Bears Home Playoff Games Unlikely, But Season Ticket Holders Must Pay
CHICAGO (STMW) - Chicago Bears season ticket holders will have to ante up hundreds or thousands of dollars for playoff tickets even though it's pretty unlikely the team will host a postseason game.
Earlier this week, the team's 15,000 season ticket holders were sent invoices for tickets to two potential playoff games -- ranging in price from $104 to $603 each -- to be paid by Dec. 12. Season ticket holders also have to send the Bears an $8 to $10 handling charge.
Fans with personal seat licenses who don't pay up on time will lose their season tickets.
The chances of the Monsters of the Midway hosting a game are slim, because the Green Bay Packers are 11-0 and running away with the division. Barring a collapse by the defending Super Bowl champs, the only way Chicago might host a playoff match would be if the team earned the fifth seed, won two road games and then played the other wild card team (which would also have to win two road games) in the conference championship.
But officials said they have to plan for even the remote possibility the team will host a game. The cost of the tickets will automatically be credited to season ticket holders' accounts for the 2012 season if the Bears don't end up hosting a game -- meaning Bears fans would essentially be paying in December for games that start next August.
But the $8 handling charge -- which is $10 for those who choose a "pay-as-we-play" plan that only charges fans' credit cards if there are home playoff games -- will not be refunded.
Why charge fees for games that might not be played?
"It's standard operating procedure for every sports venue," Bears spokesman Scott Hagel said.
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