The Dolphins soon will embark on a season-ending stretch of home games that will drag season-ticket holders to Sun Life Stadium four times in 29 days. During that “holy crap we have to go back there again to justify the money we already spent?” stretch, the season-ticket holders will have to decide whether to commit to doing it all over again in 2016.
Per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins want season-ticket holders to renew their vows by December 18.
A lot will happen immediately after the season ends, including the hiring of a new coach and (possibly) the hiring of a replacement for G.M. Dennis Hickey, who hasn’t been fired yet but could be.
“It seems to me that they clearly do not want season ticket holders to see what they are going to do next year before the renewal deadline,” a season-ticket holder told Salguero via email. “I think fans would be interested in hearing why they sent renewals this early, with such an early deadline.”
Season-ticket holders also complained about a price increase. The team told Salguero that 54 percent of the seats will be priced lower in 2016. Which means, of course, that up to 46 percent of the seats will cost more next year.
Between the price hike, the deadline, and the upcoming cluster of potentially meaningless late-season games, it’s hardly the best approach for ensuring that season-ticket holders will commit for 2016. With plenty of good seats always available at Sun Life Stadium, why should they do anything until they at least know who the coach will be?