49ers fan will have to mine for gold in order to afford new stadium

The San Francisco 49ers will soon be playing in a new stadium in Santa Clara, but with a new stadium comes new expense, a big expense. San Francisco season ticket holders will soon be forced to have to come up with the dreaded Personal Seat License (PSL), and it’s not cheap. Fans will be forced to pay a one-time fee which ranges from $2,000 to $12,000 dollars in addition to the face value of the game tickets for that seat.

Fans which opt for the premium seating, could be forced to shell out between $20,000 to $80,000 dollars along with $325-$375 dollars per ticket, per game. Along with the purchase of season tickets, the ticket holder would have first right of refusal to any concert events being held in the stadium, at additional cost, of course.

When Tampa Stadium opened, PSL’s were introduced to the season ticket holders. The idea was sold as a one-time fee and a percentage of the money plunked down for the PSL would be paid back to the ticket holder over those 10 years. This idea is a ruse because the miniscule amount that you are refunded each season is eaten up by seasonal ticket price increases.

Insidebayarea.com estimates that a family of four, sitting in the cheapest seats in the 49ers new stadium will cost a one-time fee of $8,000 dollars and the yearly ticket price will cost an additional $3,400 dollars. That is $11,400 dollars out of pocket for the first year in order for four season tickets. That does not include parking, food or drinks.

The website quotes Greg Colburn, a current Niners season ticket holder who responded to the price increase. “That’s absurd. Just as a fan, I’m tired of being priced out of where I’m sitting. Oh well, the best place is on my couch in front of a brand new TV.”

Given the astronomical costs associated with going to an NFL game, the evolution of HD televisions and coupled with the recent spike in fan violence, more people are going to adopt Mr. Colburn’s attitude.