Chicago sports fans take heart: Baseball’s boys of summer will soon be giving way to the fall and winter warriors of football, hockey and basketball.
Here’s a rundown of ticket prices and new promotions or services you’ll find being offered by your favorite hometown professional sports teams.
– The Bulls. A sixth world championship? If this year is, indeed, the end of an era, expect tickets for any game, any time, to be harder than ever to get.
“We still have a ceiling of 15,000 season ticket-holders, with about 3,000 more seats sold in the suite areas,” said Keith Brown, director of sales. “With a capacity of 21,711 fans, we’re looking at about 2,500 tickets available per game.”
Those tickets begin selling at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, at the United Center box office and at all Ticketmaster locations. You can call Ticketmaster at 312-559-1212, or a Bulls’ spokesperson says fans will be allowed to camp out at the box office starting at 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 27.
Prices are $35, $25 and $20. The maximum number of tickets per person (or credit card used) increases from six last year to eight. There is no mail order or faxing of ticket orders.
Greg Carney, director of corporate partnerships, says there are promotions planned for every home game.
“We’ve had 489 sellouts since 1987, and we’re looking at some special commemorative things for sometime in December when we hope to reach 500 consecutive sold-out games,” Carney said. “I believe we’re the only team in professional sports to offer a promotion every night.”
The ring ceremony will again be held before the first home game.
– The Bears. “We haven’t changed anything in our price structure,” said George McCaskey, the Bears’ ticket manager. “Prices continue to be $52, $47, $40 and $33 per seat per game.”
McCaskey said there also has been no change in fans’ perception that it is impossible to get Bears’ tickets.
Tickets for single games went on sale by mail on June 1, and ordering by phone from Ticketmaster began July 18. But you still haven’t lost out.
“If you want to see a Bears’ game and are willing to go anytime during the season, you can still find a ticket,” he said. “Fans don’t need to go through high-priced brokers to get a seat, especially for games later in the season.”
Call Ticketmaster or the Lake Forest box office at 847-615-BEAR, for cash-only sales.
McCaskey warns that parking around Soldier Field has been exhausted by coupon-holding season-ticket holders, and suggests using the Grant Park underground garage and the free shuttle service.
You can bring in all the food you want–in bags or soft containers, but no bottles, cans, coolers or ice chests.
For families, there are still two “no alcohol” sections at Soldier Field, and kids’ ID bracelets will again be offered at Fan Assistance booths.
– The Blackhawks. Public relations director Barbara Davidson says there have been only minor changes from last year in the ticket prices for Blackhawk games.
The United Center seats 20,500 fans for hockey, with the 100-level seats going for $75 each; 200-level “club center” seats for $60; “club circle” seats for $50; and 300-level seats for $40 for the first seven rows, $25 for rows 8-12 and $15 for rows 13-17.
According to senior sales representative Danny Lucier, new incentives for group sales are being offered this year.
“For groups with a tax-exempt status, we’re offering cash back on ticket sales of 20 or more of our $15 and $25 seats,” Lucier said. “After seeing a game, we’ll send your organization a refund check amounting to $5 for every $15 seat you bought, $8 for every $25 seat.”
Other group discounts and promotions include coupons for 10 percent off the United Center’s Fandemonium souvenir shop, the group’s name on the scoreboard and a gift package for your group leader.
Groups should call the group sales number at 312-943-7000. Lucier says you’ll save more money by avoiding the Ticketmaster service charge.
The first of four home preseason games is on Sept. 13. Tickets for regular-season games go on sale the first week of September, with the first home game on Oct. 9 (calendar promotion night) followed by the Oct. 13 home game featuring magnetic schedules.
– The Wolves. Chicago’s representative in the International Hockey League will play 41 games at the Rosemont Horizon this season. Attendance for games in the Wolves’ first three seasons has averaged about 10,000 per game in the 17,600-seat arena.
“We’re looking to expand our marketing and offer even more value to the fans,” says vice president of ticket sales Scott Loft.
Ticket prices for Wolves’ games range from a high of $26 down to $9, with seven different price categories in all. You can buy them at all Ticketmaster outlets or you can save the service charge by going to the Rosemont box office.
A new MVP package for groups buying at least four season tickets for a minimum of $18 each offers lots of bonuses, including free parking (a $328 value), the group’s name on all game programs, and 50 free lower-level seats for one game during October through December.
Promotions this year will feature a number of post-game concerts, including what Loft says is a takeoff on Woodstock, known as “Wolfstock”.
“There will also be more than 20 premium give-away nights, featuring items such as lunch bags, seat cushions, posters and calendars,” Loft said. “We’ve lined up sponsorships from Jewel, Jiffy Lube, Target, 7-11, and Play-It-Again Sports.”
The Birthday Club returns from last year, which includes a T-shirt, the birthday person’s name on the scoreboard and Wolves’ masks.
There’s also a new incentive for families to attend multiple games with the Frequent Attender Card: Purchase at least 15 tickets over a span of a minimum of two games or more and get two free tickets ($26 value) to a future game.
