The price of watching the Steelers play has gone up.

In a letter to season-ticket holders dated March 1, the Steelers said the increase was necessary for the team to "continue to meet the challenges of remaining competitive in the National Football League." The letter was signed by team president Art Rooney II.

The team does not divulge the range of prices for tickets. But the cost of a ticket in Section 510 at Heinz Field, for example, has increased from $75 to $81 for the 2010 season. That $6 per game increase applies to eight regular-season and two preseason games, or a total of $60.

According to 2009 prices gathered by Team Marketing Report, the Steelers charge below the NFL average for tickets.

The average ticket to see a Steelers' game cost $67.47 last season. The NFL average was $74.99, with the Dallas Cowboys topping the list with an average ticket price of $159.65.

Even with this year's increase, the Steelers said they still have 7,000 season tickets that are priced at $68 per game or less.

Typically, the team has raised ticket prices every two seasons. There was no price increase in 2009 after the Steelers won the Super Bowl for the sixth time.

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