Introduction to How to Get Super Bowl Tickets
Super Bowl tickets are notoriously difficult to get, even for people who have plenty of expendable income. The big game is one of the most-watched events on television each year, but that piece of paper that says you have access to actually see the championship in person is what football fans really want -- a fact that drives up demand and competition.
If you're looking to get into the Super Bowl, you have to plan ahead and be prepared to drop some serious cash. Face value for tickets varies by year, but there's an unmistakable upward trend in cost since the event was created.
If you wanted to get into the very first Super Bowl in 1967, which pitted the Kansas City Chiefs against the Green Bay Packers, you would have paid $6 to $12 for a ticket. By Super Bowl XV, the average ticket price had risen to $40. Fifteen years later at Super Bowl XXX, the average price to get in the gates was $300. By the time the New Orleans Saints lined up against the Indianapolis Colts in 2009, the face value for tickets had reached $500 for the "cheap seats" and $1,000 for a prime spot [source: Passy].
Face-value tickets are not easy to come by, though. There is no direct way for the public to purchase tickets for the Super Bowl. Instead, people have to enter their name in a lottery for a chance to win the opportunity to purchase tickets from the NFL.
There is one way you might get into the Super Bowl without taking out a loan or cashing in your 401k: a sweepstakes. Each year, a few major contests are organized to give away tickets to the big game. Pepsi, the United Way, Snickers, GMC and the NFL itself hold such sweepstakes. Of course, there's no guarantee you'll be the lucky winner. In fact, your odds are quite small.
If you've decided you'd like to try your hand at getting tickets, you'll need to know when and where they become available. Go long and we'll pass you the information on the next page.
When Do Super Bowl Ticket Go on Sale?
As mentioned earlier, tickets to the Super Bowl aren't made directly available to the public like any other game would be. You can't camp out at a ticket venue or spend your day refreshing your Web browser as you might for other high-demand tickets. Instead, you'll need to send a certified letter to the NFL between Feb. 1 and June 1 of the year preceding the Super Bowl you'd like to attend. This is the only means for the general public to purchase tickets at their face value. Only one entry for a given address is accepted before a random drawing is held [source: NFL].
You have more options if you're a season ticket holder. One or two weeks before the game, you'll get a chance to either enter your name in a lottery, or you'll be automatically entered to purchase tickets. If you're a season ticket holder for one of the teams playing in the Super Bowl, you'll have better odds because the available batch of tickets is larger. Each team is a little different, but your chance will be weighted by a few different factors: how long you've had season tickets, where your seats are located and how many season tickets you have. Being a season ticket holder gives you a leg-up on fans just sending in letters before the season even starts [source: Nichols]. Keep in mind that just because you were selected in a lottery doesn't mean you are obligated to buy the tickets, but it's a good idea. Even if you're unable to go, you'll almost certainly be able to re-sell the tickets for more than you paid for them.
If you're not one of the lucky few to get chosen in random drawings, lotteries or sweepstakes, you'll have to turn to secondhand sellers. We'll hand off some insights on how to play that game on the next page.
Average Super Bowl Ticket Prices
It should be clear at this point that getting tickets at their face value is incredibly difficult. While the NFL has done its best to keep the prices low, especially during rough economic times, the affect on secondhand prices is negligible.
There are essentially two means of getting secondhand tickets: on the Internet or in person from scalpers. Scalping is illegal in some states, so depending on where the Super Bowl is being held, you'll want to make sure you're operating within the bounds of the law. You'll likely see the most fluctuation in price with scalpers because they can change their ticket prices on a whim depending on which teams are playing, the face value of the tickets and even the weather. Before approaching a scalper, be sure you've done your research about the face value, what the tickets look like, seating locations and legal rights.
In 2008 the average price of Super Bowl tickets sold online at StubHub was $3,536. The price dipped in 2009, averaging $2,790 [source: Rovell]. Recently, online outlets have removed much of the need for traditional scalpers. Individuals who've been awarded tickets and can't or don't want to attend can sell their tickets through specialized Web sites. Many of these businesses and individuals operate on a commission in which the seller and the Web site each take a cut. Others, like Ticketmaster, also add fees.
Reputable online businesses are often backed by a guarantee, giving them an instant advantage over scalpers. Even so, it's best to research the guarantee of ticket authenticity as well as refund eligibility before spending your money. Many cities also have brokers with storefront locations, where you can deal directly with a licensed broker [source: Passy].
You'll also want to factor in a few additional costs associated with going to the game. If you're not from the area, you'll need to get a hotel, and if you're driving to the game, you'll need to consider the price of parking. You can expect both of these costs will be higher than you'd pay for a regular season game.
Yes, it's difficult to get tickets to the big game, but certainly not impossible. You can find lots more information about the Super Bowl and sport of football on the next page.