As much as the league struggles with how to balance the need for preseason games for team selection and preparation, fans have been struggling with having to pay full fare for a substandard product.
But Steelers president Art Rooney II said Wednesday that his team could cut the cost of preseason tickets, which would at least reflect what you’re seeing on the field.
“I can’t tell you that any decisions have been made yet, but we are looking at possibly having a different price on preseason tickets versus other games,” Rooney said, via Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Whether that goes into effect for 2014 or not, I can’t promise you, but I can promise you it’s something we are looking at.
“We understand the fans’ perception of the value of the preseason games.”
Of course, as much as fans deserve a break on games played by future CFL stars in August, tweaking the price structure could also open the door for the kind of dynamic pricing other sports employ for better games.
If Steelers fans pay half price for a preseason game against the Panthers, they better be ready to make up the difference for a Ravens game in the regular season. The law of supply and demand works in both directions, and it’s hard to imagine the NFL as a whole would ignore a way to squeeze more money out of high-profile games.