TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Three hours before kickoff, Ann Whitehead’s Subaru Outback pulls into Lot 13 to continue a longstanding family tradition: attending Florida State football games.

What started in 1960 with Whitehead in the student section has grown into a three-generation congregation in the west stands at Doak Campbell Stadium. Through scorching heat and pounding rain, the Whiteheads had a 28th-row seat for the glory days of Bobby Bowden and the up-and-down tenure of Mike Norvell.

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“We love to go,” said Whitehead’s daughter, Alyson Stone. “It’s just, I don’t know how much longer we’ll be able to.”

The costs have swelled out of control around sports, an industry of inherent leisure spending. What was once an affordable autumn excursion for a family of four has become a series of $1,000 (or more) weekends.

The situation isn’t unique to the Whiteheads or Florida State. Florida Gators fan Rob Dotson, a former local alumni association president, got fed up with Gainesville hotels boosting prices while requiring two-night minimum stays; he called giving up his season tickets after 38 years the second-hardest thing he has ever done (after proposing to his wife).

When South Florida started its program in 1997, parking was $5. For this year’s opener against Boise State, it was $32.25. A bottle of water costs $7.50. Suzanne Ward has been to every non-COVID-19 game in Bulls history and has already downgraded from eight tickets per game to four as monthly costs started feeling like another car payment. She worries about what will happen to prices when USF downsizes from the Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium to a new 35,000-seat on-campus stadium in 2027.

“I don’t want to get to the point where I have to say, ‘Y’all have priced me out, I’m no longer a fan,’” Ward said.

The broader concern of feeling priced out extends beyond college football. Stadium suites and wristband-only tailgates are no different from skip-the-line passes at theme parks or luxurious lounges at the airport.

The thirst for greater revenue has led to more premium amenities and premium offerings at premium prices — often at the expense of patrons beneath the top tax bracket.

That tension is part of the backdrop at Florida State.