With Love out, Packers ticket prices fall for home opener against Indianapolis Colts
GREEN BAY – While the Green Bay Packers figure out how to replace quarterback Jordan Love for the next month or more, Packers fans will be deciding how much they want to spend to watch games in person.
Love was injured in the final six seconds of the Packers' 34-29 loss Sept. 6 to the Philadelphia Eagles in São Paulo, Brazil. He suffered a knee injury that will keep him out three to six weeks, according to reports. That means the Packers must promote one of their two largely inexperienced backups to the starting role, or sign a free agent with experience.
In any case, Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts, the first game at Lambeau Field this year, saw the secondary market average get-in price fall from $220 on Sept. 2 to $190 on Saturday and $176 on Sunday. Whatever the Packers decide, the price could continue to fall during the week, providing a good opportunity for last-minute attendees.
Tickets buyers and sellers took a more wait-and-see approach to the next three games against the Titans in Tennessee, the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field and the Rams in Los Angeles. Those prices held steady, with the Vikings game actually increasing by $4. The Vikings game remains the most expensive of the Packers' remaining 16 games.
The Packers' next four opponents were 1-3 on Sunday.
How do we calculate secondary market ticket prices?
For our look at Packers' tickets prices, we average the lowest ticket prices at 11 secondary-market websites: Event USA, Gametime, Green Bay Ticket Service, SeatGeek, StubHub, TicketIQ, Ticket King, Ticketmaster, TickPick, TicketSmarter and Vivid Seats.
Note that ticket brokers can add fees on top of the prices listed here, so actual costs might be higher.
The following are secondary market ticket prices as of Sunday and our guesses as to why they are where they are.
Sept. 15, Noon, Indianapolis Colts, Lambeau Field, FOX
Face-price range: $132 to $175
Average lowest-cost seat: $176
Average lowest-cost seat last week: $220
Range of lowest-cost seats: $140 to $225
Colts last week: Houston Texans 29, Colts 27.
What is special about this game? The Packers will demonstrate whether the talented offensive players who surround Love can rise to the occasion and carry his replacement. The Colts gave the highly regarded Texans a run for their money on Sunday, so expect this to be a game.
Ticket prices fell $44 since Sept. 2. The average get-in price is $1 more than the top price for bowl seats in Lambeau Field, and might be less than that by game time.
Sept. 22, Noon, Tennessee Titans, Nissan Stadium, FOX
Face-price range: N/A
Average lowest-cost seat: $225
Average lowest-cost seat last week: $235
Range of lowest-cost seats: $172 to $269
Titans last week: Bears 24, Titans 17.
What is special about this game? The Titans have a new coaching staff and a young quarterback. They don't have powerful running back Derrick Henry, which is a definite plus for the Packers, but they do have some skilled players, such as Tony Pollard and DeAndre Hopkins. The Bears trailed the Titans 17-0 and their defense lead the comeback victory this past Sunday.
Prices for this game are holding for the most part. Titans fans might be cautiously optimistic about their team and Packers fans might think that whatever happens on the field, Nashville is a fun place to visit.
Sept. 29, Noon, Minnesota Vikings, Lambeau Field, CBS
Face-price range: $132 to $175
Average lowest-cost seat: $305
Average lowest-cost seat last week: $308
Range of lowest-cost seats: $269-$361
Vikings last week: Vikings 28, New York Giants 6.
What is special about this game? The price went up $4 from Saturday to Sunday. The Vikings have been the Packers' real division rival for the past decade, although the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears are vying for that title this year, the Lions because they won the division last year and the Bears because they once again believe they've found a quarterback to carry them to the promised land. Or at least beat the Packers once in a while.
This is the first of three times this season that Gold package ticket holders get divisional opponents. The Packers created the Gold package when they stopped playing in Milwaukee in 1995. Since then, the Gold package had two divisional games only once, in 1999.
This is the first season they get three games at Lambeau Field (because of the NFL's unbalanced 17-game schedule), and they hit the jackpot. Often, Gold package games are played at night or mid-week, which is difficult for fans driving from Milwaukee and other points south. This season they have games at noon and 3:25 p.m. The time of the last game, against the Chicago Bears at the end of the season, will be announced nearer the game.
The bottom line, all things being equal, Gold package holders are less likely to part with their tickets, keeping prices firm.
P.S. — former Packers running back Aaron Jones ran for 94 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings on Sunday.
Oct. 6, 3:25 p.m., Los Angeles Rams, SoFi Stadium, CBS
Face-price range: N/A
Average lowest-cost seat: $270
Average lowest-cost seat last week: $268
Range of lowest-cost seats: $246 to $296
Rams last week: Lions 26, Rams 20 in overtime
What is special about this game? Five of the past six games, dating to 2015, between these teams were at Lambeau Field. The Packers won all the home games and lost the one road game, but that was before SoFi Stadium opened. USA Today ranked SoFi the second-best stadium in the NFL, for Packers fans contemplating a trip.
Contact Richard Ryman at 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 ticket prices fall for Colts game with Jordan Love ruled out
