The Bears won’t raise season ticket prices in 2021, even if they end up hosting a ninth regular-season home game, Bears president/CEO Ted Phillips said in a letter to season ticket holders on Monday.
The NFL is expected to expand to 17 regular-season games this year. Players agreed to the change in last year’s Collective Bargaining Agreement and the league figures to expand its schedule when negotiating its new media package in the coming months. Half the teams would host nine games per season, the other half eight. The preseason schedule could shrink to two games, with each team playing one at home and one on the road.
Phillips said the Bears “remain optimistic that health metrics will continue to improve, allowing for fans to return to Soldier Field in 2021.” Soldier Field was dark in 2020.
Fans will be able to spread their season ticket payments over four installments until the end of May. If the NFL and the Bears determine over the summer that Soldier Field will have a limited capacity or no fans at all, season ticket holders will get either a full refund or the option of rolling their payments to 2022. If Soldier Field operates at full capacity, the Bears will not allow season ticket-holders to opt out of this year.
The Bears will have mobile-only ticketing, touchless sales at concession stands and gift shops and hand-sanitizing stations throughout the stadium. Further details about tailgating, parking, entry and exits and other procedures will be made available later this year.
