The 49ers will “freeze season-ticket prices” through ‘18, according to a source cited by Eric Branch of the S.F. CHRONICLE. The 49ers have a 15-33 record since Levi’s Stadium opened in ‘14, and late-season home games “have been played before large swaths of empty seats the past two seasons.” The 49ers next season will “have their fourth head coach in the stadium’s four-season history” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 1/25). ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner noted the 49ers “have had some of the most expensive tickets in the league, with the range for season tickets between $850 and $3,750 and the range for personal seat licenses between $2,000 and $80,000.” Those prices, however, have “remained the same since Levi's Stadium opened,” which means prices will “be the same for the first five years of the stadium's existence.” The team's 8-8, 5-11 and 2-14 records during that span “undoubtedly have contributed to the prices staying the same” (ESPN.com, 1/24).
TALKING POINTS: In San Jose, Cam Inman notes 49ers CEO Jed York “preached patience” yesterday as his search for the 49ers' next coach and GM enters a fourth week, with a "presumed conclusion coming after the Super Bowl” once they officially can hire Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan as coach. York “stayed on message" at the launch of the Institute for the Study of Sport, Society and Social Change. He said, “We’re going to re-establish a championship culture. We’re not going to do that by filling a job quickly. We need to be patient. We need to be willing to wait. And when we get the right people, we’ll start putting everything into place” (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 1/25). The AP’s Josh Dubow noted York has “interviewed six coaching candidates,” with Shanahan the only remaining option. There have “also been nine interviews” with potential GMs. The five other NFL coach openings “have already been filled” and the Colts are the “only other team” with a GM opening. York said that he was “open to hiring either the coach or general manager first" (AP, 1/24).
