Reporter plans to give up Jets season tickets held in family for half a century

Ticket Price Increases for Jets Season Tickets

The Jets, owned by Woody Johnson, have announced yet another rise in ticket prices for the upcoming season. This news comes just after the rookie head coach Aaron Glenn took over and the team finally secured a win, which, oddly enough, follows a dismal 1-7 start.

Historically, the Jets have struggled, missing the playoffs for two consecutive seasons—a record-long drought in North American professional sports. With little expectation for immediate improvement, it seems like the ideal moment for a ticket price hike for the third consecutive year.

What’s going on in Florham Park?

Adding to the frustration, the Jets’ front office is pushing for fans to start paying for their seats ahead of the season that begins in early December, right before the holidays.

So, Woody, perhaps we should pause on the holiday shopping while you add another few million to the Johnson & Johnson coffers?

What happened to the usual ticket invoice in May?

To put things into perspective, two lower end zone seats in Section 101 have seen a staggering 45% increase—from $137.50 to $200 per game—over the past two seasons.

While I managed to escape this recent price surge, over half of MetLife Stadium’s 82,500 seats will now experience an average increase of about 3.5%, translating to an extra $5 to $10 per game.

Still, I made a call to my Jets account manager on Thursday to request that my credit card be taken off the automatic payment plan. I voiced my opinion that ticket prices should be decreasing, not increasing, and that the team could take their time determining whether this ongoing disaster—one that I still support—was worth the expense.

The staff member I spoke with explained that NFL teams often raise prices to maintain a certain revenue share across the league.

I’ve been a Jets fan since childhood, starting when my dad, a die-hard Giants supporter, secured season tickets back in 1974. It’s been a cherished tradition, even after my dad could no longer attend games.

However, I’ve come to realize that being a season ticket holder offers diminishing returns.

There are no lengthy waiting lists anymore, and tickets can often be found for less than half the price on sites like StubHub. The weather is bound to turn colder, especially in the latter part of the season, and the Jets will likely drift further from playoff contention.

What was once viewed as an investment—the Personal Seating Licenses (PSLs) that I and others paid hefty sums for to aid in the construction of MetLife Stadium—are now nearly worthless. Demand has plummeted since the stadium opened in 2010, eliminating the necessity for a PSL to purchase a season ticket.

I recognize that Woody Johnson is running a business. He adeptly leveraged the arrival of QB Brett Favre in 2008 to boost PSL sales, but by the time the stadium opened, Favre was long gone. He seems to have used a similar tactic in 2023, acquiring Aaron Rodgers and then hiking ticket prices, only to see Rodgers’ season cut short by an injury in the very first game.

After nearly 23 years without a home playoff game, we’re back to square one with another rebuild in progress. I’ve witnessed plenty over the years, but this is getting tough to handle.