SAN DIEGO -- The city of San Diego may try to recover funds it spent to buy tickets for a Chargers game that was advertised as a sellout when it wasn't, officials said Tuesday.

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Councilman Jim Madaffer received an e-mail from a constituent alerting him that the large electronic sign at Qualcomm Stadium displayed a message on the morning of Sept. 29 that tickets for that day's game were sold out.

In fact, the game didn't sell out.

There were "always tickets available for sale on the day of the game," Deputy City Manager Bruce Herring stated in a memo to Madaffer bearing Monday's date.

He said the sign showed the sold-out message because of a "miscommunication within the Chargers' organization."

Councilwoman Toni Atkins said at Tuesday's council meeting that there is "no valid reason the city should be forced to buy tickets" for that game, since the sign discouraged people from going to the stadium and buying tickets at the last minute.

She also said she didn't think this was a "good faith effort by the Chargers to ensure ticket sales."

"Clearly, it's the responsibility of the Chargers," said City Manager Michael Uberuaga. "I will follow up."

Uberuaga said he would look at the city's contract with the Chargers and get back to the council within two weeks on what course of action the city could take.

He suggested the city might try to make up the money when it reconciles the rent the Chargers may owe at the end of the year with what the city has paid out for tickets.

The city spent $102,083 on 1,849 tickets for the Sept. 29 game against the champion New England Patriots.

Under a controversial clause in the Chargers' contract, the city guarantees the team ticket sales of 60,000 per game. The original agreement called for a rent credit for the unsold seats up to 60,000, but the city saves some money by buying the tickets before the game.

The ticket guarantee has been in effect since 1997.