Despite relocation threat, Chargers ticket sales ahead of '14 pace

SAN DIEGO -- Even with the possibility of the franchise playing in the Los Angeles market as early as 2016, fans of the Chargers are showing their commitment to the team by purchasing season tickets.

According to the team, based on new season ticket sales and season ticket renewal numbers, the Chargers as of Monday are approximately 4,500 season tickets ahead of last year's pace.

A team source with knowledge of the situation credits several factors for the bump in sales, including the ticket office group's long-term commitment to improving the ticket buying experience by giving fans more access to the team through stadium tours and training camp visits.

Along with that, the Chargers have gone through two rescales of Qualcomm Stadium in the past two years to better match the team's ticket base on game days, pushing the Chargers closer to achieving the right scale model for the building, according to the team source.

Season ticket prices for nearly half the seats in the stadium -- more than 30,000 seats -- dropped in price or remain unchanged for the 2015 season, according to the team. That number includes more than 9,000 seat locations with ticket prices dropped to just $67 per game, which the team says is among the lowest in the NFL.

The Chargers had no blackouts in 2014, the first time that occurred since 2009.

San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer plans to put a stadium proposal together at the Mission Valley site in order to keep the Chargers in town. The mayor-appointed citizens' stadium advisory group is expected to present Faulconer with a finance plan for a stadium proposal at the Mission Valley site by May 20.

However, if the Chargers do not get something worked out in San Diego, the franchise intends to move forward and partner with the Oakland Raiders on a $1.7 billion stadium proposal in Carson.