Expensive Secondary Ticket Prices Indicate Preseason Not Entirely Pointless

Just twenty-five days remain until the cleats are laced up and the chin straps are buckled. Sunday, August 3, marks the beginning of NFL preseason football, a series of exhibition games played before the regular season. A collective bargaining agreement signed in 1977 introduced the current format of four exhibition games followed by sixteen regular season games. The preseason has long been a source of controversy because players are not compensated for competing in exhibition games, yet run the risk of injury. Nevertheless, preseason football games remain a steady source of revenue for owners, whose teams are not struggling financially.

With the return of ‘real football’ on the horizon, here is a preview of the most expensive preseason football matchups on the 2014 NFL schedule.

Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos

• Secondary average ticket price: $165.56
• Secondary get-in ticket price: $55.00

It should come as no surprise that the most expensive NFL preseason game is a Super Bowl XLVIII rematch. In February, the Seahawks thrashed the Broncos 43-8 en route to their first championship. On August 7, the Broncos will look to exact revenge. The average ticket price on the secondary market for the showdown is currently $165.56, although the cheapest ticket on the secondary market is considerably lower at only $55.00.

Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers

• Secondary average ticket price: $161.81
• Secondary get-in ticket price: $70.00

The long-awaited opening of the $1.3 billion Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, is slated for August 17. The christening of the ‘Field of Jeans’ will feature the Super Bowl runner-up Broncos and the NFC runner-up 49ers. The average list price on the secondary market for this clash of powerhouse teams is currently $161.81, just a few dollars cheaper than the aforementioned Super Bowl rematch. The get-in price on the secondary market is $70.00, good for the most expensive get-in list price of any preseason game, according to TicketCity.

Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks

• Secondary average ticket price: $159.91
• Secondary get-in ticket price: $33.00

The third preseason game, the final dress rehearsal before the regular season, is considered the most important exhibition game because coaches allow starters to play past halftime. Typically this is also make or break time for a number of training camp invites as a round of cuts usually follows the third game. The average list price on the secondary market for the August 22 battle of NFC giants is $159.91, while the get-in list price on the secondary market is only $33.00.

San Diego Chargers at Seattle Seahawks

• Secondary average ticket price: $146.65
• Secondary get-in ticket price: $24.00

Perhaps Seahawks fans are considered some of the craziest in football because they are willing to pay an average list price on the secondary market of $146.65 to watch an August exhibition game against the above-average, but not great, San Diego Chargers. The get-in list price on the secondary market is currently only $24.00 though, just below the going rate for a Richard Sherman bobblehead.