Found this... always stunned that in a town with such great sports fans (and high cost of living), that the college sports aren't more popular. Here's what I found:

"Here is a great frame of reference article as it relates to the value of a Northwestern season ticket. Using the lowest-priced ticket, Northwestern's $95 season ticket rates the 6th least expensive for all BCS conference schools. Surprisingly, Illinois - at $77 - is even less expensive than NU and ranks at #2. A Rivals article does a good job with the caveats and explaining that face value of tickets at many schools doesn't account for the minimum donation needed to get the right to the seat (fast forward to the 2013 gripe among NU fans after we consistently pack the place).

When you consider Northwestern's marketplace - Chicago - and account for cost of living, the value gets that much better. Dollar for dollar, it is hard to find better value when you consider the level of play and the seat offering (ie. a 300-level Bulls seat vs a seat at Ryan Field). A very good barometer of what's going on in the college football landscape in these tough times."