The football season of the Tampa Bay Bucs wasn’t good enough to keep coach Lovie Smith from being fired. It was good enough, evidently, for the Bucs to raise ticket prices.
By a lot.
The Bucs announced tickets were going up by an average of 21 percent.The new cost of a 10-game (two-preseason) package ranges from $400 to $1,260, a hefty price when the games are televised.
“We are one of only two National Football League clubs that have not raised prices over the past eight years, in an effort to offer our fans the greatest possible value,’’ Bucs chief operating officer Brian Ford said in a statement. “The excitement, energy and passion displayed by Buccaneers fans over the years have turned Raymond James Stadium into one of the nation’s premier sports venues.
“As we continue to enhance the in-game experience, it is also essential that we remain competitive from a pricing standpoint while still providing our fans with some of the most affordable tickets in the NFL.”
Perhaps, but it has also been eight years since the Bucs made the playoffs.
At $77, the average per-game price of a 2016 Tampa Bay season pass ranks 22nd in the 32-team league, according to the team. A year ago, the Bucs ranked 31st in the league with an average price of $62.35, which was $23.89 less than the league average of $86.24, also according to the team. In addition, the average price of upper level season-pass memberships now ranks 25th in the league, according to the Bucs, who modified the price map in that area. In sections 306-315 and 332-340, where prices fluctuated within each section, the Bucs have established one price point per section, though prices vary depending on the section.
It’s possible to see this as a gamble by the Bucs. If quarterback Jameis Winston, a Pro-Bowler in his first year, can become winners, then the ticket prices can be defended. If the Bucs continue to work their way through coaches and constantly start over, the stands will remain largely empty.
