Looking to Save at 49ers Games This Season? These Fans Have Ideas
It’s been a fantastic start to football season in the Bay Area.
With quarterback Brock Purdy leading the team to a smashing victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers are revving up for this season’s second home game on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
“If we can avoid injuries, we’ve got a good season ahead of us,” 49ers follower and San Francisco resident Hari Kumar said, capturing the thoughts of many fans.
But what Kumar and others aren’t too excited about is how much seats are going for this season. Seats in the nosebleed section for this weekend’s game against the Cardinals are averaging north of $150.
“If I want to splurge on a nicer seat, I’m looking at a ticket of over $300,” Kumar said.
A recent study by sports betting news site Action Network compared ticket prices, parking and other expenses at pro football stadiums nationwide and found that the average cost for a family of four to watch a game at Levi’s Stadium was a whopping $1,778.56. (The most expensive stadium? A visit to Highmark Stadium to cheer on the Buffalo Bills costs an average of $2,193.95).
The 49ers did not respond to KQED’s requests on what fan discounts are available this season, so we reached out to Niners faithful on what they do to cut down costs when making the trip to Santa Clara. And while options are limited, there are a few recommendations out there that don’t require buying a season pass.
How you could potentially save money on tickets
Unlike other Bay Area teams, the 49ers have very limited promotional offers for discounted tickets.
Fans can usually watch their team at Levi’s Stadium for a few dozen bucks during the summer for open training camp.
But during the regular season, when those prices go way up, some Niners faithful become very savvy navigating ticket resale sites.
Kumar compares ticket prices on TickPick, SeatGeek and Ticketmaster. But what helps him a lot in the long run, he said, is buying tickets on sites that offer cash back rebates if he pays with his credit card.
“Sometimes there’ll be a 5% or 10% back on SeatGeek or Gametime,” he said.
Another site Kumar said he logs into is cash-back marketplace Rakuten, which scans partner sites like Ticketmaster for tickets. Once you make the purchase, Rakuten sends you a small portion of your ticket cost as cash, helping lower the total cost of your tickets.
One more option to consider: your credit card’s rewards program. Some credit cards offer members the opportunity to trade in their points for experiences — which can (occasionally) include tickets to a football game.
How you could save money on parking at the stadium
At Levi’s Stadium, just “getting in and out of the parking lot for an event is a lot of time and money,” 49ers fan and San Diego resident Erik Espinoza said.
Even though he lives in Southern California, Espinoza still travels to Levi’s a few times each season. And to avoid parking at the stadium, he looks for spots in neighborhoods a walking distance from the stadium. Many streets will have signs that explicitly block game-day parking, but some homes or businesses may actually even be selling their spots to fans.
“I want to be mindful of the communities I’m parking in,” he said. “If it looks congested or crowded, I won’t add my car in that area.”
Even though it may take a little extra time, walking to the stadium becomes a whole experience in itself, Espinoza said. “There’s crowds of people that you’re walking with through the streets and everyone has their Niners gear on,” he said. “It’s like a sea of red.”
Other fans use the booking website SpotHero to find spots far away from the stadium and take public transit to the game from there.
For this Sunday’s game, the page lists several garages in downtown San José that will charge you less than $20 for a 5-hour reservation.
While parking all the way in San José sounds like a trek, keep in mind that VTA has a direct light rail route from this area to Levi’s Stadium.
If you choose not to park in San José, you can also look for free parking in Mountain View or even further up the peninsula and hop on Caltrain — then transfer to the VTA light rail.
A single VTA adult fare is $2.50, and Caltrain ticket prices vary by how far you’re traveling: Coming from San Francisco will cost $10.75, while a trip from Redwood City will be $6.25.
And if you get around places on your bicycle, remember that Levi’s Stadium has a complimentary bicycle valet service located in Red Lot 1 and Green Lot 1.
Bike drop-off begins three hours before the start of the game, and you must pick up your ride within the hour after the game ends.
How you could save money during the game itself
Putting down almost $20 for a stadium beer? Yes, that’s definitely possible at a game.
So while Levi’s Stadium may boast dozens of concession stands that include some pretty mouthwatering bites (pulled pork nachos, anyone?), some fans commit to saving the cash by eating before heading to the game.
Others just bring their lunch with them. “I normally don’t spend too much on concessions,” Kumar from San Francisco said. “I like to pick up a sandwich or something, and save that way.”
And here’s the thing: According to the stadium’s visitor policy, you can bring outside food — “as long as it is placed in clear plastic wrappings or bags that comply with the NFL bag policy.”
Any fruit you bring has to be “cut into smaller pieces,” according to the stadium. And while you can also bring water bottles, they must be sealed (as in, not yet opened) — or if they’re reusable, they’ll have to be transparent, smaller than 24 ounces and, of course, contain no alcohol.