Bears Introduce Variable Pricing For Season Tickets
By Chris Emma--
(CBS) There are positive vibes at Halas Hall. While the Bears finished the 2015 season at 6-10, the team took strides forward in Year 1 with the football new regime.
Bears team president Ted Phillips expressed his optimism in a letter to season ticket holders, distributed Wednesday.
"A new year is upon us, and we thank you for your support in 2015," Phillips opened. "While we fell short of our goals, we established a culture under John Fox and Ryan Pace that we will build upon in 2016."
Among the many details addressed in Phillips' letter involve Bears' ticket prices. The team is introducing variable pricing to season tickets, while maintaining their current bottom-line season-ticket cost.
The Bears are increasing ticket prices for their eight regular-season home games by 10 percent but reducing the cost of the two preseason games by 40 percent. With that, the season-ticket price will remain flat. That freeze in pricing can be considered a courtesy as the team continues to rebuild under the guidance of Fox and Pace.
With these moves, the Bears are increasing the value of their regular-season games on the secondary market and making the preseason prices more reasonable. Renewal for season tickets will be released next month.
"We believe this two-tier pricing approach better reflects the value for each game," Phillips said.
Awaiting the Chicago is an important offseason. The Bears have plenty of cap room to use on the free-agent market and nine draft picks at Pace's disposal. It's likely that the Bears' roster has a vastly different look come training camp than it did in Week 1 of the 2015 campaign.
As one of the leaders of the Bears and a hand-picked representative of the McCaskey family, the words of Phillips speak volumes to where the team believes it's heading.
"You continue to show why Chicago is home to the world's most passionate fans," Phillips wrote. "Together we will bring a championship back to our great city."
Chris Emma covers the Chicago sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.