The Colts' season-ticket renewal rates are "running 2 percentage points ahead of last year, and team officials think the rates will settle between [an] eye-popping" 95% and 97%, according to Anthony Schoettle of the INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL. The deadline to renew was March 3, but Colts COO Pete Ward said that some renewals "are still trickling in." He credits "unchanged ticket prices for the strong renewal rate this off-season." Lucas Oil Stadium officially can hold 64,000, but the Colts "squeeze in more bodies by selling standing-room-only tickets -- mostly to people in suites and other luxury areas." The Colts last year "averaged 65,950 per home game," filling the venue to 104.7% of capacity. After all the renewals are tabulated, Ward "expects to have fewer than 3,100 individual seats (for each home game) to sell." He said that those likely will be "gobbled up by some of the 7,500 people on the season ticket waiting list." In addition, about 3,000 additional seats "will be held out for group sales." The renewal rate is "certainly a strong endorsement" for Colts QB Andrew Luck. Fans also "have embraced" coach Chuck Pagano (IBJ.com, 3/10).
