Tailgating at football games is an American tradition with some teams being better known for their raucous car park tailgates than their onfield prowess. What’s not to love? Beers, bar games, food and football!
With the NFL season kicking off on Thursday night when the reigning Super Bowl champion, Kansas City Chiefs take on the Baltimore Ravens: Oddspedia took a break from offering the latest NFL odds and NFL predictions to find out where is the best NFL tailgate by cost: where is the most expensive, and where’s the best value for your buck.
Oddspedia looked at the costs of a tailgate experience for a group of 4 hungry revellers, including cost of parking in the tailgate zone for the first games of the season, and a list of essential party foods and drinks to make a tailgate go off with a bang.
Which NFL teams offer the best value for money for tailgating?
Average cost across the NFL was $205.17
*note: costs for the teams that share the same stadium are the same.
** the Seattle Seahawks don’t permit tailgating onsite, however there are a number of options a short walk away from the stadium – these are what were taken in to consideration during this study
The NFC West features high on the list for most expensive NFL tailgate experiences, with the San Francisco 49ers topping the list as the most pricey pregame party.
The 49ers topped both food cost and the car parking cost lists, with the real pain coming in their car park costs: they were found to be $32.00 more expensive and the second place team. 49ers fans are somewhat at the mercy of the team when it comes to seeing them play: Levi’s Stadium is 40+ miles away from downtown San Francisco, at least a 45 minute drive even on a good day, and over double that should you want to take public transport. When there’s a captive audience: there’s a license to print money.
It’s a good job they’re one of the NFL’s best teams and the on-field experience can help justify those prices…
Los Angeles Rams / Chargers – $257.55
The Rams and Chargers play in what may be the league’s finest facility. SoFI Stadium in Inglewood, CA is a $5.5 billion masterpiece and is sure to be the home of a handful of Super Bowls over its lifetime.
The two teams also moved to a city where everyone drives. If you’ve ever been to Los Angeles, you’ve definitely sat in traffic. With such demand for spaces: it’s no wonder the cost of parking was one of only two locations in the USA where the price broken the $100 barrier.
Another reason why the Rams and Chargers charge so much for parking is that actual tailgating parking spaces are at a premium at SoFI Stadium: with spaces only available in three sections of the parking complex.
Dallas Cowboys – $242.15
Much like Rams and Chargers fans, Cowboys fans are somewhat at the mercy of parking in official car parks for their NFL tailgate experience. Parking in an official lot can cost up to $88.00, which drives up the price for your gameday. However… a visit to Reddit would suggest there are more economical options in ‘non-Jerry’ parking lots not far away.
The second NFC East team on our list: Philadelphia Eagles fans have a longstanding reputation for a raucous but good natured tailgating experience.
The Eagles featured high on our due to above average parking costs ($80.00) and the second most expensive food and drink bill in the league.
Given the team’s recent boom-or-bust performance after a Super Bowl performance in 2023, only to be followed by a mid-season collapse and an early playoff exit in 2024: it’s a good job the Eagles fans make the most of their gameday in the parking lots as the game is never guaranteed to go the way they hope when it kicks off.
Birds fans can be very welcoming to other football fans in the tailgate. As long as they are wearing green…
Washington Commanders – $224.10
The Washington Commanders are in a period of transition as a franchise: still finding their feet under a name name and with new ownership, but one thing that seems to have to be addressed is the cost of parking at their tailgate! Tied for 8th in the league when it comes to parking cost, they round off a poor showing for the NFC East when it comes to NFL tailgating cost.
Arizona’s team may be a work in progress after a 2023 season with few highlights, but Cards fans can take comfort in the cheapest NFL tailgating experience. With tailgate parking spots available for around $21.00, it’s an absolute bargain and should be a must for all fans.
One tip we’d give: beware of the weather – early season temperatures in Glendale, AZ can hit 105℉ – take some cover to escape the sun or wait for the temperatures to drop later in the year should you have an urge to hit up an Arizona Cardinals tailgate.
Atlanta Falcons – $173.05
‘It’s all coming up Milhouse’ for Atlanta Falcons fans! Not only does the team have its first legitimate franchise quarterback since Matt Ryan, a revolutionary new stadium… it also has one of the cheapest NFL tailgates!
Atlanta is one of the homes of great barbecue and you have to imagine the pregame parties down in A-Town are not only among the most economical but also some of the best catered in the country.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $174.94
The reigning NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers can hold their heads high after an offseason of consolidation in resigning Baker Mayfield and a number of onfield contributors… and by rewarding their loyal fanbase with one of the cheapest NFL tailgate days!
Not only is the Tampa Bay tailgate great value for money: the rules are pretty relaxed on where you can setup your party. A number of NFL teams are strict on where you can tailgate, but the Buccaneers allow it in any stadium controlled car park! GO BUCS!
Carolina Panthers – $181.06
Let’s hear it for the NFC South! Three teams from the South were among the five least expensive NFL tailgating experiences.
The onfield product, under the leadership of sophomore quarterback Bryce Young, is very much a work in progress, but an overall position as the NFL fourth least expensive tailgate has got to be a relief to fans: even if they’d rather stay out in the parking lot to party than watch the Carolina Panthers take the field!
Does it get much better than being a Kansas City Chiefs fan? Your future Hall of Fame tight end is dating Taylor Swift, you’ve won back-to-back Super Bowls… and you have one of the least expensive NFL tailgate days in the league!
While many teams buoyed their fans’ spirits with low-cost onsite parking to facilitate the gameday tailgate, the Chiefs had fairly average priced parking, good for 19th in the league. It was the grocery cost where KC jumped out: the cost for feeding and watering four rabid Chiefs fans was the lowest in the league and helped the incumbent NFL champions stake a claim to one of the best NFL tailgates by cost.
Teams above / below average costs
How does each team’s local tailgating costs compare to the national average of $205.17?
How much does food and drinks differ locally?
It’s not a tailgate without the food and drinks! Otherwise you’re just standing in a car park, and you’re sober! Below is the local costs of ingredients for cheeseburgers, hotdogs, Italian subs, chicken wings, pretzels and chips and dips enough to feed a hungry group of revellers. For drinks, we’ve included the price of a 16 pack of beers, sodas and water.
The average cost for feeding four football fans across the 30 cities was $147.79.
What is the cost of parking for tailgaters?
To determine parking prices, we investigated the first game of the season at each stadium and looked for parking options that were relatively close to the venue. Our focus was on identifying lots with lower price ranges that permit tailgating. Average for parking was $57.38.
Methodology
Food and Drink prices:
To estimate the cost of tailgating for 4 people, we first gathered prices for various food and drink items from local supermarkets near each stadium. We categorized these items as follows: For food, we included Chips & Dips, considering 4 different dips and 4 types of chips. For Italian Subs, we looked at the cost of sub rolls, mayonnaise, pepperoni slices, salami slices, ham slices, Gouda slices, lettuce, tomato, and red onion. Cheeseburgers were accounted for with packs of 6 burgers, burger buns, Cheddar slices, lettuce, and tomato. Additionally, we included BBQ/Buffalo chicken wings, pretzels, and hot dogs, with packs of 8 hot dogs and hot dog buns.
For drinks, we considered three options: a pack of 16 beers (33cl each), or 2 liters of soda, or 2 bottles of water (1.5L each).
After collecting the prices from these local supermarkets, we calculated an average cost for each stadium to provide an estimate of the total tailgating cost.”
Parking:
To determine parking prices, we investigated the first game of the season at each stadium and looked for parking options that were relatively close to the venue. Our focus was on identifying lots with lower price ranges that permit tailgating. We found that in some cases, the prices were for resale tickets due to high demand and limited availability, while in other instances, there were still plenty of standard parking spots available.
Total costs:
Finally, using both sets of data, the total tailgating cost for 4 people was calculated for each stadium. The “vs Total Average” column shows the difference between each value and the overall average.
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Andy is a sports writer and content creator specializing in performance data and analytics. He is also one of the UK's top football coaches, leading a top-5 ranked team. He regularly appears in local and national media covering the UK's fastest-growing sport. Though football is his primary passion, Andy has experience in college basketball, pro basketball, and MLB. With a degree in Film and Media, he has a rich background in digital communication and marketing. Andy excels at creating intelligent, data-driven content that entertains and informs bettors, with his work quoted in Sports Illustrated and Newsweek. His analytical approach to betting mirrors his content creation, ensuring well-supported perspectives and predictions.
