Colts have more than 12,000 tickets to sell for each of their 10 home games, including two preseason gamesGETTY IMAGES
The Colts have renewed just 82% of its season tickets for '18 compared with 87% last year, which "equates to 3,000 fewer," according to Scott Olson of the INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL. Colts COO Pete Ward said, "It's honestly better than many of us expected, after going 4-12." Olson noted the Colts have "more than 12,000 tickets to sell for each of their 10 home games, including two preseason games." For more than a decade during Peyton Manning's playing days, the Colts "had season ticket renewals well above" 90%, only dipping to 87% following the '11 season -- the year Manning was out with an injury. After former coach Chuck Pagano "jump started the Colts to an 11-5 season" in '12, season-ticket renewals "jumped to" about 95%. The team's "poor on-field play isn't the only reason keeping some season-ticket holders from renewing." Ward said that players "kneeling in protest during the national anthem is a factor." Ward added that the number of seats "sold to new season-ticket holders (not renewals) stands at 1,330, nearly double the 700 sold for last season" (IBJ.com, 5/16)
NICE SEATS: USA TODAY's Maureen Groppe reports Lucas Oil Founder Forrest Lucas "paid for Vice President Mike Pence to attend" the Colts game he walked out of last year after some players knelt during the national anthem. Pence reported "receiving from Lucas two tickets worth $774 for the October game held at Lucas Oil Stadium." Pence also received three tickets to Super Bowl LI in Houston that "were valued at $15,000." Those seats "were courtesy" of Texans Owner Bob McNair (USA TODAY, 5/17).
