New study says Colts fans get off (relatively) cheap

If you’re like most Hoosiers, you’re ready to forget about football—at least for a little while. And you’re certainly ready to forget this season for multiple reasons.

But, alas, here’s the last word on this season; Being an NFL fan is expensive. 

Of course, most of you already knew that, what with average ticket prices in the $90 range and beers costing $7 or so at most NFL stadiums. 

But just how expensive is it? And how does the price of being a Colts fan stack up to the expense of cheering on the home team in other NFL cities? 

Well, buckle up your chin strap one more time, and let’s take a look at a new study released the day after Super Bowl Sunday by TotallyMoney.com.

First things first: Being a Colts fan is cheap. Well, OK, we’re talking in relative terms.

When you factor in ticket prices, cost of food and drink and parking for a game at Lucas Oil Stadium plus a team logo-emblazoned shirt, a cap and a game program, the price of going to a season of Colts home games ranks 21st in the 32-team league, according to TotallyMoney.com. 

Still, you’re going to have to dust off a few bucks.

The average Colts fan attending every game paid $2,021.04 to cheer for the team this season. That’s below the league-wide average of $2,364.27. The cost of being a Colts fan is sandwiched in between that of being a fan of the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs.

The cost for a season was based on tickets for each game, one official shirt and a cap for the season, parking for each game, and a soft drink, the obligatory beer and a hot dog at every game. The standout winners for affordability were the Jacksonville Jaguars at $1,776.75 for the entire season. 

The most expensive team to cheer for was the Dallas Cowboys at $3,439.19. 

Here are some interesting tidbits from the TotallyMoney.com study. 

Fans of Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots, will have paid $3,078.75 to support them throughout the season, while Atlanta Falcon fans paid an average of $1,897.28.

The most expensive tickets were those for the Chicago Bears, at $131.90, closely followed by the Patriots at $130.30. The Colts are at $87.44, according to the TotallyMoney.com study.

San Francisco had the highest costs of a beer, at a whopping $10 for a small draft beer. At Buffalo, it’s $9.50 and at Chicago’s Soldier Field it’s $9.25. A glass of suds at Lucas Oil Stadium is $7.

Hot dog lovers should consider being a fan of the Minnesota Vikings, where you can get one for only $3. That’s $2.25 cheaper than you can get a hot dog at Lucas Oil Stadium and half the price fans can get it at many NFL stadiums. Buffalo has the highest-priced hot dog at $7. That means a beer and hot dog at a Buffalo Bills game will set you back $16.50.