Less Bang For Your Buck: Bears Raising Ticket Prices... Again

By Chuck Sudo in News on Feb 28, 2012 11:20PM

The Bears have missed the playoffs four out of the past five seasons, but that isn't stopping them from raising ticket prices for the ninth time in the past 10 seasons.

The Bears aren't raising prices on every seat, though; they did that for the first time in three years last season. Non-club tickets—which account for nearly 85 percent of Soldier Field's seating—will see a bump of $2 to $10 per ticket, to $76-$150 per ticket. When the new stadium opened nine years ago, the average ticket prices were $45-$85.

Club seat prices will remain static next year, at between $265 and $530. The team also said they would give non-club season ticket holders a savings of $25 per game, but if you want to be on the season ticket waiting list, you can submit a $100 non-refundable deposit on the team's website.

Last season the Bears had the fifth-highest ticket price in the league and the second-highest ticket increase. This came after most other teams, as a gesture of post-lockout goodwill, either kept ticket prices the same or lowered them.

We suspect this news won't keep fans looking for tickets from buying them. As much as the Cubs were equally revered and reviled for their drawing power regardless of the quality of the teams they fielded, the Bears are even more so and, like their other NFL teams, have a license to print money at this stage.