This article was written by traveling sports fan Dan Brewer, and may contain affiliate links.
I can distinctly remember the excitement of planning my very first trip to an NFL game. I wanted to see Brett Favre play for the Packers at Lambeau before he retired. For this special occasion, I wanted to make sure that I knew how to find the best seats at an NFL football game.
We ended up with great seats at Lambeau to watch Favre (many years before he actually retired), and I’ve been addicted to traveling to NFL stadiums to watch games ever since. Over a decade and 10 NFL stadiums later, I have learned a great deal about how to find the best seats at an NFL football game.
At UltimateSportsRoadTrip.com, I am passionate about helping sports fans plan the best possible sports trips. In this post, I share all my insights on how to find the best seats for an NFL football game.
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My Top Picks for the Best Seats at an NFL Football Game
Going to a NCAA or NFL football game can get pretty expensive, pretty quickly. Most of us don’t have unlimited resources to drop cash on really expensive football seats, so I hope to help you find the best football seats within your budget. Yes, the best seats in NFL football stadiums are often the most expensive, but I’ll give you lots to think about before picking the very best seats for you.
1. The Very Best Seats: Lower Bowl Sideline Seats – Between the 20’s
I wanted really good seats for my first NFL game, so I paid up and got lower bowl seats on the sidelines. Since my first game in Green Bay, I have sat in a wide variety of different locations in NFL stadiums around the league and can confidently say that the lower bowl sideline seats are the best seats for an NFL football game.
Read more: Plan a Trip to Buffalo to see a Bills Game.
Pros of Lower Bowl Sideline Seats
There are so many reasons why I think these are the best seats for a football game. I think this is the best place to sit for an NFL game as it mostly closely replicates the view you enjoy watching football on TV.
From this vantage point, you will be close to the action, no matter which end of the field the play is on. If you have end zone seats, there are often times you’ll have trouble following the play at the opposite end of the stadium.
If you sit close enough to the action, you’ll get a very real sense for the speed and power of the football game. You can see the velocity of the ball, or the bone-crushing power of the tackles. It’s awesome!
You’ll be very close to one of the team’s benches, so you can easily watch all the sideline action. If possible, choose to sit on the sideline where your favorite team will be one.
Cons of Lower Bowl Sideline Seats
Given I think this is the best place to sit for an NFL game, if it were up to me, I’d sit in these seats for every game. But, there are a few negatives associated with lower bowl sideline seats you should be aware of:
The biggest con of the lower bowl sideline seats is the cost. These are the most sought after seats in any football stadium and as such, get pretty expensive, especially in the resale ticket markets. Virtually every time I sat elsewhere in an NFL stadium, it was because of the cost.
Read more: Plan a Trip to Cleveland to see a Browns Game.
There’s such a thing as sitting too close. For the lower bowl sideline seats, I recommend sitting in the 20th row or higher. If you are lower than this, you can lose the elevated perspective which allows you to follow the developing plays. And, if you are really close to the field, you risk having your view blocked completely by elevated TV camera platforms, etc.
In summary, if you can afford them the lower bowl sideline seats are the very best seats at an NFL football game.
2. Lower Bowl Corner Seats
When I go to NFL games, the very first place I look for tickets is the lower bowl sideline seats. But, when these are too expensive, where do I look next for the best affordable seats at an NFL football game? The lower bowl corner sections! Sitting in the corner sections of the lower bowl at NFL games is the next best thing for any avid football fan.
Pros of Buying Lower Bowl Corner Seats
To me, the biggest pro of buying lower bowl corner seats for a football game is the price. In my experience, these seats are typically half-the price of the sideline seats (the most expensive football stadium seats).
You get almost all the same benefits of the sideline seats – you’re close to the action and can really appreciate the speed of the game, along with the skill and talent of the players.
The one thing that always stands out for me when I sit in the end zone corner seats is how small the end zone actually is! There is not a lot of real estate back there, so seeing it in person really makes me appreciate the skill of the QB and receivers, making the up-close touchdowns all the more exciting.
When you sit on the sidelines, your head will be moving back and forth all game. When you sit in the corner seats, you are positioned facing directly at the playing field, meaning you won’t have to turn your head at all.
Cons of Lower Bowl Corner Seats
The lower bowl corner seats may offer the best value for your money for NFL football tickets, but there are a few downside to consider.
The biggest downside of the lower bowl corner seats are that the game is often hard to follow when the play is in the red zone at the far end of the field. The flip side to this, is of course, the play is very exciting when it’s coming towards your end zone – especially when it’s your team trying to score!
The same obstruction and viewing angle concerns apply to the lower bowl corner football seats. Try to sit in row 20 or higher.
Read more: Plan a Trip to Vegas to see a Raiders Game.
3. Upper Bowl Sideline Seats
I don’t always go for lower bowl corner seats when the best seats are too expensive. On my very first multi-city NFL road trip, I sat on the 50 yard line in the upper bowl of the Superdome for the battle between Drew Brees’ 10-0 Saints vs Tom Brady’s Patriots (one of the highest rated Monday Night Football games of all time!). Sitting in the upper bowl sideline seats is a great experience, and is a worthy contender for the best football seats in a stadium.
Pros of Upper Bowl Sideline Seats
The NFL fans who love the upper bowl seats are the ones who love the strategy of the game. From the upper deck, you can see the entire field and easily watch the plays develop. Down below, the game is often too fast to appreciate how the play develops, but up here, it’s a thing of beauty.
Although it is often pretty close, the upper bowl sideline seats are often slightly cheaper than the lower bowl corner seats.
The lower bowl seats are often accused of being “too corporate” or “too snooty”. This certainly wasn’t the case when I sat with the crazy Bills Mafia at Highmark Stadium, but more often than not, this criticism of the lower bowl seats is somewhat true.
Companies buy the higher priced seats to entertain and impress clients, who may or may not be true footballs fans. This leads to a less enthusiastic crowd, and can often be less fun. The upper bowl sideline seats are typically the best seats for football atmosphere. The real NFL fans sit up here, making it a lot more fun to enjoy the game.
Cons of Upper Bowl Sideline Tickets
Every football fan is different, but I’m more of an action guy than a strategy guy. I love the speed of the game that you enjoy when buying tickets in the lower bowl. The truth is that the game seems slower from the upper deck, which is great for the strategy fans, but I find myself longing to be down below.
You will also miss the personal details of the game which you experience with lower deck tickets. The facial expressions, actually feeling the force of a strong tackle, etc.
In the end, if you can’t sit in the lower bowl sideline sections, your choice between lower bowl corner and upper bowl sideline is purely a personal choice. The price is pretty much the same – what kind of fan are you – action or strategy?
4. Lower Bowl End Zone Seats
I first sat in lower bowl end zone seats for a Vikings / Cowboys game in the old Minneapolis Metrodome (you know… before the roof caved in). The lower bowl end zone seats will largely have the same pros and cons of the lower bowl corner seats, but I just like the corner seats better.
This likely has something to do with a lot of the end zone action being focused on the corners. Deep throws to the corners, running backs dashing to the posts, etc.
One unique advantage of lower bowl end zone seats is the field goal game. It’s a ton of fun watching a football in flight, heading towards the uprights – it doesn’t fly as straight as you’d think! Plus, if you’re like me, heckling or jeering the opposing team’s kicker before the kick is so much fun!
If budget is a concern, the lower bowl end zone seats are often less expensive than the corner sections, for basically the same experience.
5. Upper Level Corner Seats
To be honest, I’ve never sat in the upper level corner seats for an NFL game, but I have for a CFL game (that’s the Canadian Football League, eh). That’s almost the same, right??
The advantages of upper level corner seats are the same as the upper section sideline seats – you’ll enjoy a better football atmosphere and you’ll save money.
The disadvantages of the upper bowl corner seats are that you are increasingly further from the action, thus slowing down the game even further. This is especially true when the game is being played at the far end of the field.
6. Upper Bowl End Zone Seats
Ok, so just because the upper bowl end zone seats are last on my list of the best seats for football games, doesn’t mean they are bad seats. The only bad seats at a football stadium are… wait.. nope, there are no bad seats in an NFL football stadium!
Yes, this would be my last choice for a place to sit at a football game, but you still get all the incredible advantages of attending a football game live. The incredible atmosphere, shared with 70,000 other rabid football fans is an experience I will pay for time and again – even if I need to sit in the ‘worst seats in the stadium’.
Bonus: Club Level Seats
I’ve never had the privilege of sitting in club level seats at a football game, but I have for countless NHL hockey games. In addition, I once sat just seats away from the Club Seats at the Toyota Center for a Houston Rockets game.
What I can tell you about Club Level seats are that they are often some of the very best seats in an NFL football stadium. They typically come with premium offerings such as private lounges, in-seat food delivery and high-end food options.
But, these seats are, without fail, the most expensive football seats in the stadium. Given there are usually non-Club Level seats in the stadium with identical views, the only reason you would pay up for a Club Level seat is if you are entertaining an important client or celebrating a special occasion.
Otherwise, I’d never recommend a regular ‘ol NFL fan like me shell out a ton of cash for club seats. I’d recommend finding identical non-club seats and enjoy the real cash savings.
Read more: Plan a Trip to Los Angeles to see a Rams Game.
Additional Considerations for Choosing NFL Seats
Weather
Sometimes the weather and climate of an NFL city makes a big difference in where the best seats in a football stadium are. For example, are you looking to go to a Week 17 game in Buffalo, NY? Then maybe you want to pay up for seats in the heated sections.
Or, are you going to an early season game in a warm climate. Do you want to sit in the sunny sections and roast the entire game? Or would you seek the shady side of the stadium?
Location of the Sun
Similar to the weather consideration, if you are going to an outdoor football stadium, be aware of which direction the sun will be in. Keep in mind this will change depending on the time of day – morning, afternoon or night games.
All else being equal, I’d prefer not to watch a football game with the sun directly in my eyes.
Middle Tier Seats
Some stadiums, like the beautiful SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, have multiple tiers of seating – not just upper and lower bowls. In this case, the middle tier offers a great compromise for those struggling to determine where their best seats are. The middle tier combines all the pros and cons of the upper and lower bowls, often making them a very desirable place to buy football seats.
How to Buy the Best Seats at an NFL Football Game
Now that you know how to find the best seats at a football stadium, the next step is actually buying the best NFL football seats you can within your budget.
I have developed a two step method to finding the best football seats for each game I am lucky to attend:
1. Start with Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster is the Official Ticketing Partner of the NFL. This means that Ticketmaster is the only place where you can buy NFL football tickets at the original face value, assuming the game hasn’t already sold out.
So, my first step in finding the best football seats for a game is to pull up the game on Ticketmaster.com.
Next, click on the “Filters” button and find the “Verified Resale Ticket” button. Unselect this option and then click on “Apply Filters”.
What this will do is eliminate all resale tickets from your search results. At this point you’ll be shown all the football seats that remain at the original face value. This is your best chance to find the very best football seats at a fair price.
The problem is that due to its immense popularity, most NFL stadiums are almost always sold out. If your game is already sold out, or if you are underwhelmed by the selection or location of the remaining face value tickets, then you have no choice but to go to the resale market for your tickets.
2. If Required – Check the Reseller Ticket Markets
Resale markets, like StubHub and Vivid Seats, are great marketplaces to buy and sell NFL football tickets. The problem for fans looking to buy great football seats, is that ticket prices on the resale markets are often well above their original face value. But, at this stage, you’ll have no other choice, other than staying home to watch the game (which is always an option if the ticket prices are too insane).
The most important thing you need to know about navigating the reseller market for football tickets is that you need to shop around. The tickets for sale on these markets are often by people trying to make a profit on their seats. Some people may be motivated sellers – perhaps they need the money for something else, and others may be charging an unfairly high price, in hopes of finding a sucker willing to pay it.
Whenever I need to buy football seats from a reseller, I always open up the three main marketplaces: Ticketmaster, StubHub and Vivid Seats. Opening all three at once allows you to get a really good feel for what a fair resale price is for the football seats in your desired area of the stadium. It becomes clear what seats are a rip-off and which ones are priced to sell.
Given you are already on Ticketmaster, go back to the Filters and turn the “Verified Resale Ticket” filter back on.
The reseller I have used most often is StubHub – it seems like they have the biggest market share and therefore the biggest selection for each game. The increased competition between sellers helps keep prices down.
Don’t forget to check Vivid Seats. Although they don’t have the market share that Ticketmaster and StubHub do, I have been successful finding my football seats here on several occasions.
Once you have Ticketmaster, StubHub and Vivid Seats open, set pricing filters to exclude tickets above your budget. Make sure you have selected the option to show prices with fees and taxes included. Then it’s a simple process of finding the best football seats in the stadium within your price range.
Enjoy the Game!!
I use this process every single time I have bought tickets for an NFL game. It has always resulted in me finding the best football seats available within my price range. I am confident it will work for you as well!!