How to Buy Football Tickets Online

Whether its NFL or college, football tickets for many teams are often in short supply. Here are some of the best ways to make sure to catch your team on the gridiron this season.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Credit Cards
• Stadium Map

1. Determine which opponent or date you want to see your favorite football team in action.
2. Check the tickets section of the team's website to see if tickets are still available. Many football teams are sold out before the season begins.
3. Consider joining the team's waitlist or fan club. In some cases, this may give you preferential access to football tickets.
4. Visit StubHub.com and click on football tickets to see a wide selection of tickets and prices for any game available for purchase. These tickets are posted for sale by season ticket holders who can't make the game. On StubHub it is often possible to score choice 50 yard line seats, but expect to pay up for these hot tickets.
5. Consider eBay, but make sure to only deal with reputable sellers and understand in advance how and when you will get your tickets.
6. Call a ticket broker--a fast-talking dealer who buys them from season ticketholders, then resells them at considerably higher rates. (Technically, this is illegal in most states, but it's rarely prosecuted.)
7. Drive in desperation to the game and try to buy a ticket from a scalper in front of the stadium. Expect to pay top dollar and work to minimize your risk of fraud. If you wait till after the start of the game, ticket prices may drop but there may be no more tickets left to buy.

Tips & Warnings

• In most cases (but not always), there are more tickets available, and at better prices, well in advance of the game.
• For any Internet transaction you do, make sure the website where you buy tickets is secure and reputable. Look for a seal of approval from the Better Business Bureau, Verisign or similar organizations.
• eBay is often a good place to find football tickets, but beware of fraudulent tickets. A ticket marketplace site like StubHub.com that offers a 100% guarantee on transactions can be the best mix of good prices and safe ticket purchases.