DETROIT – Detroit Lions season ticket holders are outraged by the latest price increase, as tickets are becoming more expensive for the second year in a row.
But are the Lions in the wrong for doing this? I want to look at this debate from both sides.
What we know
Season ticket holders received renewal forms on Thursday, as the Lions prepare to host the Buffalo Bills in what many believe could be a Super Bowl preview.
Tickets rose an average of 24% in price. Some tickets rose significantly more than that, and others less. But what’s clear is that prices are rising for the second year in a row, and fans are feeling that financial hit.
Team President Rod Wood said the increases have brought the Lions up to around league average for season ticket prices, which I think we can all agree is a fair value for what the current Lions have to offer.
But was this done in the right way?
Fans feel betrayed
Let’s state the obvious: Fans aren’t happy that their tickets are becoming more expensive.
It’s not exactly a secret. Look on social media or turn on sports radio -- the biggest story in Southeast Michigan today is fan outrage about these tickets.
I think fans have a right to feel frustrated. Many of them have been loyal supporters of the team for decades and sat through their fair share of miserable Sundays.
Fans who kept their tickets through the 0-16 season aren’t getting a discount. Neither are those who waited 30 years between division titles.
Being a Lions season ticket holder was a pretty thankless hobby for a very long time. And now that the team is finally a contender, fans probably feel like instead of being rewarded for their previous loyalty, they’re getting charged for today’s success just like everybody else.
It’s true: that loyalty doesn’t buy you anything. The NFL is a business above all, and once the magic of gameday wears off, there are harsh reminders of that reality.
This is one of those reminders, and I feel for the fans who woke up basking in the joy of this incredible season only to have that email drag them right back down.
I’m not a Lions season ticket holder, but I can imagine how they feel. It’s like you were there for a friend through hard times, with little-to-no reward. Then, that friend suddenly became popular and didn’t need you anymore, so they cut you out.
Importance of Lions to this area
I always knew the Lions were important to the state of Michigan. But I don’t think anyone could have truly expected the enormity of what we’ve seen over the past two years.
The Lions injected new life into the city. Ford Field is a madhouse for every home game. Detroit shattered records while hosing the NFL Draft. Everywhere you go you see people sporting the Honolulu Blue.
The vibe around Detroit just feels different with these new and improved Lions.
For years, it felt like I started every Lions article with some version of, “Well, they found a new way to break everyone’s hearts.” Readers could hardly contain their frustration and anger.
“Sell the team.” “Fire so-and-so.” “Get rid of Stafford.” You needed a hazmat suit to enter those comment sections. But in a way, I understood. Detroiters hate being looked down on, and that’s how the other 31 NFL franchises viewed us for so long.
I think the Lions understand the magnitude of their impact, and they know it comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility.
But passion is a double-edged sword. What could hurt you more than something you love as much as Detroit fans love their Lions? I think that’s why the reaction to the ticket price increase has been so powerful.
When fans chant Jared Goff’s name, or cheer for a Kerby Joseph interception, or high-five Amon-Ra St. Brown after a win, they feel a genuine connection to the team.
It’s not the players who raise the prices, but I still think that connection makes moments like these hurt even more.
‘Grit’ and the Ford Field atmosphere
When the Lions hosted two playoff games last season, Ford Field became a national revelation.
Opposing coaches and players couldn’t believe the electricity in the stadium. The noise level rivaled any other in sports.
The Lions have the single-greatest home field advantage in the league right now, and it’s because of their fans.
Shoot, you don’t even have to wait until the playoffs. The way Lions fans travel to away games is unbelievable. Nobody is safe from the “blue wave.” It started last season, with Dan Campbell and his players talking about it every road game. And it has continued into 2024, helping the Lions post a 6-0 record away from Ford Field.
Lions fans give an already elite team yet another advantage. But this price increase does somewhat put that in jeopardy.
I don’t necessarily think how much money someone makes directly correlates with how much theu care about the Lions, or how loud they are on gameday. But there’s no doubt that long-suffering Lions fans who have gone through the hard times are mostly to thank for the atmosphere at Ford Field.
If you price out a diehard Lions fan who’s been going to games for 30 yards and replace that fan with someone who’s not quite as passionate, you aren’t going to get the same emotional buy-in.
Do that to enough fans and that special home-field advantage will start to erode.
It sort of directly contradicts the team’s mantra of “grit.” Right now, the Lions embody the hard-working people of Detroit -- the people who work hard from Monday to Saturday and head to Ford Field on Sunday.
Those people are the heart and soul of the franchise. But if we reach a point where they can’t afford tickets, the “grit” mantra will start to feel a bit hollow.
Campbell said in his introductory press conference that his team would be a representation of this city, and he’s followed through on that promise. It’s part of the reason the connection between fans and franchise runs so deep.
But that affection can morph into resentment if a percentage of the fan base can’t afford to keep their tickets.
Lions' financial investments
As much as I empathize with fans who face difficult decisions on whether or not to keep their tickets, we have to look at this from the Lions' point of view, too.
It would be one thing if the Lions were winning with young, inexpensive players and failing to invest in the team. I can think of at least one example of that.
But that’s not the case here. Not one bit. The Lions have made major financial commitments to winning since Sheila Ford Hamp took over.
This offseason, the Lions extended the contracts of both Campbell and Brad Holmes. The Lions have managed to keep both coordinators -- Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson -- in Detroit the past two years despite head coaching interest.
And I know that the NFL has a salary cap, but we can’t ignore the very intentional efforts by the Lions to keep star players in Detroit.
First it was St. Brown and Penei Sewell. Then it was Goff and Taylor Decker. Most recently, Alim McNeill.
The Lions built their core from the draft, but they’ve been proactive and deliberate when it comes to locking up the players who make up the core of this team. What more could fans want?
The Lions aren’t doing that thing other teams do. They don’t shy away from spending money and hide behind the excuse of trying to maintain financial flexibility to extend their window of contention.
My point is: Nobody can say the Lions are all about the money. Actions speak much louder than words, and the organization’s actions show that it is willing to do what it takes to stay in Super Bowl contention.
Secondary market
When the Lions addressed the ticket price increase, one of the trends they pointed to was the cost of tickets on the secondary market, and you have to admit they have a point.
The market value of a Lions ticket is incredibly high right now. You can’t even get in the door without spending several-hundred bucks.
So the Lions were probably looking at these secondary ticket sites every week and thinking, “Why aren’t we the ones capitalizing on this?”
Yeah, yeah, I know. The Lions have more money than they could ever need. Nobody feels bad for them. But that doesn’t mean they should let people buy tickets just so they can flip them for massive profit.
I’m sure the Lions try to monitor whether season ticket holders are selling their tickets, but that’s got to be incredibly difficult to enforce.
So the best way to stop people from buying season tickets just to flip them is to make it less viable. Narrow the gap between the price of the tickets and what they can be sold for on the secondary market.
Again, the Lions are a business. And while I’m no entrepreneur, I have to imagine it’s bad business sense to let someone else capitalize when your product increases in value.
The obvious problem is that someday, the Lions won’t be the best team in the NFL, and we all know season ticket prices aren’t going to drop. But right now that’s not the case, and I understand why the Lions felt the need to attack that profit margin on the secondary market.
Final thoughts
I know a lot of fans won’t see it this way, but I do see some justification for the price increase. Maybe it was too abrupt, though I’m not sure there’s an easy way to tell people they have to pay more.
After several years without a major increase, suddenly, the Lions dropped two big price increases on their fans back-to-back. That’s a tough blow for a lot of people who really care about this team.
So at the end of the day, the conversation should be about them.
I’m a season ticket holder for Michigan football and basketball. I met my wife while we were following the 2013 Final Four run. And tailgates at the Big House are the one time of year when all my family and friends come together in one place.
So I get it. Season tickets mean way more than what happens from kickoff to the final buzzer. And I know thousands of Lions fans have similar stories.
Giving up your season tickets might mean missing out on more memories with your dad, or daughter, or sibling. Traditions that span decades could end because of the financial toll.
If that happens to even one Lions fan, it’ll be too many.
Hopefully the Lions and their fans can find a way to make this work. There’s apparently a payment plan option. Maybe season ticket holders can be allowed to sell a couple of games every year to help bridge the gap between old prices and new?
I’ve always admired the unwavering loyalty of Lions fans, and I know they’ll continue to love their team even through this rough patch.
Those fans embody this franchise. And I hope they can still flood Ford Field on Sundays.
