Browns weighing use of PSLs at new Brook Park stadium

CLEVELAND — How much would you pay to see the Cleveland Browns play in the new covered stadium in Brook Park?

That’s the question the team is asking season-ticket holders in a recent survey. The survey shows several pricing options for PSLs, or personal seat licenses, which may be required to purchase season tickets at the new stadium.

Cleveland State University Director of Sports and Entertainment Jim Kahler said PSLs are common in new stadiums. 

“PSLs have been around for years but they’re becoming more and more common for new construction buildouts,” said Kahler. 

In a recent survey sent to season ticket holders, the Browns put out potential price points for PSLs in the new stadium. A general seat in the upper level from the 30-yard lines to the endzone requires a one-time payment of $1,050 to be able to purchase a season ticket. The PSL to be able to buy a coveted club seat on the home side 50-yard line for the season could cost over $130,000 in the new stadium. 

“It’s a partnership with fans and the owners of the team,” Kahler said. “We’ve got raise enough money in this case in Cleveland to build a state-of-the-art domed stadium. Is the Haslam family going to get some contributions from the state? They’ve done that. Are they going to put their own money into it? They’ve done that too. To be fair to the equation, the fans are going to own a piece of it and they way they do that is through PSLs.” 

PSLs were used in 1999 for the current lakefront stadium. Rodney Symons remembers it well as a former season-ticket holder but says higher priced PSLs and tickets could ice out loyal fans. 

“If their tickets are going to be right around $200 a piece once again with the PSLs people just can’t afford that,” Symons said. “It’s overpriced.” 

Symons is excited for the new domed stadium but thinks the team could struggle filling it due to high prices and lackluster performance on the field.  

“If you build it, they’re going to come we already know that,” said Symons. “But once that newness wears off you’re going to be in a situation where it’s like okay, ‘we’ve seen the facility’. If the product is the way it is right now, they’re only going to come for so long and then what are you going to do?” 

The Browns have not made a final decision on whether PSLs will be a part of the new stadium. Kahler thinks it’s not a matter of if PSLs are instituted but when.

“It’s just a natural way to fund the financing of the new facility,” said Kahler. 

Kahler thinks the Browns have an opportunity to do right by the fans by gathering feedback so early in the process. 

“You don’t want to alienate the fans that have been with you for a lifetime,” Kahler said. “I’m sure that they will come up with some sort of scoring or rating system that rewards people. The Browns have an opportunity to do that and in my professional opinion the right time to do that is when you’re going to open a new stadium.”