The 2026 NFL preseason is over, so there are no remaining 2026 exhibition tickets to buy. This guide uses dated 2026 team information to help you plan the next buying cycle without pretending an expired listing is live. In most cases, the first useful shopping window opens around the NFL schedule reveal, but every club controls its own presales, inventory and pricing. There is no single league-wide ticket price—or one guaranteed cheapest day.
The practical answer is simple: buy early if you need a particular section, accessible seating, a group of adjacent seats or travel certainty. If you are local, flexible and willing to miss the game, monitoring verified resale inventory closer to kickoff can be reasonable. Always compare the all-in amount for the same seat and quantity. Use our NFL preseason hub to verify the matchup and date before opening a club's official ticket path.
When NFL preseason tickets go on sale
NFL preseason tickets commonly become discoverable around the full schedule reveal in May, but “on sale” is a club-level event rather than one nationwide opening bell. The NFL's 2026 schedule-release page said single-game tickets would go on sale as games were revealed. Teams then applied their own priority lists, member windows, local programs and public-sale times.
Indianapolis offered a clean 2026 example. The Colts announced on May 12 that first access would begin on May 14 at 7:30 p.m. ET, when the schedule was unveiled. Their home inventory included two preseason games, and all fans could use the club's ticket page and Ticketmaster once sales opened. Kansas City used a different ladder on May 15: an 8 a.m. CT Jackson County window, a 10 a.m. season-ticket-member presale and an 11 a.m. public sale. The Chiefs also warned that availability and dynamic pricing applied.
Those two official announcements show why a search for one “NFL preseason tickets release date” can mislead. The reveal is the checkpoint; the team announcement supplies the exact rules. A sensible release sequence is:
- Before the schedule reveal: join the club's legitimate email or priority list and note any group or accessible-seating contact process.
- At reveal: confirm the home game, date, kickoff time and venue before following the team's ticket link.
- During presales: check whether eligibility, a code, billing ZIP or account status is required.
- At public sale: compare primary inventory and any clearly labeled verified resale listings on the same all-in basis.
- Later: recheck only if the first options do not meet your budget. Additional seats may appear, but neither availability nor a lower price is guaranteed.
Do not assume next year's Colts or Chiefs times will repeat. Treat them as evidence of how team-controlled launches worked in 2026, then verify the new season's club notice. Our broader NFL ticket buying guide covers regular-season release and purchase mechanics; this page stays focused on preseason decisions.
What NFL preseason tickets cost: dated 2026 examples
Price sample status: the figures below are historical team-published 2026 references, checked on September 4, 2026. They are not live offers, resale asking prices, a forecast for the next preseason or an NFL-wide average. They are useful because they show how much location and ticket product can matter even before a reseller enters the picture.
| Official source | 2026 preseason seat example | Team-published per-game amount | Source timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | South end zone, 700 level | $71 | Published February 27; accessed September 4, 2026 |
| Green Bay Packers | Between the 20-yard lines | $109 | Published February 27; accessed September 4, 2026 |
| Baltimore Ravens | Perch corner H2, rows 16 and higher | $70 | Official 2026 matrix; accessed September 4, 2026 |
| Baltimore Ravens | Lower midfield A1, rows 1-5 | $266 | Official 2026 matrix; accessed September 4, 2026 |
| Baltimore Ravens | Field seats south | $1,031 | Official 2026 matrix; accessed September 4, 2026 |
Green Bay's official article listed five stadium-bowl preseason levels from $71 to $109 and described those preseason prices as roughly half of its regular-season prices. That relationship belongs to the Packers' 2026 structure; it is not a league rule. Baltimore's matrix illustrates an even broader product spread, from a $70 upper-level example to a four-figure field-seat product. Premium access and placement can overwhelm the simple “preseason is cheap” assumption.
Why not average these numbers? The sample mixes two stadiums, selected sections and a premium field product. It also says nothing about how many seats sold at each amount. An unweighted mean would look precise while answering no useful buying question. A defensible comparison starts with one game and one seating target: upper corner versus upper corner, lower midfield versus lower midfield, and standard seat versus the same standard seat.
Also keep price type separate from seat quality. Baltimore noted that individual pricing could change with availability and demand. A number on an official team matrix is a starting reference; the primary listing you encounter can be dynamic, and a resale listing is a seller's separate ask. For a distinct view of regular-season club variation, see our 2026 NFL ticket prices by team snapshot. Do not use that regular-season ranking as a preseason quote.
Face value, primary dynamic pricing, resale prices and fees
A ticket page can place several kinds of inventory side by side. The label matters as much as the number. Ticketmaster says the Event Organizer sets the original face value, the quantity released and the timing. It also says verified resale tickets are labeled and priced by the reseller, who may ask more or less than face value. Meanwhile, a club can use dynamic pricing for its remaining primary inventory.
| Price term | Who controls it | What it tells you | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face value | Event Organizer | The ticket's original established price | Whether that seat is still available at that amount |
| Primary dynamic price | Event Organizer through the primary seller | The current price for newly issued inventory | That the price will stay fixed |
| Resale asking price | Individual or professional reseller | What that seller currently wants | The original face value or eventual sale price |
| All-in displayed price | Ticket seller under its display rules | Ticket price plus required fees before taxes | Every possible tax, shipping choice, parking purchase or optional add-on |
The Federal Trade Commission's fee rule, effective since May 12, 2025, requires covered live-event ticket sellers to display the total including mandatory fees upfront. Government charges, shipping and genuinely optional extras can sit outside that displayed amount, but they must be disclosed before payment. The rule does not outlaw fees, set ticket prices or prohibit dynamic pricing. “All-in” therefore means much more than a teaser price, but it does not automatically include your parking, food, transit or optional insurance.
For example, imagine two comparable seats display at $78 and $82 on the same platform. The $78 seat is not truly cheaper if it requires a delivery choice or other charge that raises the payable amount above $82. Conversely, do not add an old-style fee estimate on top of a price that already includes required fees. Proceed to the final review screen, without completing the order, and compare the same quantity and inclusions.
Finally, “official marketplace” does not mean every listing is primary inventory. It can include authenticated resale tickets as well. Look for the listing designation, record the all-in amount, and decide whether you care about the ticket's origin or only its verified validity and total cost.
The best time to buy depends on your risk
There is no evidence-backed rule that NFL preseason tickets are always cheapest on a certain weekday or a fixed number of hours before kickoff. Primary prices can move with demand, resale sellers can change their asks, and inventory can expand or disappear. The best time is the moment an acceptable verified seat meets your all-in budget and the remaining risk fits your plans.
| Buying mode | Best fit | Main advantage | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buy near release | Travelers, larger groups, accessible-seat users and fans wanting an exact section | More planning certainty and potentially more primary choices | A later comparable listing might cost less |
| Monitor the market | Local fans with a firm budget but several acceptable sections | Time to compare primary and resale options | Adjacent or preferred seats can vanish while you watch |
| Wait until late | One or two flexible local buyers who can skip the game | A motivated reseller may reduce an ask | No suitable ticket may remain, or the price may rise |
Buy early when the ticket is only one part of a larger commitment. A flight, hotel, child-care arrangement, wheelchair companion seat or group of six adjacent seats can cost more to replace than any possible ticket saving. Early does not guarantee the lowest price; it purchases certainty and selection.
Monitor when you can define substitutes. Decide in advance that, for example, any upper-level sideline section within your all-in cap is acceptable. Check at sensible intervals rather than reacting to every displayed scarcity message. Compare a stable seat target, not a cheaper corner seat against a more expensive midfield seat and call the difference market movement.
Wait late only if “no purchase” is a comfortable outcome. Ticketmaster may support purchases close to event time when inventory is available, but that capability is not a promise that the seat you want will exist or fall in price. Set a deadline that leaves enough time to complete a legitimate mobile transfer, download the venue app if required and reach the stadium.
A good trigger is written before shopping: maximum all-in ticket total, number of adjacent seats, acceptable sections, latest purchase time and whether you can walk away. Once a verified listing satisfies all five, the benefit of waiting is speculative while the cost of losing it may be real.
How to compare preseason ticket listings correctly
A search-results card is a lead, not a comparison. Open the actual event page and normalize the details. Two listings for “the same game” may differ in quantity, row, restricted-view status, club access, parking or whether the number is per ticket. A low single-seat price does not solve a two-seat purchase if no adjacent pair exists.
Use this compact comparison card for every candidate:
- Event: visiting team, home team, venue, date and kickoff time.
- Seats: quantity, adjacency, section, row and any view disclosure.
- Product: standard seat, premium space, hospitality, parking or other inclusion.
- Listing: primary or verified resale, plus the platform and observation time.
- Money: all-in price per ticket, order total and any still-excluded tax or optional item.
Suppose one pair is displayed at $75 per ticket and another at $82. That is not enough information. The first could be two nonadjacent seats, while the second is an adjacent pair; one could be upper corner and the other lower end zone; one total may be before a selected optional add-on. This is a hypothetical method example, not a current ticket quote. Only after matching the relevant attributes does the $7 difference mean anything.
Capture the date and time if you plan to monitor. A simple note—“Tuesday 3:00 p.m., two adjacent seats, Section X, Row Y, verified resale, $___ all-in each”—prevents memory from turning unlike listings into a trend. The blank is intentional: use the current amount you actually see instead of copying a stale article figure.
Keep transportation in a separate budget line. A team's parking inventory can be a different mobile product, as Kansas City's 2026 notice illustrated. “Cheaper ticket” is not necessarily the cheaper trip if the seat changes your parking, transit or lodging needs. Compare the full outing for your own decision, while keeping those optional costs distinct from the legally displayed ticket total.
Buy safely and prepare for mobile entry
Begin at the NFL's ticket page or the club's own website, then follow its current marketplace link. This reduces the chance that a look-alike advertisement or search result becomes your entry point. Ticketmaster identifies itself as the NFL's Official Ticket Marketplace and labels verified resale inventory, but you should still confirm the event, venue and account before paying. Our NFL teams directory helps you find the correct club schedule; it is not a ticket seller.
Before purchase, check four things that “verified” alone does not answer:
- Is the listing for the correct home venue and preseason date?
- Does the displayed quantity produce adjacent seats, if you need them?
- Is the ticket eligible for transfer or resale if your plans change?
- What does the Event Organizer say about cancellation, postponement or a changed kickoff?
Do not promise yourself a refund based on a generic blog statement. Ticketmaster's NFL guidance says policies can vary by event and organizer. Read the terms shown for that exact order before committing, especially if travel costs are nonrefundable.
NFL admission is also a mobile-account task. Ticketmaster says screenshots and printouts are not accepted. Mobile tickets can use a moving barcode, and a legitimate transfer generates a new barcode while invalidating the sender's original one. That security design is why a stranger's emailed screenshot—or a so-called printable preseason ticket PDF—is not a safe admission credential.
Complete this game-day checklist before leaving:
- Accept any transfer through the marketplace's actual account flow, not merely through an image or forwarded email.
- Sign in with the same email associated with the ticket and confirm every seat appears.
- Add eligible tickets to the phone's wallet in advance; venue connectivity can be crowded.
- Charge the device, update the relevant app and increase screen brightness at the gate.
- Save parking separately if it is a mobile pass, and send each attendee their ticket only through the official transfer function.
If a transfer never arrives, the barcode will not load or the event details differ, stop and contact the platform or club through its official support path. Buying earlier gives more time to resolve an account problem; buying at the last minute trades away that buffer.
A practical timeline for the next preseason
The 2026 sequence is a useful planning model, not a calendar promise. Green Bay published season-ticket price information in February, the league revealed its full schedule in May, clubs opened different single-game windows around that reveal, and preseason games followed in August. Next year's exact dates and sales rules can change. Organize your actions by phase:
Before the schedule is released
Choose a team, rough seating zone and total trip budget. If you need wheelchair locations, companion seats or a large group, contact the club's official ticket office early because those are not interchangeable with any random resale seat. Use the team schedule directory as your navigation starting point, then subscribe only through the club's real domain.
When the schedule and sale notice arrive
Verify opponent, home venue, date and time. Read who qualifies for each presale and when the public window opens. Sign in before the start time, confirm the payment method and compare the first acceptable seats against your written all-in cap. Do not buy from a schedule graphic: it tells you when a game is played, not whether a mobile credential is valid.
During training camp and the preseason
Recheck the game time, transportation and venue rules. If you are still monitoring tickets, use the same quantity and seating target each time. Roster excitement, injuries or local demand may change how sellers price seats, but none guarantees a particular direction. Our 2027 NFL preseason schedule release guide tracks the next cycle's confirmed status; verify every new date independently.
In the final days
Only keep waiting if you remain willing to skip the game. When you buy, accept the mobile transfer immediately and complete the wallet/account checks. Confirm parking and gate-opening details through the venue. If a date or kickoff changes, follow the Event Organizer's current notice rather than relying on the older schedule you saved.
This timeline separates planning certainty from price speculation. You cannot control future inventory, but you can control your sources, comparison basis, spending ceiling and technical readiness.
Frequently asked questions
Are NFL preseason tickets cheaper than regular-season tickets?
They can be, but it is not a league-wide rule for every seat or market. Green Bay's published 2026 stadium-bowl preseason prices were roughly half its corresponding regular-season prices. A premium preseason product can still cost hundreds or more, and resale demand can move independently. Compare the same team, section, row and price type.
When do preseason tickets usually go on sale?
The full schedule reveal in May is a key checkpoint. In 2026, the Colts and Chiefs opened club-controlled windows around the reveal, but their presale sequences and exact times differed. Watch the current team's official announcement; do not assume an old date repeats.
Is it better to buy preseason tickets early or late?
Buy early for exact locations, adjacent groups, accessible seating or travel certainty. Monitoring or waiting can suit a flexible local fan who accepts the chance of finding no satisfactory ticket. No reliable universal rule guarantees that waiting produces a lower total.
Are resale tickets always more expensive than face value?
No. Ticketmaster says a reseller may price above or below face value. That comparison can still be hard because face value, current primary dynamic pricing and resale asking price are different concepts. Use the clearly labeled listing and compare the current all-in amount for equivalent seats.
Can I use a screenshot or printed PDF as my NFL ticket?
Not for Ticketmaster mobile NFL entry. The platform says screenshots and printouts are not accepted, and active tickets may use a moving barcode. Accept the legitimate transfer into your account and use the supported app or digital wallet. A printable preseason schedule is only a planning document, not admission.
What happens if a preseason game is changed or canceled?
Check the Event Organizer's terms for that exact purchase. Refund, rescheduling, transfer and resale rules can vary, so a general article should not promise an outcome. Keep the order confirmation and follow the official platform or club notification.
Bottom line: verify the next matchup on the preseason schedule hub, enter through the club's official ticket path, compare equivalent seats at the all-in amount and purchase when the listing meets both your budget and your tolerance for uncertainty.
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