Second Tier Sporting Events

Ticket Buying Guide Index

• Guide to Scalping Tickets

• Championship Games

• Playoff Games

• Sold Out Games

• Everyday Games

• Second Tier Events

• Street Smarts and Other Watch-outs

• Need Help?

I define second tier events as sporting events such as the WNBA, WPS, minor league baseball, minor league hockey, women’s college basketball, and other leagues the majority of people have not heard of – let alone follow. Now, I call these second tier events not because they are any less fun or exciting to attend, but the demand for tickets is far less than traditional sporting events.

For these events, there is no secondary ticket market besides fans that just happen to have an extra ticket. Since tickets at the window are so inexpensive and very few people attend, there is no incentive for scalpers to work these events.

Your best bet is to buy tickets from the box office. It’s easy and cheap. But, if you want to try to buy a ticket for less than face value, take the market into your own hands. As people are walking towards the stadium, ask them if they have any extra tickets. Many people will not have extra tickets, but a few will and will either give you the ticket for free or ask for half face value. Remember good people to ask for extra tickets are those in large groups. They generally have a stack of tickets and often people do not show up.

Once you get your first free or discounted ticket at one of these events, you should be gaining some confidence on how easy it could be at a higher profile event. Consider second tier events as a training ground for trying to find, negotiate and buy tickets on the secondary market. The knowledge you gain will be invaluable for more lucrative events such as the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL as the steps in getting tickets for those events are the exact same as second tier events.