Shadow of the Stadium: Bucs Raise Ticket Prices...Just Like Every Team That Renovates its Stadium

Remember this tweet?

Will #Bucs ticket prices surge post-renovations as they have in other NFL cities? https://t.co/cVS9Gj5H13 #SportsBiz
— Noah Pransky - WTSP (@noahpransky) December 2, 2015

Obviously, the answer was yes, and as the Times' Greg Auman reported today, Buccaneers' season tickets are going up an average of 24% next year. It's the Bucs' first ticket price hike in eight years, and they'll still be in the lower-third of NFL ticket price averages.

But this still serves as a good reminder that fans don't just pay for stadium renovations through tax dollars; they also pay through the tickets they purchase. Tickets at the new Marlins' stadium went up 56%; tickets at the new Braves' stadium will go up 45%....hell, the Miami Dolphins even admitted as much in their application for state subsidies!

And, often, fans pay for stadiums in other ways too, as I reported two months ago:

Auman quoted a statement from Bucs COO Brian Ford:

"The excitement, energy and passion displayed by Buccaneers fans over the years have turned Raymond James Stadium into one of the nation's premier sports venues...as we continue to enhance the in-game experience, it is also essential that we remain competitive from a pricing standpoint while still providing our fans with some of the most affordable tickets in the NFL."

Longtime Shadow of the Stadium reader Scott Myers (no fan of the Glazer family) responded to that statement with an email to me that read:

"Competitive with whom? It should be noted that the Bucs will be receiving about $18 million as their share of the $550 million relocation fee being paid by the Rams, and they have a pretty good chance of getting one or two more windfall gifts if the Chargers and/or Raiders relocate. Does their greed know no bounds?"

ALSO READ: Bucs fail in initial bid for more state tax dollars

My WTSP investigative counterpart and Bucs season ticket-holder Mike Deeson seemed unfazed by the news, since he - and many other season ticket-holders - locked in their 2016 prices at the end of last season, before the price hike.

But, let this episode serve as a warning to Rays fans looking for a new Tampa Bay stadium - your tickets are going to cost a lot more than they currently do at the Trop.