With Valentine’s Day upon us, love is in the air. On typical dates you will see expensive dinners and gaudy gifts. How about switching it up and taking someone on a date to a sporting event?

For those who have never done it before, it could be a daunting task. What event do I bring them to? How much should I spend? How do I make this an enjoyable experience for the both of us?

These questions are all very normal to someone who typically takes their date to dinners and movies. Follow these steps for a fresh type of date for under $100 – assuming the bill only falls on you.

First and foremost, you should purchase two tickets to the event ahead of time. Student ticket deals are a great option for college students, offering lower rates for tickets. For example, the Chicago Bulls have five different student ticket packages left this season for as low as $20. 

Once you have purchased tickets to the game, you can start planning the rest of the event. A good first step is food. 

Luckily for you, after spending money on the ticket, the restaurant doesn’t have to be fancy – unless you want it to be. It is situational, but you can’t go wrong with grabbing burgers, pizza or something similar to those choices. These foods are commonplace at sporting events, so it will stick to the sports-themed date and are half the price outside of the stadium.

On the day of the event, show up to the parking area at least an hour early to give you time to eat food before the game starts. Try to find a nearby place to eat outside, if it’s not too cold out, preferably with a view. 

After you finish eating, head to the stadium for game time. Before securing your seats, make a trip to the concession stand to get beverages for you and your date. After beverages are bought and seats are found, it all falls onto you.

Money will get you so far, but your personality is what can make or break a date. It sounds cliche, but you have to be yourself. If you are on a date with someone you want to be with for a while, you can’t put on an act. 

If you don’t want to make the trip out to Chicago, catching a NIU women’s or men’s basketball game is an excellent option. Tickets are free to all NIU students and general admission tickets start as low as $8. 

After watching the game together, you could take your date to Fatty’s Pub & Grille. Fatty’s is located on west Lincoln Highway and is an affordable and tasty option. 

You could end the night by taking your date to Culver’s, Baskin Robbins, or Dairy Queen to grab a scoop of ice cream. 

After successfully carrying out the date, give them a ride home and walk them to their door. Now, all you can do is hope for a call back.