Sports Fans!
 

Hi
I am heading to the US for the full month of September and would love to watch a baseball game and also a Football game. I have heard that the football is notoriously difficult to get tickets for. We are going to be in LA, Vegas, San Fran, Seattle, San Diego so don't really mind where we see either sport. Can anyone recommend anything for us - even if its a college football game?

Would recommend seeing a baseball game in San Diego as that is one of my favorite stadiums. San Francisco and Seattle also have great stadiums as well. Depending on what city you are in on Sundays will determine which football games would be options. Tickets are hard to get but there are online re-sellers of tickets that are always options (for a lot of money possibly)

Baseball will not be difficult as all of the cities you are visiting except of Las Vegas have teams (some multiple teams). A place to start would be mlb.com which has links to each team site and from there you go to "schedule" and click on date for which you want tickets. Tickets are on sale now, with varying availability for each team and opponent. For some of these teams, you can even get tickets the day of a game.

Football is more difficult and tickets for single games are not yet on sale. For some teams they are impossible to get unless one uses a broker. Schedules are not even in general release yet, so you can not even check game dates with your dates. nfl.com is a place to start your research for football.

If have no clue about college games.

Here are the UCLA home games for that time (college football). They play in the Rose Bowl with 100,000 fans. A must see.

Saturday August 30, 2008, FRESNO STATE
Saturday September 6, 2008, TENNESSEE
Saturday September 20, 2008, ARIZONA
Saturday October 4, 2008, WASHINGTON STATE

http://uclabruins.cstv.com/
http://www.rosebowlstadium.com/

You want to watch for when individual tickets go on sale. It will probably be this summer. You can also check ebay when times get closer.

It is too bad you won't be in Michigan! Great fall sports area.

You can always get a ticket for any sport, just depends on demand and what you want to pay. In this area (Michigan) it isn't really done the day of the game anymore, it is all done ahead of time on ebay.

College football is almost always on Saturday morning/afternoon, pro football is almost always on Sunday afternoon (with a Monday night game as well).

Baseball wraps up their regular season in September, so if a team is fighting for a playoff spot, tickets will be more expensive, but if a team is mathematically out of it, then tickets will be easy to come by.

Football will be just underway, so there won't be any problems with playoffs.

I just looked at USC's college schedule and they play Ohio State on Sept. 13 in L.A. That will be a huge game.

Sept. 20 Stanford plays San Jose State. Stanford has a beautiful campus.

Sept. 27, Cal plays Colorado State. Cal also has a beautiful campus.

Just keep checking ebay for tickets as things get closer. That is the best way to do it.

And just to clear up one thing, you speak of college football as though it is a lesser sport. But here in the US, college football is HUGE and is a wonderful day spent tailgating and cheering. Each college game means so much. If you lose even one your chances of the national title are much slimmer. You get the bands and the students and the cheers and it is really fun. I would highly recommend it over a pro game any day!

Considering all the choices you'll have, you should have no problem getting tickets for a college football game. Being from the East Coast, I'm not sure about the availability of tickets for the West Coast pro football teams.
As for baseball, you should be able to get something, especially for a midweek game, without having to pay scalper's prices.

I very much agree with kelliebellie about College Football...lived most of my life in the Syracuse, NY area and the football team at SU have always been good and the games were fun, HOWEVER!, when hubby and I relocated to Athens Georgia, home of the University of Georgia..nothing prepared us for the fun and the passion these people have for their football games...so, so ,so much fun!!!!

You should be able to get tickets to The 49ers in San Francisco. For years that would have been an impossibility - but they are in a low point and tix are much more available. The "LA" pro football team actually plays in Anaheim.

SF Giants tickets will be easier than in past years too. It is a great stadium w/ amazing views of the Bay.

There is no LA professional football team, even in Anaheim. :( There is one in San Diego.

Los Angeles has two very exciting college football teams, though: USC which plays in the Coliseum, and UCLA, as mentioned above.

As for baseball in LA, there are the ridiculously-named Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, actually in Orange County and the Los Angeles Dodgers in LA. There is really nothing special about Anaheim stadium. Dodger Stadium is a classic ball park. I would choose San Diego or San Francisco for baseball game.

Oh sheessh - OF COURSE not! That is what I get for typing while laying in bed having just taken a muscle relaxant! :)

I was thinking "LA Angels of Anaheim" and some how brain faded into football. Maybe these meds are stronger that I thought :D

If you can get tickets, you should definitely see baseball in San Francisco, see the Giants. Its a gorgeous stadium. We also had no trouble getting tickets to see the Mariners in Seattle a couple years back, using stubhub. We payed just a little bit over list price and had good seats. The Seattle stadium has a retractable roof, so they can close it if its raining. Its a nice place to see a game.

I suspect that you can get tickets to see the Oakland Raiders for football. That stadium doesn't sell out, at least it didn't used to. And well, I think seeing the Raider fans would be an interesting experience. The Raiders probably have the LEAST nice stadium of the football cities you are going to be in, but that may make it the easies ticket.

I'm sure you could see the Oakland A's as well, but the other baseball stadiums are so much better, I really wouldn't recommend it.

I believe most football teams put their tickets on sale in April. You might check their websites occasionally to see.

Hey, at least the weather is better in Oakland and no the Raiders still don't sell out so that is probably the best bet for NFL. Lots of college games but they may be even harder to get tickets . College kids are very enthusiastic about their schools but the cheap seats will probably be available.

thereyet

You can get tickets to any game, from scalpers selling tickets in front of the stadium on the day of the game. If you hold out until minutes before the match starts, you can usually get great seat(s) for less than face value of the ticket.

I have done it for football matches on both sides of the Atlantic. Not once have I been disappointed. Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Chicago Bears, TB Bucks, Miami Dolphins etc. etc......

I bought my tickets for a San Diego Padres game on-line for 4/25/08. You can view the stadium and choose your section and price range. You can also call the park itself for best seats available.

I have been to most of the top football and baseball stadiums in the USA.
Your best bet is to see a 49'er football game in San Francisco and a Giants baseball game in San Francisco. Pac Bell Park where the Giants play is the best of the new stadiums. Its a great place to see a game.
In the same area, you could see a Cal. Bears college football game in Berkeley. Its another great place to see a game.
You should have no problem getting tickets to each. Make sure you check where your seats are before you buy.

Will

its not called "PacBell" stadium anymore, is it? where the Giants play? I wanted to say the name, but couldn't remember...is it AT&T stadium? I hate corporate names!

I can't believe everybody saying that its easy to get west coast NFL tickets. I mean, I believe you, I just can't believe its so easy. Speaking as a Patriots fan, I haven't been able to get a ticket since Gillette stadium opened in 2002. To scalp a single nosebleed seat will cost me well over $300. I might have to go west to see my team play! (an I think they go west 4 times next season...)

No "Pac Bell" is not the name of the Giant's stadium - but it is still what most folks call it.

Just like most of us call Candlestick "Candlestick" no matter who the naming rights were sold to. (But it is back to plain old Candlestick again since Monster decided not to renew)

china_cat, thats true for football and baseball tickets. Same reason why I am going to 8 Red Sox games this year - all on the Road.

china-cat--it use to be true that someone had to die for you to get decent Niner tickets, but it's no longer true. Having a crappy team does that!!!! Also I don't think we have as many diehard fans--many people here are transplants and for many fans their "team" is still their hometown team. You should see how many different baseball caps are worn at Giants games!!!

tchoinere - going to Toronto in September?

No. Will be out of vacation time by then...Have seen them in Toronto in the past.

3 in Baltimore in May
2 in Philly in June
2 in Tampa in July,
1 in Chicago in August

I am trying to go to every MLB stadium and try to have the Sox as many as possible. Last year saw Schilling's 1 Hitter.

Any of the stadiums on Susies trip are great stadiums (minus the Angels - which is still very nice considering it was multi-purpose). If I had to rank the ones proposed, it would be San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Dodger Stadium, Angel Stadium (whatever its called now)

We're season ticket holders for the UCLA Bruin football games. There's nothing better than sitting on the shady side of the Rose Bowl watching the Bruins play. They're a wonderful, wonderful team and it's such a fun experience.

http://uclabruins.cstv.com/sports/m-...tbl-sched.html

Go Bruins! >:D<

I got into work this morning and I'm so grateful that so many people have responded to my post!

I think the College football sounds great - I was never implying it wasn't as good, I always assumed that the atmosphere would be fantastic. I just thought that possibly there would be more games to see, hence more availability.

Can anyone recommend best seating areas? I know that here in Oz at the Australian Football it is actually better to be up higher than close up down low as you really get a feel for the whole game.

The best sections at the Rose Bowl are located in sections 4,5,18,19, rows 1 to 59.
I have been 2 Super Bowls here a couple of Rose Bowls. Its worth the extra money to be seated in these sections.
Home games in Sept for UCLA are: Tennessee(Sept-6th),and
Arizona(Sept-27th).
If you can I would see the Arizona game as its a Pac 10 rival.

Will

SusieQ78, Just so you know there are many people in the US who actually prefer a good college football game (Go Gators) to pro football. The atmosphere and intensity in college football, I think, is far better than the pros. Every game matters and every game will be exciting, especially for the major conference teams. Hope you enjoy your experience whatever you do!

Do not waste your money on professional football. Unless you are familiar with the game the difference in play between the pro games and the college games will be lost on you. Pro sports are expensive and lack the excitement and pagentry that goes along with college ball. Halftime with the college bands and dancers will be worth the price of admission. Go early and wander the tailgating. People will love to hear that you're visiting from Oz and attending your first football game.

We are UCLA alums and have season tix.

Review the stadium seating. You do not want to sit in Gates B-D. The sun will be in your eyes for hours. Sit on the other side of the stadium. Also, the lower 10 rows, give or take a couple, are not a good idea. Certain rows are a pain in the neck because you have people standing during the entire game and you can't rest. The Rose Bowl is such a wonderful place to see a game. If you need help getting tix, post and I'll be happy to

After seeing baseball in about 15 to 20 American cities, I suggest going to see baseball in San Diego, myself.

And I disagree with the college vs pro football opinion on this thread. Not to me, and I go to all the college games I can, because I do think they are great fun. But to me it is not anything like a pro game. The most intense atmosphere I have experienced in Sports all around has been in football and at Chicago Bears/Green Bay Packer games.

It totally depends upon what college or where, and the college atmosphere is a college atmosphere, IMHO, and that is fine, but different- more alma materish and less urban regional, besides the skill levels being different.

SF is going to be much, much harder to get baseball tickets at then the others.

<i>SF is going to be much, much harder to get baseball tickets at then the others. </i>

This year, that probably won't be true. They're going to suck big-time this year, and there are many more seats available for individual games. If you can get tickets, the stadium is fabulous.

dmlove, compared to the others mentioned, the SF are still harder to get and more expensive.

How did yo get the Philly-Sox tickets? even there we got shut out of the lottery!!

you know, interleague play only exists because all the owners want there chance for the visiting Red Sox and Yankees. they sell out road stadiums as well as home. Did you know the Red Sox are playing an exhibition game against the Dodgers in the LA Coliseum. And they have sold it out!! this is a FOOTBALL stadium that seats 100,000 people, and all the tickets are sold. They are going to put 15K SRO seats on sale. I think its going to set a record for largest crowd for a baseball game. And its an exhibition! (also, the proceeds are going to charity, so that's way cool).
(And it should be a real interesting game, as I understand it, in the rectangular football field, the left field wall is a mere 200 feet away, with a 60 foot high net. the right field wall is something like 500 feet away. )

I love the NFL, but I have to agree that for a tourist, someone who wasn't interested in a specific team or players, the college game might be more fun. And USC has such an exciting offense, I should think it would be great to see a game.

I won the right to buy seats for 1 game and a friend got the right for a game so the 2 of us are going to each game.

That game in LA will be insane. I entered the lottery for tickets to it but got shut out.

I got shut for tickets to Fenway so I guess the Philly / Baltimore trips do make up for it.

<i>Sept. 20 Stanford plays San Jose State. Stanford has a beautiful campus.</i>

And Stanford's band is a can't miss!!!

I also vote for the college game. You will have a wonderful, wonderful experience!

Paula

A couple more tips about the San Francisco area teams:

Baseball- both Oakland A's and SF Giants have access via public transportation, BART &amp; Muni Metro

College Football- UC Berkeley has access via BART, no good public transit options for San Jose State or Stanford

Pro Football- SF 49ers no good public transit options but Oakland Raiders are accessible by BART

Ticket websites:
stubhub.com
craigslist.com
ebay.com

**Better prices are often available as it gets closer to game time.

I agree with the others that say college football is much better. Pro's just don't have the same excitement. Hey, we have our tickets for Monday when the Red Sox come to Philly. For $5,000 you can have my two, but not a penny less.
dave

Actually, on home-game days, you can take Cal-Train to Stanford station (it doesn't usually stop there, but it does on game days) and walk across the street to the stadium.

I should add, while there is access to Cal-Berkeley's stadium via BART, it's a long walk, somewhat uphill from the BART station to the stadium. The Cal-Train station at Stanford is actually closer to Stanford Stadium than BART is to Cal's stadium.

Oh, and Stanford stadium itself (remodeled a couple of seasons ago) is gorgeous.