How Much Can You Save On NFL Parking?

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How much money do you think you can save on NFL parking?

• $50?
• $100??
• $200??

In short, all 3 figures are within the realm of possibility. And while the last one may strike you as an exaggeration, I assure you it’s not.

Consider the following:

• The overall average price of an official NFL stadium parking pass on the secondary market was $220 in 2021. The cheapest available parking on the other hand, averaged $110, or 50% less.
• We regularly track prices for 12 ticket sites, and the lowest for a particular team or game is on average, 26% cheaper.
• Off-site parking is much, much cheaper and can cost as little as 10 bucks.

In the event that the 3 conditions above intersect to some degree, saving 200 bucks – or more – is quite easy.

But before we elaborate on savings, let’s get the first order of discussion out of the way. And that is…

How much is parking at NFL games?

In 2021, the average price for the cheapest available parking pass on the secondary market was $110.01. To repeat, that was for the lowest-priced parking spot for a given game, not the overall average cost.

The Best NFL Parking Deals for Each Team

Markedly, your perception of the average price will determine the usefulness of this article. That is to say, if it didn’t faze you, then you’re likely to bounce. On the other hand, if you think 110 bucks is absurd for a low-end price, then keep reading.

So, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the resale cost of parking passes, we’re going to open your eyes in a BIG way.

Eye-Popping Game Day Parking Costs in the NFL for Week 1

To sum it up, the visualization below shows the difference between secondary market inflation for tickets as opposed to parking. Secondary market prices are based on the cheapest available from 12 ticket sites for the 2022 season.

nfl-ticket-prices-by-market

nfl-parking-prices-by-market

nfl-ticket-vs-parking-2022

• The first slide shows a mere 17% difference between the average face value NFL ticket & the average cheapest available seat on the secondary market in 2022.
• In stark contrast, the second slide reveals that the average cost of the cheapest parking pass in 2022 was virtually 3 times as much as the average face value.
• The result? The cheapest available NFL ticket cost just 9% more than the cheapest parking pass.

And if that wasn’t enough to curdle your mind, get a load of this: In 2021, there were nine teams for which the cheapest parking pass was more expensive than the cheapest ticket.

Furthermore, we’re not talking about chump change. For those 9 teams, secondary market prices were an average of $45.69 more for parking, or 49%:

Alrighty, now that we have a basis for comparison, here are 2 examples of just…

How much money you can save on NFL parking

1) Green Bay Packers

Just as in the case of NFL ticket prices, we chose to use a team with above-average market costs to prove a point.

Significantly, 91% off of the average secondary market price for that particular game meant a savings of $401.

2) Dallas Cowboys

Unlike Green Bay, the resale cost of an AT&T Stadium parking pass was closer to the league norm. As a matter of fact, it was actually below average. Prior to the start of the regular season, the median price for the cheapest available Cowboys parking pass was $109 (8% < average).

Below is a comparison of 3 prices for the Dec.11 game vs. Houston:

• On-site High. This is the price for a Blue Lot 2 parking pass, the most expensive on the secondary market.
• On-site Low. The cheapest available parking (Silver Lot 14).
• Off-site. Middling price for a privately-owned lot via parkwhiz.com.

In this case, we used ticketliquidator.com for on-site parking. Reason being, Ticket Liquidator’s median cost of $108 is nearly identical to the overall median.

5 reasons why you’re overpaying for NFL parking

1) NFL Ticket Exchange

Generally, we don’t point to a single site as a root cause of a problem, but here’s 3 reasons we’re making an exception with NFL Ticket Exchange:

1. High prices. Theirs is routinely amongst the highest.
2. Team affiliation. Because several NFL team websites direct you to NFL Ticket Exchange when you’re looking to reserve parking, they have a higher visibility. Way to set an example (see #3).
3. Who needs 2? Not sure if this still applies, but in 2019, NFL Ticket Exchange, in many instances, required you to purchase two parking passes.

2) “Closer is better” mentality

A common mistake many fans make when reserving a stadium parking pass is assuming that closer is better. 

This is true, in theory. The closer you are to the stadium, the shorter the walk. Also, having the stadium in close proximity can provide an extra shot of inspiration to your pre-game festivities.

In reality though, the premium price tag will, at best, offset the benefits, as the cost difference can be hundreds of dollars. In addition, it will take that much longer to exit the lot once the game is over.

3) Waiting till the last minute

There is a Best Time To Buy NFL Tickets, and it’s typically within a week of the game. Thus, it’s understandable why many fans think the same when it comes to booking a parking spot.

On the contrary, NFL parking prices tend to rise the closer it gets to game day. Reason being the demand can overwhelm the supply to the point where it’s damn near impossible to get a space.

Here are 2 prime examples:

• The Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans has just 7,000 spaces on its premises.  For a venue with a seating capacity of over 74,000, that’s just ridiculous. Talk about clusterf**k.
• Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis has a total of one official parking lot.  Now if that isn’t a logistical nightmare, I don’t know what is.

The bottom line is that game day parking spots often sell out, and that includes offsite parking. Hence, urgency is a factor, so you’ll want to reserve your space sooner rather than later.

4) You disregard off-site NFL parking

When you think of off-site parking, do you picture a shabby lot in a seedy neighborhood, far from the stadium? 

Of course, places like that (still) exist. But more often, off-site parking spots are secure, attended, include amenities, and are located within a half-mile from the stadium. Moreover, some of them even allow tailgating. 

So if you’ve been forgoing this as an option, stop immediately. 

Off-site parking is the single, most effective way to save money on game day. The difference in price compared to even the least-expensive stadium parking can easily exceed $100. In fact, you can sometimes find spaces via third-party sites that are even cheaper than the cost of public transportation.

Stadium Parking Vs. Offsite Parking. Which Is Best For You?

5) All ticket sites are the same

Once again – as is the case for NFL tickets – not all sites are the same.

In fact, the price differences are even more extreme when it comes to parking passes.

Which Ticket Sites Have The Best Deals On NFL Parking Passes?

Namely, the following compares secondary market costs for tickets & parking in terms of:

• Lowest median price by ticket site vs.the average of 11 other sites,
• The difference between the sites with the lowest & highest median price.

Given that there are a lot fewer stadium parking spaces than seats, this greater variance comes as no surprise. Still, you wouldn’t expect this:

By contrast, the biggest savings difference for game tickets was 27% (TickPick/Colts).

Summary

• Unless you like spending money unnecessarily, avoid NFL Ticket Exchange like the plague.
• Parking closer to the stadium is not necessarily a better value and is often not worth the additional cost.
• Do not wait until the last minute to reserve your NFL parking pass.
• Off-site parking is an exceptional value, and can save you hundreds, literally.
• Not all ticket resellers are the same. In fact, there are sites that save you 50-70% on parking for certain teams.

Next: Best and Worst NFL Stadium Parking for Your Money.