Packers loss, Bears win make Sunday's home opener more intriguing, and keeps ticket prices stable
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GREEN BAY – One could say "contested ownership" of the Chicago Bears is bolstering ticket prices for Sunday's game at Lambeau Field.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers famously (or infamously, if you are of a certain ursine persuasion) told some Bears fans last October, "I still own you" during a 24-14 victory at Soldier Field. The Packers defeated the Bears again, 45-30, at Lambeau Field in December, running Rodgers' record against Chicago to 24-5.
As a Packers-Bears game, interest starts at a high level, but after Chicago's surprising 19-10 victory over San Francisco Sunday at Solder Field, and Green Bay's 23-7 loss in Minnesota, there might be extra spice to the rivalry. The average of lowest tickets prices for the game at 10 secondary market sites is $232, only $3 less than 10 days earlier.
Secondary marketplace TickPick said the game is its second-most expensive of the week, with an overall average prices of $409.
It was during a Sunday night game in 2018 at Lambeau Field that Rodgers engineered one of the great comebacks in Packers history. He left the game with a leg injury in the first half and the Packers trailed 20-0 before scoring a field goal late in the third quarter. Rodgers returned to the field after the half and in the fourth-quarter led what became a 24-23 Packers victory.
Sunday's game isn't the highest-priced matchup in the next five weeks for Packers fans: The game in London against the Giants on Oct. 9 remains far more expensive than any other contest this season, coming in at $531 for an average of lowest-priced seats.
Next-highest is the game in Tampa on Sept. 25 at $289, followed by the New England game at Lambeau Field on Oct. 2 at $268. The New York Jets game at Lambeau Field the Sunday after the London game is $200. The Jets aren't a particularly promising team, or a traditional Packers rival, but it is the only noon game at Lambeau this year and mid-October can be a particularly fine time to be watching football outdoors.
"Demand has been excellent for the first four home games for quite a while," said Dennis Garrity, president and CEO of Event USA in Ashwaubenon. "I don't expect one disappointing road loss to change that significantly. It seems the Packer have developed a bit of a tradition of starting slowly, so perhaps yesterday is taken in stride by Packers fans."
Next week, the Packers travel to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for a GOAT (Greatest of All Time) vs. GOAT matchup with Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, who dismantled Dallas on Sunday night. Florida is traditionally an attractive destination for Midwestern Packers fans, even in warm weather. The game has had high demand all year and this week is $13 more per ticket than 10 days ago.
New England comes to town on Oct. 2, with the average get-in price a healthy $268, $4 higher than the last survey. The game against the Patriots is the best of two Gold package games on the schedule, the other being on a Thursday night against Tennessee. Gold package fans mostly reside in southern Wisconsin, so games on weeknights are problematic. The Patriots game at 3:25 p.m. on a Sunday much less so.
A limited number of standing-room-only tickets are available for all Packers home games this year. Face value of the tickets is $89, plus fees. The standing-room-only section is on the fourth level of the south end zone. The first game for which tickets appear on the official Ticketmaster site is Tennessee on Nov. 17, although they are showing up on some secondary market sites for earlier games at about 50% more than face value.
The Packers have designated the SRO tickets as being not available for resale, so buyers proceed at their own risk. If the ticket does not scan as valid, fans won't be admitted to the stadium, and their recourse for a refund is to contact the seller of the ticket.
Ticket prices
The following are secondary market ticket prices as of Monday.
For our look at Packers' tickets prices, we averaged the lowest ticket prices at 10 secondary market websites: Event USA, Gametime, Green Bay Ticket Service, SeatGeek, StubHub, TicketIQ, Ticketmaster, TickPick, Ticket King and Vivid Seats.
Note that ticket marketplaces can add fees on top of listed prices, so actual costs might be higher.
Sept. 18, 7:20 p.m. Lambeau Field, Chicago Bears, NBC
Face-price range: $123-$156
Average lowest-cost seat: $232
Range of lowest-cost seats: $176-$252
Sept. 25, 3:25 p.m., Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Fox
Face-price range: N/A
Average lowest-cost seat: $289
Range of lowest-cost seats: $240-$352
Oct. 2, 3:25 p.m., Lambeau Field, New England Patriots, CBS
Face-price range: $123-$156
Average lowest-cost seat: $268
Range of lowest-cost seats: $245-$329
Oct. 9, 8:30 a.m., Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, New York Giants, NFL Network
Face-price range: N/A
Average lowest-cost seat: $531
Range of lowest-cost seats: $420-$605
Oct. 16, noon, Lambeau Field, New York Jets, FOX
Face-price range: $123-$156
Average lowest-cost seat: $200
Range of lowest-cost seats: $168-$259
Contact Richard Ryman at (920) 431-8342 or rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG/.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Packers loss, Bears win makes home opener more intriguing, and costly
