a three-point play when he knocked one down before landing flat on his back after being fouled.

Pettiford and Jones scored 20 points apiece.

Danny Wolf led No. Michigan with 20 points, but no one else on the Wolverines managed more than 10.

The first half was played at a frantic but sloppy pace, with both teams plagued by turnovers and struggling to hit shots.

One sequence epitomized the opening 20 minutes. Tre Donaldson threw the ball away with a lazy pass, but Auburn gave it right back when Chad Baker-Mazara’s unnecessary behind-the-back effort was picked off by Roddy Gayle Jr. The Wolverines took off the other way, only to have Donaldson turn it over again with an errant lob that sailed way out of bounds. In just nine seconds, the teams combined for three turnovers.

Auburn led 30-29 at halftime despite hitting just 12 of 37 shots (32.4%) from the field, including a 3-of-16 showing from beyond the 3-point arc, to go along with 10 turnovers. The Tigers gave themselves plenty of second and third chances, and even a fourth on one possession. They finished with 48-33 edge on the boards, including 19 rebounds at the offensive end.

It felt a bit like an Auburn home game with the Tigers playing only 110 miles from their campus just across the state line in eastern Alabama.

The crowd, largely clad in orange and blue, broke into a “Let’s go Auburn!” chant shortly after the tipoff at State Farm Arena. The building really erupted when Jones knocked down a 3-pointer for the first basket of the game.

Auburn: The Tigers lost in first trip to the Elite Eight in 1986. They reached their lone Final Four in 2019, when a setback to eventual champion Virginia ended their season.

Michigan: May's Wolverines had plenty of reasons to be proud after bouncing back from an 8-24 debacle a year ago that set a school record for most losses in a season and led to the firing of former Fab Five star Juwan Howard. ... Vladislav Goldin and Nimari Burnett each scored 10 points.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.

Michigan guard Nimari Burnett (4) drives against Auburn guard Miles Kelly (13) during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Auburn forward Johni Broome (4) reacts to play against Michigan during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Michigan center Vladislav Goldin (50) loses the ball against Auburn during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Auburn forward Chaney Johnson (31) and Michigan guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) work during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl watches play against Michigan during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Michigan head coach Dusty May watches play against Auburn during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Auburn guard Miles Kelly (13) shoots against Michigan center Vladislav Goldin (50) during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Auburn guard Denver Jones (2) shoots against Michigan during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Auburn guard Denver Jones (2) moves the ball against Michigan during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Michigan guard Tre Donaldson (3) and Auburn guard Denver Jones (2) chase a loose ball during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford (0) shoots against Michigan during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Auburn forward Johni Broome (4) reacts to his basket against Michigan during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Auburn guard Miles Kelly (13) celebrates a victory over against Michigan after the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Auburn center Dylan Cardwell (44) celebrates play against Michigan during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

The Auburn bench celebrates during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Michigan, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)