February 16, 2016
It hasn't even been two weeks since the Super Bowl concluded, but the NFL has already announced the first game of the 2016 season. However, it's not who the Denver Broncos will face to open their championship defense during Week 1. Instead, it's the matchup for the annual Hall of Fame Game, which kicks of the preseason each year from Canton, Ohio. This year the game will be played on August 7 and will be played between the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts.
Both participating teams will see a legendary player from team history inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during that weekend. Marvin Harrison, the Colts' all-time leading receiver with 14,580 yards will be inducted, as will longtime Packer quarterback Brett Favre. Among the others to be inducted in the 2016 Hall of Fame class are Kevin Greene, Orlando Pace, Eddie DeBartolo, Kenny Stabler and Tony Dungy.
As for fans of both the Packers and Colts, as well as others planning the trip to Canton that weekend, Hall of Fame Game tickets are usually relatively inexpensive on the secondary market. Over the past five years, the most expensive average price came last season when the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings met at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. The average price was $202.26 and the get-in price was $117.
The least expensive game came in 2014 when the Buffalo Bills met the New York Giants. The average for that game was just $75.
Of course the atmosphere of the Hall of Fame Game is not that of a typical NFL game, even for the preseason. Much of that is due to the size of the stadium where the game is played. Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium has a listed capacity of just 22,375, less than half the typical capacity for an NFL stadium. While the game technically kicks off the preseason, the Packers and Colts will both play the official four preseason games after participating in the Hall of Fame Game.
As tickets become available, this post will be updated with ticket information.
