Colts officials said that season-ticket renewals are "running ahead of last year's pace" despite the team coming off a 2-14 season and the future of QB Peyton Manning "lingering in doubt," according to Anthony Schoettle of the INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL. The Colts have sold out through season-ticket sales "for the last decade," and team officials said that season-ticket renewals last year were about 95%. Colts COO Pete Ward said that the team has a "season-ticket waiting list of 9,000." He said, "You never know how things are going to turn out until after the renewal deadline, but right now things are really going well for us in terms of ticket sales this off-season. There’s no doubt that having the No. 1 pick in the draft has generated a lot of excitement." However, the "uncertainty of Manning’s future is just as likely causing angst among some fans and delaying the ticket purchases of some." March 1 is the deadline for Colts season-ticket holders to "pay for next season’s tickets." March 8 is the deadline for the Colts to either pay Manning a $28M option bonus, "renegotiate his contract or cut him loose as a free agent." Some fans have "complained publicly that the Colts are waiting to announce what they’ll do regarding Manning until after the ticket renewal deadline" (IBJ.com, 2/16). Colts Owner Jim Irsay said the March 1 deadline "has absolutely nothing to do" with the deadline for the option bonus (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 2/17).
