Falcons raise season-ticket prices for 2007

By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/01/07

The Falcons, in continuing an annual offseason trend, will raise season-ticket prices between $30 and $100 for the 2007 season. The increase is between $3-10 per game (including two preseason games) depending on seat location.

Notification letters were mailed to season ticket holders Wednesday, according to Dick Sullivan, Falcons executive vice president of marketing.

"It's more modest [of an increase] than it was [last season]," Sullivan said Thursday. "What we've done is tried to remain at the league average while still having the lowest ticket price in the league."

The Falcons raised season-ticket prices between $50 and $100 last spring. The $280 season seats being offered in the end zones are an NFL low, Sullivan said.

Owner Arthur Blank said in a radio interview in January that a ticket price increase was forthcoming.

Although the NFL average has yet to be set because most of the 31 other teams are still setting their ticket prices, Sullivan said the Falcons would end up near the middle with an average ticket cost of "the upper-$60 range."

The Falcons have sold out every game via season-ticket sales for the past few seasons and, with a waiting list of roughly 30,000, Sullivan said expectations are for the trend to continue.

Regardless of the size of the increase, asking customers to part with more money — especially with the team coming off a 7-9 season and failing to make the playoffs two years in a row — typically is met with some backlash.

Sullivan acknowledged that the organization is expecting some disgruntled customers but said ticket increases are needed to keep in step with the increasing costs of fielding an NFL franchise that has doled out more cash to players over the past two seasons than any team in the league.

Sullivan said the Falcons are hoping the hiring of offensive-minded coach Bobby Petrino will help generate enough excitement to prompt most season-ticket holders to renew their policies. Last season, 97 percent of season-ticket holder retained their seats, Sullivan said.

"The need is to stay competitive on the field and it requires us to continue to review everything we do on the business side and on the players' side," Sullivan said. "[Blank] is going to spend more money on players than any other team in the NFL. We're just trying to keep pace with other teams in the NFL."

I had canceled my season tickets (held for 6 years) after the 2003 season missing the entire Mora/Knapp and Donatell stint.

I like the direction the organization heading now with Petrino.
Might consider going back into the fold and put in for re-upment?