There's a stretch every fall where the games don't count yet, the rosters are still half-set, and die-hards show up anyway. That's preseason — and if you've written it off as B-squad filler, it's time to look again. This year's slate is stacked with matchups that feel a lot more like a night out than a scrimmage.
Basketball's Back, Sort Of
The Celtics-76ers rivalry doesn't wait for opening night. Philly heads to Boston for a preseason tilt at TD Garden on October 10 (from $196), then the two teams flip the script two weeks later when Boston visits Philadelphia's Xfinity Mobile Arena. Same faces, different building, and a genuine chance to see next season's rotations take shape before the standings start mattering.
Out west, the Lakers roll into San Francisco to face the Warriors on October 6 at Chase Center, with tickets from $158. Preseason or not, that's two franchises with more championship banners than most leagues combined, sharing a court. You don't need the standings to make that feel big.
Hockey's Quiet Head Start
Salt Lake City is having a moment right now, and its new NHL home is squarely at the center of it. Delta Center hosts a run of preseason and early-season hockey that doubles as a proper introduction to the league's newest market — the Avalanche stop by September 26 (from $43), and the Blackhawks follow October 1 (from $162). If you've been curious about what all the buzz around Utah's team is about, this is the cheapest, lowest-pressure way to find out.
Down in Florida, the Lightning visit the Panthers on September 26 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, with tickets from just $21 — proof that preseason value isn't a myth, it's a line item you can actually plan around.
Why Bother Before the Games Count
Here's the case for preseason that nobody makes loudly enough: it's live sports with the volume turned down and the access turned up. Arenas are looser, crowds are smaller, and you can often grab seats close to the action for a fraction of what the same matchup costs once the regular season kicks in. Rosters are still being finalized, which means you might catch a rookie's first minutes in an NBA jersey or a new line combination before anyone else has seen it. There's a real thrill in being early.
It's also a low-stakes way to test-drive a new venue or city. Thinking about a trip to San Francisco or Philadelphia? A preseason game is a great excuse to build a weekend around, without the ticket price of a marquee regular-season date.
How to Approach It
Treat preseason tickets the way you'd treat any other live event — check the seat map, know the building, and buy when the matchup and the price line up for you. Availability tends to be looser than in-season games, which gives you more room to pick your spot rather than settle for what's left. Browse the full mix of what's on over on the sports page, and if you're just trying to figure out what's worth your Saturday, this weekend's lineup is always a good starting point.
The regular season will get its due soon enough. For now, preseason is the quiet secret — real basketball, real hockey, real buildings, without the markup that comes once the games start counting.
