Football Tickets for MIDS Family
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severn
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... so 2 weeks ago, I went to the USNA ticket office to buy home games tickets and the Army-Navy game. The young fella was eating and I couldn't understand him. Something about home games are available in mid April and Army-Navy in November. Maybe some of the football ticket experts here can chime in. I will call today just to confirm. I think Plebes are allotted 4 tickets. Honestly I never ask my Mid for tickets because he's extremely busy.
If you have to travel any significant distance to get to Annapolis, the best football game is any game that falls on a 3day weekend in October. Go to the game then take the Mid into DC or Baltimore Saturday and Sunday. I suppose that there are Mids that get hugely Jacked up for games, but attendance is “Mandatory Fun” for Mids. When DW or I rolled into town my Mid wanted to "sleep in a real bed," order off a restaurant menu, take Mom’s CC card into bed-bath-beyond, shop for snacks at Whole Foods and watch PPV from a hotel bed with her Mom-n-Dad. Football games are fun for them, but its something they do most weekends in the fall and they really don’t get to sit with you much. In contrast that 3rd day of a Three day weekend is golden, you can give the Mid a real break from the Yard.
Having said that, I was lucky to be able to attend 7 games while DD was there. USAFA was always a great games to see. A really good substitute for ARMY/NAVY which I’d hold off on until after your Mid graduates. You just don’t get to see your kid at all at that game. Mids have to travel in for the game as a group and they have mandatory stuff to do before and after the game. It really is a “Hi Mom-Bye Mom” situation. You'll get much of the same SA rivalry vibe at USNA / USAFA and some time with DD/DS. Go to Army/Navy after graduation. You’ll get to have a great time with your DS/DD and they can pay for the tickets!!
I see that Columbus Day weekend is a Bye for Navy this year, too bad………. Not really, my DD would have been cheering the fact that she could leave the yard and head into DC without losing half of Saturday to a football game. We love, (well..loved) college football in my family, but while DD was a Mid if DW and/or I were in Annapolis seeing a good game was very subordinate to giving DD a break from the grind.
I had great luck with Stub-Hub and Seat Geek (there are a bunch more sites these days). I always found better selection of seats at better prices vs purchase through the Navy sources. I’d look for tickets about 4-6 weeks before the selected game, (season ticket have to decide if they are going or selling). I kinda felt like I was sending my money into a black-hole at times, but over 7 games, the tickets I was delivered were the real deal and exactly what I had ordered.
I found that the best seats were visitors side across from the Mids. Never was able to get really good seats on the home field side.
Good luck to you.
Having said that, I was lucky to be able to attend 7 games while DD was there. USAFA was always a great games to see. A really good substitute for ARMY/NAVY which I’d hold off on until after your Mid graduates. You just don’t get to see your kid at all at that game. Mids have to travel in for the game as a group and they have mandatory stuff to do before and after the game. It really is a “Hi Mom-Bye Mom” situation. You'll get much of the same SA rivalry vibe at USNA / USAFA and some time with DD/DS. Go to Army/Navy after graduation. You’ll get to have a great time with your DS/DD and they can pay for the tickets!!
I see that Columbus Day weekend is a Bye for Navy this year, too bad………. Not really, my DD would have been cheering the fact that she could leave the yard and head into DC without losing half of Saturday to a football game. We love, (well..loved) college football in my family, but while DD was a Mid if DW and/or I were in Annapolis seeing a good game was very subordinate to giving DD a break from the grind.
I had great luck with Stub-Hub and Seat Geek (there are a bunch more sites these days). I always found better selection of seats at better prices vs purchase through the Navy sources. I’d look for tickets about 4-6 weeks before the selected game, (season ticket have to decide if they are going or selling). I kinda felt like I was sending my money into a black-hole at times, but over 7 games, the tickets I was delivered were the real deal and exactly what I had ordered.
I found that the best seats were visitors side across from the Mids. Never was able to get really good seats on the home field side.
Good luck to you.
foamspoon
Daughter USNA Class of 2027 - Daughter USCGAS
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Blue and Gold Club Member and bought season tickets. Membership allowed us to get Army-Navy tickets and Navy/ND tickets for this year. The level of Blue and Gold membership dictates how many A-N tix you can purchase. Last year we didn't fully understand the process and missed out on the purchase of A/N tix and had to buy outside the system for a high price. We try to make every home game. Not sure the mids get extra tix.
Mids are not allocated any tickets during home games. They are required to attend and sit with the Brigade. Tickets are pretty easy to buy online- FB, box office, parents groups. With the exception of the Air Force game, Notre Dame, and Army-Navy. If you are interested in those, consider joining Blue and Gold for the option to buy tickets early.
Army-Navy is in a unique situation right now because the game is on year 2 of a 5 year road trip to various stadiums. The traditional Philly stadium offered ample seating and every mid was offered 4 tix to purchase. Last year’s game in Boston was a smaller stadium and plebes were not offered any tickets.
This year it is at FedEx field in MD which is 1100 seats smaller than Boston. Rumor is the mids will be offered 2 tix to purchase, but it hasn’t happened yet. I would assume plebes won’t be offered any again. The demand in the DC/MD area is extremely high because of heavy concentrations of Navy and West Point alums, active duty, reserves, fans, dignitaries, etc.
severn
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...
* 27April. Contribute $600 to Blue and Gold and you can buy home games (or individual games) and Army - Navy Game.
* Season Ticket Holders. Can buy now.
* Outside Ticket Vendors-Commercial Businesses. I asked about these outside commercial vendors who are selling Navy Football tickets now. She said they are all scammers and fraudulent because USNA did not release tickets to them. And if your tickets did not work for some reason, USNA can not help you.
... so this is a quick update from the USNA ticket office:{Called and spoke to a nice lady.]
* 27April. Contribute $600 to Blue and Gold and you can buy home games (or individual games) and Army - Navy Game.
* Season Ticket Holders. Can buy now.
* Outside Ticket Vendors-Commercial Businesses. I asked about these outside commercial vendors who are selling Navy Football tickets now. She said they are all scammers and fraudulent because USNA did not release tickets to them. And if your tickets did not work for some reason, USNA can not help you.
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JudgeGuy
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Mids have no options for regular season tkt that I am aware of. They typically get an option to purchase 4 Army-Navy tkts for family. My MIDN did that last year for us. This is my 3rd yr with season tkts. Every year there are changes to the allotment for Army-Navy. You can easily get tkts for any home game from the Navy tkt office or Seat Geek other than Air Force or ND. Season tkt holders used to get more options to buy Army-Navy tkts but it was reduced to just 2 tkts this year even though I have 4 tkts. I had to up my B&G donation level. The benefit of season tkts are 1st choice/options (Feb I bought me season tkt and Army-Navy & ND tkts) for ND game and Army-Navy. B&G donors purchase options started and are staggered over the next month. Then on 4/30 Mids will likely get email offering opportunity to purchase up to 4 Army-Navy tkts. B&G & impt tkt date info is in the below links:
"Outside Ticket Vendors. I asked about this outside commercial vendors who are selling Navy Football tickets now. She said there are all scammers and fraudulent because USNA did not release tickets to them. And if your tickets did not work for some reason, USNA can not help you."
Thinking this one through:
There are two seat purchases questions introduced by the OP. Navy home games, and Army/Navy specifically. I understand the USNA ticket office observation …”scammers and fraudulent”….. as it relates to the purchase of as yet unreleased Army/Navy tickets. That said, Seat Geek and Stub-hub are hardly fraudulent sites, and a good option for folks who will see one or two Navy home games in a given year.
The first few times I used these ticket brokering sites to buy Navy home game tickets I was a little skeptical. You hand over your CC# (like most internet purchases) and all you get back is an e-mail with a bar-code on it that is supposed to get you into a game at some time in the near future. You have no idea who the original holder of the ticket is, (maybe they are printing them in their basement).
Ooo-Kay
, but you know it worked smoothly 7 out of 7 times for me for Navy home games and multiple times since for my teams away games.
Best
Short version— “what JudgeGuy said"
Thinking this one through:
There are two seat purchases questions introduced by the OP. Navy home games, and Army/Navy specifically. I understand the USNA ticket office observation …”scammers and fraudulent”….. as it relates to the purchase of as yet unreleased Army/Navy tickets. That said, Seat Geek and Stub-hub are hardly fraudulent sites, and a good option for folks who will see one or two Navy home games in a given year.
The first few times I used these ticket brokering sites to buy Navy home game tickets I was a little skeptical. You hand over your CC# (like most internet purchases) and all you get back is an e-mail with a bar-code on it that is supposed to get you into a game at some time in the near future. You have no idea who the original holder of the ticket is, (maybe they are printing them in their basement).
Ooo-Kay
, but you know it worked smoothly 7 out of 7 times for me for Navy home games and multiple times since for my teams away games.Best
Short version— “what JudgeGuy said"
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Army-Navy needs to come home to Philadelphia where it belongs!
IronmanDaremo
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Nah, I'm quite happy it is staying within the DMV for the next two cycles. Means I can actually go. 
Ihavenoidea
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YAH!! I love the fact that it is just a couple hours away this year. Going to a Army Navy game is on bucket list. It is happening this year!
We live in the area and if our son gets in we will get season tickets which don’t include army navy. We buy about 3-4 a year. Hint if you don’t mind not having a seat, or have younger kids, the very best place to sit is on the grass behind the goal post. It’s more fun, you can see well and you are right next to the plebes and can watch their antics and your kids can do pushups as they do them. Also when seats don’t fill by half time you can just go sit in one.
JudgeGuy
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Absolutely! It is a perfect spot, almost equal distance between both USMA & USNA. MIDNs have easy post-game access (5 min subway ride from stadium to down town) to all the parties, bars, restaurants, and holiday events downtown Philly has to offer. My MID and friends were able to hit several post-game holiday events minutes after leaving the game and enjoy parties at Penn.
Last year Gillette was in no mans land, miles from Boston or Providence. Not sure of DC layout, Baltimore not bad with harbor not too far. Met Life a PIA to get into NYC post game.
IronmanDaremo
What, me worry?
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severn
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... so many previous posts about proper clothing for the game. Last year, I was tracking the weather about one week prior to the game. It was 44 degrees prediction until game time. And like a moron, "okehhh, I'll dresssss for a niceeee, warmmmm, weatherrrrr." (For dramatic effect, apply a voice over tone from the movie The Jerk).
It wasn't. Period. It was 24 degrees. It was cold, freezing. During the game I texted my son so he can join us for pizza and burgers. After eating, we left before halftime.
I'm prepping now for game clothes. Also I reserved a hotel less than 1 mile from the stadium just in case the weather turns to $h1+.
{Correction from my previous post. 9th April. Priority open date for 3-star Blue & Gold Members}
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The Notre Dame game is in East Rutherford this year for those living in that AOR. FedEx Field, soon to be Something Else Field, is easy on-easy off the Washington Beltway as stated above in PG County, Landover, MD just down US-50 from Annapolis.
JudgeGuy
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Last yr for ND game, M&T had a nice area around Camden Yards with bars and restraunts The I hit with friends the night before and before the game. Never made it to Harbor area, but didn't sound like it was walkable. Leaving was indeed an adventure as somehow after following signs to 95N I found myself on 295 heading the BWI
