On the heels of the Chicago Bears’ third straight losing season — and fifth in the last 10 seasons — the team is reportedly raising season ticket prices by an average of 2.6 percent, per ChicagoBears.com.
The team had kept prices flat for the last two seasons.
CBS Chicago reports most sections at Soldier Field will see a price increase in 2016, citing a letter sent by team president Ted Phillips to season-ticket holders on Wednesday. The Bears haven’t raised ticket prices since 2014, which came after the team finished 8-8, and in second place behind the Green Bay Packers, in Marc Trestman’s first season with the team.
In 2014, Phillips cited Soldier Field’s smallish seating capacity (61,500 was the second smallest among NFL stadiums when the last price increase happened) as reason to increase the cost of attendance, saying “[G]iven that we have the smallest capacity building in the NFL, it’s pretty much a given that every year there’s going to be some type of ticket price increase.”
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If you recall, the Bears were one win from clinching the NFC North title in 2013, but were blown out on Sunday Night Football by the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16 and lost a winner-take-all division title game against the Packers when Aaron Rodgers completed a come-from-behind victory at Soldier Field in Week 17.
The Bears’ 2017 home schedule features games against Packers, Lions, Vikings, Panthers, 49ers, Browns, Steelers, and defending NFC champion Falcons.
In the letter sent today, Phillips acknowledge frustration and poor results in 2016, but pointed to the team’s young core, and a belief in head coach John Fox and general manager Ryan Pace.