Carolina Panthers' ticket price hike: Is the No. 1 pick justification enough?

The Carolina Panthers are making an increase in their ticket price for the upcoming 2023 season. This is according to the Charlotte Business Journal's Erik Spanberg, who revealed that the franchise will be hiking its ticket prices by 5.8%.

This means that the price increase will be $6 per game, resulting in non-premium tickets costing an average of $109 per game. This has sparked widespread outrage among fans who believe the price does not reflect what the team provides.

The franchise is justifying the decision, however, with the No. 1 pick in next month's draft and new head coach Frank Reich. The Panthers and the Chicago Bears traded up to the top spot in the draft order, sacrificing D.J. Moore and draft picks in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Is the No. 1 pick, however, a sufficient reason for the increase?

Panthers' Potential Competitiveness Next Season

The Carolina Panthers haven't been the top team in the league in the last couple of years. Following a tumultuous 2022 season, during which they only managed to win seven games, the Panthers appear to be gearing up for a more competitive showing in the upcoming season.

The team has bolstered its roster with the addition of top wide receivers like Adam Thielen and D.J. Clark. It has also added running back Miles Sanders, who made the Pro Bowl last season, to its ranks. Without a doubt, this is a massive boost to their grossly inconsistent offense.

The Panthers traded to draft a quarterback who would lead their offense for the next couple of years. With a plethora of options, including Heisman winner Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and Will Levis, it looks like the franchise is finally getting a capable replacement for Cam Newton after a couple of seasons.

The Panthers are Not Alone in the Hiking

Despite the promise of the team being a potential dark horse in the NFC next season, the increase doesn’t seem to have seated well with many fans. Many have flooded social media with their reactions, citing unfavorable timing and the team's perennial poor performances.

However, the Panthers don't seem to be the only team increasing their ticket prices for next season. At least, 27 NFL teams are raising ticket prices for the upcoming season, with half of them announcing larger percentage increases than the Carolina Panthers.

This poses a huge problem for fans in a country where the middle class has eroded over the last few decades and inflation is consistently high. The constant increase in the price of NFL tickets has made it difficult for the working class to scrape together the necessary funds to attend games.