Watching your favorite football team play on TV is exciting, but what's even more exciting is watching the entire game unfold right in front of your eyes. For many long-time fans of football, attending a game in-person—whether a smaller game or the annual Super Bowl—is a huge goal. Tickets to see an NFL game can cost anywhere from a couple hundred to thousands of dollars. Depending on the team, they can also disappear in the blink of an eye. This makes securing one a reason to celebrate.
Your first football game is an experience you'll never forget, but don't get caught up in the elation and anticipation quite yet. Attending a game in-person is nothing like watching it on television. Many first-time attendees will arrive at the stadium sorely unprepared because they weren’t sure what to expect. In this guide, we'll go over what to know before going to your first football game so you can enjoy the game to the fullest.
The Seat Matters
If you have plenty of seats to choose from, don't go with the terrible ones just for the sake of saving money. Your seat can heavily impact your enjoyment of the game. Imagine spending hundreds of dollars on a ticket, only to realize once you sit down that you can't see a thing. The best seats in the stadium are generally the ones on the sidelines or facing the front of center field. Depending on your height, you may want to consider sitting higher or lower in the stadium. A seat that's higher up is better if you're taller. Lower is better if you're on the shorter side since you'll have to deal with fewer people sitting in front of you and potentially blocking your view of the field.
Expect To Stay the Entire Time
There's a chance that the game you attend might not be perfect. The weather could be terrible, there could be a long stretch of awful, boring plays, and the team you're rooting for may even lose. Even if you're not having the time of your life, stay until the end of the game. The game is what you make of it, after all. In the wake of the final call, you can celebrate your team's win or mourn their loss with fellow fans of the sport. You never know—you might wind up meeting a lifelong friend!
Dress for Success
Another thing to know before going to your first football game is how to dress for success. It's a no-brainer to dress in your team's colors, but you should also keep the weather in mind when you're getting ready for the game. Check the weather when you wake up and dress accordingly. If the forecast says it's going to be freezing, don't dress in a sleeveless shirt and shorts, and if it's going to be blisteringly hot, try to avoid wearing a dozen different layers. If there's even a small chance of rain, you might want to consider packing an umbrella and hoodie. This will prevent a surprise downpour from raining on your parade.
If you’re attending a game in mild weather, Greater Half’s patriotic button-down shirts make for the perfect choice of game day apparel. For colder, rainy days, check out our selection of hoodies and jackets, and for summer, our polos and jerseys. We’ve got you covered no matter what the weather looks like!