The sporting industry is one of big money. That has been evident for quite some time, and the ever-increasing salaries for athletes combined with multi-million dollar sponsorships only reaffirms this.
Because of all the money that has been pumped into sports both domestically and internationally, fans have increased access to their favorite teams via insider blogs, mobile alerts, increased broadcast time and social media. This, unfortunately, gives fans the false perception that they are even closer to their favorite athletes than ever.
In reality, fans could not be any more disconnected with big-time athletes, and it is this money that is the problem.
What troubles me is something that has been on my mind for quite some time, and has been at the forefront of my thoughts since a conversation around Christmas dinner. A family friend has been a New York Giants season ticket holder for over 30 years and is now being asked to pay $40,000 to retain his four season tickets.
That is the price of the personal seat license, which gives this man, a fan for decades, the right to buy his season tickets (tickets that he already possesses). The price of the actual tickets is in addition to this PSL, a concept that has swept across the sporting world. This idea has been around for a few years, but the prices continue to sky rocket.
The New York Giants are not to blame for this, but merely serve as an example of a problem taking over sports. The average person has been priced out of major sporting events, plain and simple. Those who have the money will continue to shell out for the over-priced major sporting events, but I will continue to support my local clubs and soccer – sports, for that matter – at a lower level.
Sure, the quality of play in the National Premier Soccer League, USL-2, the PDL, the W-League, the Major Indoor Soccer League and even Major League Soccer and Women’s Professional Soccer does not equal that of top international soccer. However, the quality of play is far from poor, and much better than it gets credit for.
For as little as $30, I can go see the Pocono Snow for a full season worth of NPSL soccer. For $130, I could get a season ticket to see USL-2 side Harrisburg City Islanders, a quality organization that serves as a breeding ground for players to advance up the USL pyramid and into MLS. The Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues, the defending W-League Regular Season Champions and a team that I work for, even offer season tickets for just over $40.
Heck, Sky Blue FC season tickets start as low as $99 and the Red Bulls are offering season tickets in their brand new stadium for as low as $272. You get the point.
As much as I and every fan of American soccer want to see the game grow in this country, I never want to see it get bigger than itself and most importantly, bigger than the fans. Forty years from now, I hope that Major League Soccer, Women’s Professional Soccer, and lower divisions are all thriving with increased fan support and a higher quality of play.
However, I do not want to see this success come at the expense of the average person, which includes myself. I hope that soccer in this country never gets so ahead of itself that fans who have supported their teams for forty years are forced to give up their beloved season tickets due to money, which is exactly what the aforementioned fan now has to do with his Giants season tickets.
Major League Soccer offers a Guaranteed Seat License, where fans can pay a one-time fee of $500 per seat for exclusive access to tickets to MLS Cup and the MLS All-Star Game each year. Hopefully that program does not blow up into something that prices fans out of seeing the league’s showcases.
I still support soccer at the highest level. The best players in the world deserve ample attention, but leagues in Europe have a certain disconnection from the average fan since there is no way to support these teams on an in-person, day-to-day basis from across the world.
It is my hope that these lower division American leagues will find success without ever losing the charm of having players interacting with fans as equals while producing a product that is affordable to all. There is a connectedness with players that are humble and treat fans and media like one of their own. That is what makes this beautiful game so great, and that is why the local product should be supported even more.
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