SAN DIEGO -- City officials are withholding $102,083 owed to the Chargers as part of an attendance-guarantee agreement, contending a snafu caused by the team kept fans away from the Sept. 29 game against the New England Patriots.

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In 1995, the Chargers signed an agreement with the city guaranteeing general paid attendance of 60,000 seats. If game attendance drops below that number, the city has to make up the difference by purchasing unsold seats.

Since the guarantee became effective in 1997, the city has had to pay the Chargers more than $25 million.

Although more than 60,000 fans attended the Sept. 29 game, the city still had to purchase 1,849 tickets because more than 8,000 club and promotional seats are excluded from the city count, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Most of the seats the city purchased were in the $59 section, the newspaper reported.

The city withheld payment after some fans said they saw a stadium sign on Friars Road that said the game was sold out the morning of the Patriots game, the newspaper reported.

Prompted by a constituent's call, San Diego City Councilman Jim Madaffer asked city staff to investigate, the newspaper reported.

They reportedly determined that the "sold out" sign was displayed on game day and that the message was initiated by the Chargers' organization.

Chargers officials said Wednesday they still need to look into the issue, the Union-Tribune reported.

However, a team spokesman said last week, "The Chargers do not control the signage in question at the stadium, and the Chargers never instructed anyone to classify the game as a sellout."

City staff will report back to the council about the issue on Nov. 4.