How To Get Cheap Football Tickets [2024]

There’s nothing better than seeing your favorite football team crush their opponent live at the game, but going to sporting events can get a little pricey. Fortunately, there are some great strategies to get tickets for a fraction of the price. When you learn how to get cheap football tickets, you can stop stressing about the cost and simply enjoy the game.

Today, you’ll learn about 10 different ways to get cheap football tickets. We’ll teach you the best place to buy NFL tickets or tickets to college games. Some places offer cheap NFL or NCAA football tickets, but these may be scams, so you’ll learn about red flags to look out for as well. 

AAA members can also find tickets to various football games around the country. We have tickets to many other events as well.

1. Plan Ahead

Ticket prices fluctuate, and we’ll offer some tips on when the best time to buy is, but you should always plan ahead. By knowing which games you want to go to, you can better use the rest of the strategies.

The best thing you can do is pay attention to when your team’s schedule gets released. Then, you can watch the tickets after the initial day of sale goes live. When sports tickets first go on sale, they’re usually at a premium price. This isn’t the best time to buy, but it will help you make a plan closer to the games.

2. Check Secondary Seller Sites

The official team’s and stadium’s websites will often have the highest prices, but they offer buyers the security of knowing they bought legitimate tickets. This is why it’s important to look to secondary seller sites. Credible secondary seller websites are typically one of the safest options outside of the team or the stadium because they help you avoid potential scammers. Websites like AAA and others may offer deals that can save you money on tickets.

3. Try Local Marketplaces

When looking for cheap college football tickets or cheap NFL tickets, local marketplaces are a great option. People in your city post listings for tickets, and sometimes the prices are surprisingly cheap. People list tickets for cheap for various reasons. Rather than letting the tickets go to waste, they may list them for cheaper than the list price to recoup some of their money.

4. Be Flexible With Dates

If you’re the ultimate fan and want to see your favorite team play regardless of the day, you may have many more opportunities to get cheap football tickets. Oftentimes, football tickets are cheaper for weekday games than weekend games. This means it’s much more difficult for the venue to sell out the stadium.

Tickets are sometimes cheaper when there’s a bad weather forecast. As long as the weather isn’t too bad to play, the tickets may be cheaper due to fewer people wanting to sit in bad weather at a game. While a light drizzle may not deter many fans, heavier rain or snow may mean that you can save some money.

5. Be Patient

Waiting until closer to the game is one of the best ways to save money on tickets — and data backs this. One study found that fans save an average of 18 percent on NFL tickets by getting them the week of the game. Yes, there’s a risk that the tickets may sell out and other options are unavailable, but this is one of the best ways to get cheap tickets. Tickets get cheaper closer to the game at both primary and secondary sellers and local marketplaces. 

Some people who sell on the local marketplace buy tickets when they first go on sale, hoping to make a profit. However, as the game approaches, they’ll sometimes cut their losses. Sellers want to ensure they sell their tickets, so they’ll often sell tickets at a cheaper price closer to game day when game day gets closer.

6. Take Advantage of Discounts

Regardless of where you’re spending your money, it’s always advantageous to research discounts , and getting football tickets is no exception. If you’re a student, a senior, a veteran, or an active military member, you may be able to get discounted rates. These discounts can range anywhere from 10 percent to 50 percent. 

There may be better ticket discounts on or around certain holidays or special events. For example, veterans and military members may receive a bigger discount for football games around Veteran’s Day.

7. Negotiate With Sellers

Don't be afraid to negotiate if you buy tickets from a marketplace or an in-person seller. Remember, many sellers are trying to get rid of their tickets because they had a schedule change and can’t make the game. This means that any sale is better than no sale at all. As it gets closer to the game date, you have more leverage when negotiating the price.

8. Follow Teams on Social Media

We live in the age of social media, and just about every football team and stadium has a social media account. Follow them — they may announce flash sales or special discounts. On some platforms, like X (formerly Twitter), you can turn on alerts for specific accounts, so you receive a notification when they post so you don’t miss a potential deal.

9. Enter Contests

You’ve learned some ways to get cheap football tickets, but you can also get tickets for free by entering various contests. Local radio stations often partner with football teams and stadiums or have advertising deals with them, meaning they might have free tickets to give away. During the season, tune in to enter contests and potentially win tickets for free.

Radio stations are some of the best places to enter these contests, but here are some other potential places to find contests to win contests:

• Local news
• Official team website and social media accounts
• Newspapers

10. Turn App Alerts On

Take advantage of technology by turning on app alerts for any apps you use to purchase tickets. If you use secondary sellers, you can sometimes go into the settings and turn on alerts to get notifications when tickets go on sale or there’s a price drop. You can often do this with marketplace websites as well. If you’re following tickets on one of the marketplaces, you might be able to turn on alerts if the tickets drop below a certain pricing threshold.

5 Signs of a Football Ticket Scam 

Unfortunately, there are people out there who try to take advantage of fans who are desperate for tickets. Knowing the signs can help you significantly decrease your chances of becoming a victim of one of these scams:

1. Price is too good to be true: If the seller offers tickets significantly lower than the regular price long before the game, it may be a scam. This is especially true if the tickets are for really good seats.
2. Unconventional payment methods: When you buy tickets from a marketplace, they’ll typically ask for cash or a transfer through a money app like Venmo or Zelle. It should be a red flag if they ask for payment via a gift card, wire transfer, or another unofficial channel.
3. Communication problems: People running a ticket scam may not want to make phone calls or emails, and they may be difficult to reach. They may also have trouble answering questions about where the tickets came from or why they’re selling.
4. Strange-looking tickets: Sometimes, the tickets will have signs that they look fake. If there are typos on the ticket or the printing is blurred, it may be a fake.
5. High-pressure sales: If the seller is trying to get you to buy the tickets immediately without giving you time to research, their urgency should set off your alarm bells.

Get Your Football Tickets Through AAA

By becoming an AAA member , you can get football tickets this fall to see your favorite team play. We have tickets for over 80,000 events around the country, including football tickets for some of your favorite teams. From the Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos to the Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, get your tickets with AAA.