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Spectator Sports
Overview of Phoenix Spectator Sports
Call Ticketmaster (tel. 480/784-4444; http://www.ticketmaster.com/) for tickets to most of the events below. For sold-out events, try Tickets Unlimited (tel. 800/289-8497 or 602/840-2340; http://www.ticketsunlimitedinc.com/) or Ticket Exchange (tel. 800/800-9811 or 602/254-4444).
Auto Racing - At the Phoenix International Raceway, 7602 S. Avondale Blvd. at Baseline Road, Avondale (tel. 602/252-2227; http://www.phoenixintlraceway.com/), there's NASCAR and IndyCar racing on the world's fastest 1-mile oval. Tickets range from $10 to $138.
Baseball - Back in 2001, the Arizona Diamondbacks (tel. 888/777-4664 or 602/514-8400; diamondbacks.com) surprised most of the nation by beating the New York Yankees in the last inning of the last game of the World Series. Such an edge-of-the-seat upset makes for rabidly loyal fans for this team, which plays in downtown Phoenix at Bank One Ballpark (BOB). The ballpark's retractable roof allows for comfortable play during the blistering summers, and makes this one of only a few enclosed baseball stadiums with natural grass. Tickets to ball games are available through the Bank One Ballpark ticket office and cost between $8 and $116. On the day of a game, you can also stand in line at Gate K in hopes of getting one of the few $1 day-of-game tickets. The best seats are in sections J and Q. If you'd like to get a behind-the-scenes look at BOB, you can take a guided tour. Tours cost $6 for adults, $4 for seniors and children ages 7 to 12, and $2 for children ages 4 to 6.
For decades, baseball's spring training season has been immensely popular, especially with fans from northern teams, and don't think that the Cactus League's preseason exhibition games are any less popular just because the Diamondbacks are World Series winners and play all summer. Spring-training games may rank second only to golf in popularity with winter visitors to the Valley. Nine major league baseball teams have spring-training camps around the Valley in the month of March, and exhibition games are scheduled at seven different stadiums. Tickets cost $5 to $24. Get a schedule from a visitor center, check the Arizona Republic while you're in town, or contact the Cactus League (tel. 866/705-4816; http://www.cactus-league.com/) or visit http://www.cactusleagueinfo.com/. Games often sell out, especially on weekends, so be sure to order tickets in advance. The spring-training schedule for 2006 should be out by November 2005.
Teams training in the Valley include the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Tempe Diablo Stadium, 2200 W. Alameda Dr. (48th St. and Broadway Rd.), Tempe (tel. 602/438-9300 or 480/784-4444 for tickets; http://www.angelsbaseball.com/); the Chicago Cubs, HoHoKam Park, 1235 N. Center St., Mesa (tel. 800/905-3315 for tickets or 480/964-4467; http://www.cubspringtraining.com/); the Kansas City Royals, Surprise Recreation Campus, 15960 N. Bullard Ave., Surprise (tel. 623/594-5600 or 480/784-4444 for tickets; http://www.kansascityroyals.com/); the Milwaukee Brewers, Maryvale Baseball Park, 3600 N. 51st Ave., Phoenix (tel. 800/933-7890 for tickets or 623/245-5500; http://www.milwaukeebrewers.com/); the Oakland Athletics, Phoenix Municipal Stadium, 5999 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix (tel. 602/392-0217 or 800/225-2277 for tickets; http://www.oaklandathletics.com/); the San Diego Padres, Peoria Sports Complex, 16101 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria (tel. 623/878-4337 or 480/784-4444 for tickets; http://www.padres.com/); the San Francisco Giants, Scottsdale Stadium, 7408 E. Osborn Rd., Scottsdale (tel. 800/225-2277 for tickets or 480/990-7972; http://www.sfgiants.com/); the Seattle Mariners, Peoria Sports Complex, 16101 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria (tel. 623/878-4337 or 480/784-4444 for tickets; http://www.seattlemariners.com/); and the Texas Rangers, Surprise Recreation Campus, 15960 N. Bullard Ave., Surprise (tel. 623/594-5600 or 480/784-4444 for tickets; http://www.texasrangers.com/).
Basketball - The NBA's Phoenix Suns play at the America West Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St. (tel. 800/4-NBA-TIX or 602/379-SUNS; http://www.suns.com/). Tickets cost $13 to $103. Suns tickets are hard to come by; if you haven't planned ahead, try contacting the box office the day before or the day of a game to see if tickets have been returned. Otherwise, you'll have to try a ticket agency and pay a premium.
Phoenix also has a WNBA team, the Phoenix Mercury (tel. 602/252-9622 or 602/514-8333; http://www.phoenixmercury.com/), which plays at the America West Arena between late May and mid-August. Tickets cost $11 to $128.
Football - The Arizona Cardinals (tel. 800/999-1402, 602/379-0102, or 623/266-5000; http://www.azcardinals.com/) are in the process of building a new stadium in the west valley city of Glendale. However, until the new stadium is completed in 2006, the Cardinals will continue to play at Arizona State University's Sun Devil Stadium. Tickets cost $15 (day-of-game only) to $150 and go on sale around mid-July. Most are $30 to $68.
While the Cardinals get to use Sun Devil Stadium, this field really belongs to Arizona State University's Sun Devils (tel. 480/965-2381; http://www.thesundevils.com/). Tickets range from $15 to $90. The stadium is home to the Fiesta Bowl Football Classic.
Golf Tournaments - It's not surprising that, with more than 200 golf courses and ideal golfing weather throughout the fall, winter, and spring, the Valley of the Sun hosts some major golf tournaments. Late January's FBR Open Golf Tournament (tel. 602/870-4431; http://www.fbropen.com/) is the by far the biggest. Held at the Tournament Players Club (TPC) of Scottsdale, it attracts more spectators than any other golf tournament in the world (more than 500,000 each year). The 18th hole has standing room for 40,000. Tickets start at $25.
Each March, the Safeway International LPGA Tournament (tel. 877/983-3300 or 602/495-4653; http://www.safewaygolf.com/), held at the Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club, 3976 S. Ponderosa Dr., lures nearly 100 of the top women golfers from around the world. Daily tickets are $20; weekly tickets are $50.
Hockey - Ice hockey in the desert? It may not make sense, but even Phoenicians are crazy about ice hockey (maybe it's all those northern transplants). In fact, the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes (tel. 480/563-PUCK; http://www.phoenixcoyotes.com/) have a state-of-the-art arena in Glendale (northwest of downtown Phoenix). Tickets cost $15 to $225.
Horse/Greyhound Racing - Turf Paradise, 1501 W. Bell Rd. (tel. 602/942-1101; http://www.turfparadise.com/), is Phoenix's horse-racing track. The season runs from October to late May. Admission ranges from $2 to $5.
The Phoenix Greyhound Park, 3801 E. Washington St. (tel. 602/273-7181; http://www.phoenixgreyhoundpark.com/), is a fully enclosed, air-conditioned facility offering seating in various grandstands, lounges, and restaurants. There's racing throughout the year; tickets are free to $3.
Rodeos, Polo, Horse Shows - Cowboys, cowgirls, and other horsey types will find plenty of the four-legged critters going through their paces most weeks at WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale (tel. 480/312-6802; www.scottsdaleaz.gov/westworld). With its hundreds of stables, numerous equestrian arenas, and a polo field, this complex provides an amazing variety of entertainment and sporting events. There are rodeos, polo matches, horse shows, horseback rides, and horseback-riding instruction.
Tennis Tournaments - Each February, top international men's tennis players compete at the Tennis Channel Open (tel. 480/922-0222; http://www.scottsdaletennis.com/), at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, 7575 E. Princess Dr., Scottsdale. Tickets run from $14 to $72 (tickets to later rounds are more expensive) and are available through Ticketmaster outlets.