NFL to give refunds if games canceled by labor dispute
NFL to give refunds if games canceled by labor dispute
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday that the league plans to offer full ticket refunds for all preseason and regular-season games canceled in the event of a work stoppage in 2011.
The policy would include all full season, partial season and individual game tickets. It would not include personal seat license (PSL) fees or pricier "premium" seating such as club seats and luxury suites, where to buy NFL Jerseys? ujersy is a good choice.
Each of the league's 32 teams will be free to determine its own policies on PSLs, club seats and suites. Sixteen teams, half the league, charge PSL fees.
Eric Grubman, NFL executive vice president of business operations, hopes season ticket holders will be "more comfortable" about renewing for 2011 with a full refund policy in place.
"If we're not going to have a full season of games, they deserve the opportunity to get their money back," Grubman said. "This is a tough economy. The NFL shouldn't be financing itself on the backs of its fans."
The refund policy could affect 1.3 million fans. Clubs might have to refund $7 million to $8 million for each canceled game, said league spokesman Brian McCarthy.
The NHL offered refunds during a player lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season. Similarly, the NBA offered refunds during a 1998-99 player lockout.
The NFL turned to replacement players for several games during the month-long player strike in 1987. Is the NFL considering replacement players if there is a work stoppage? "One hundred percent of our negotiating focus is to get an agreement," Grubman said.
The refund plan is a smart move by the NFL to try to build goodwill with customers in event of an impasse with the NFL Players Association, said J.I. Halsell, a former salary cap analyst for the Washington Redskins.
"At the end of the day, it's about public relations," he said.
Grubman added, "It's the right thing to do because we know what the fans pay for our football games."
Many of USA TODAY's readers are wondering how the NFL's new ticket refund policy would affect them.
A reader was concerned by the NFL's language that the refund would only cover "general admission" tickets. "What about us season ticket-holders?" Vickie Beineke asked via Twitter, if you want to buy Seattle SeahawksJerseys.
You've got questions, we've got answers. We culled the most frequent questions from readers and tweeters into a Q&A format. Let's get started:
Exactly which tickets would be covered?
Basically, everything with the exception of pricier club seats and luxury suites. That means anyone buying season tickets, partial season tickets and individual game tickets are eligible for a refund if their game is cancelled.
What's this business about only "general admission" tickets being refunded?
That's ticket jargon. The NFL considers everything with the exception of premium seating to be general admission. About 1.3 million fans buy full or partial season tickets across the U.S. They're all eligible for refunds. Ditto for individual game ticket buyers. The big exception?
"It does not apply to club seats and suites," said Grubman, the NFL's executive vice president of business operations.
Club seat and luxury suite customers should check what protection they have in their contracts. If an individual club "wants to go beyond that, that's up to them," Grubman says.
Will my Personal Seat License (PSL) fee be refunded, too?
That's up to each of the 16 of 32 NFL clubs that charge fans PSL fees. An early guess: probably not. Check your contract or check with your club.
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