KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Passing down season tickets takes more than team loyalty.
- There’s more to season tickets than game day.
- Who gets the tickets may not be your decision alone.
- Transfer restrictions can complicate your estate plan.
- Planning ahead can help preserve a family tradition.
In many parts of the United States, football is more than a sport—it is a way of life and a passion that we often share across generations.
While a fan might pass down their love for an NFL or college football team to family, passing down season tickets to them is another matter. Each team has a different policy about transferring season tickets, and teams may restrict transfers during the ticket holder’s lifetime and after.
Season Tickets Are a Contract
Football has been America’s favorite sport since the 1970s.[1] For season ticket holders, the athleticism and elements of entertainment are part of the fun. However, they must also heed the fine print.
Legally speaking, a season ticket is a contract between the team and the ticket holder. Even though a fan pays for a season ticket, it is considered the team’s property. As a result, the team can generally put whatever terms and conditions it wants on the contract, including a ticket transfer policy. When a fan purchases a season ticket, they agree to comply with this policy and the other stated terms and conditions.
What constitutes a season ticket “transfer” might be different than what you assume. A physical ticket is not transferred. Rather, the name of the official ticket holder changes on the ticket holder account.
Like other contracts, a season ticket holder agreement can run to several pages and contain dense legalese. Consider the Chicago Bears, whose published transfer procedures address Permanent Seat Licenses (PSLs) associated with season ticket accounts.
The Bears require both parties to sign the PSL transfer document and provide identification. If the PSL owner or season ticket holder has died, the transfer request must include a death certificate. The Bears advise families of deceased season ticket holders to contact the ticket office about their accounts.[2]
Navigating these agreements, while daunting, is necessary if the fan wants to transfer their season tickets properly during their life or at their death.
Season Ticket Transfer Policy Varies Widely by Team
Team policies about ticket holder transfer rights are as varied as team colors. Some have open transfer policies; others are more restrictive. Many teams restrict transfers to a single individual or certain family members, such as a surviving spouse.
A team may also have a specific policy regarding season ticket transfers upon the death of the ticket holder. Not all teams publicly announce their policy, if they have one at all. The only way to learn about it may be to contact the ticket office.
Here are a few more examples of what NFL teams allow fans to do (and prohibit them from doing) with their season tickets:
- The New England Patriots allow an authorized family member to submit a season ticket account transfer request after a member dies. The Patriots review the request and may approve, reject, or condition the transfer at their discretion.[3]
- The Denver Broncos’ policy is that only the personal representative or executor of a deceased season ticket holder may sign the transfer form on behalf of the ticket holder.[4] Further, the Broncos limit transfers to spouses, children, siblings, and parents.[5]
- The Green Bay Packers permit transfers to qualifying heirs upon the death of a season ticket holder using the Packers-approved transfer form and the ticket holder’s will.[6] Green Bay allows only one individual to own season tickets, so if the deceased leaves their season ticket to more than one child—and the children cannot agree on the new owner—the ticket reverts to the team.
There is also a wide range of season ticket transfer policies in college football.
- The University of Illinois allows ticket holders to send individual game tickets to others through their Fighting Illini ticket accounts. However, its published ticket policies do not specify whether a season ticket account can be transferred to an heir after death; families should contact the Illinois Ticket Office for guidance.[7]
- The Michigan Wolverines allow nonstudent season tickets to be transferred to a recipient who is 18 years or older during the ticket holder’s lifetime, subject to a transfer fee based on seat location.[8]
Plan Ahead to Transfer Your Season Ticket
Including season tickets in an estate plan can be a way to intertwine your personal legacy with a team’s legacy. To avoid a botched handoff, huddle up with your attorney before the snap and go over the x’s and o’s so you can take proactive steps now, such as contacting the team and completing a ticket transfer form that can be stored with your other estate planning documents.
[1] Jeffrey M. Jones, Football Retains Dominant Position as Favorite U.S. Sport, Gallup (Feb. 7, 2024), https://news.gallup.com/poll/610046/football-retains-dominant-position-favorite-sport.aspx.
[2] Chicago Bears, Information Regarding PSL Transfers, https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/bears/fwg8ygcr1i9m4nfgj85v.pdf; Chicago Bears, Frequently Asked Questions, https://www.chicagobears.com/tickets/frequently-asked-questions (accessed Oct. 31, 2026).
[3] New England Patriots, Pass It On Program: Request Form, https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/patriots/cj6yyujokipmyvcfuohs.pdf.
[4] Season Ticket Transfers, DenverBroncos.com, https://www.denverbroncos.com/tickets/seasontickets/transfers (last visited Oct. 30, 2024).
[5] Id.
[6] Transferring Packers Season Tickets, GB, https://www.packers.com/tickets/transferring-season-tickets (last visited Oct. 30, 2024).
[7] University of Illinois Athletics, Ticket Policies, https://fightingillini.com/sports/2022/4/16/tickets-policies; Gies Memorial Stadium Gameday Information, https://d1iubivivot1gj.cloudfront.net/sports/2015/7/31/football_gamedayguide (accessed Oct. 31, 2026).
[8] Football Season Ticket Transfer, University of Michigan Athletics, https://mgoblue.com/sports/2017/6/16/tickets-transfer-football (accessed Oct. 31, 2026).
