Today, ahead of the 2026 opening Monday Night Football game and just two full weeks into the college season, Defend America Action released a new report showing that tailgating season is costing American families significantly more this year, as Donald Trump’s economic agenda drives up the price of everything from the tank of gas to get to the game to the food on the grill.
National gas prices are the highest they’ve ever been at this time of year, averaging $4.15 a gallon nationwide as of Labor Day. The national average cost for a family of four to attend an NFL game — tickets, parking, food, and drinks combined — jumped from $1,339 in 2025 to $1,474.55 in 2026, a 10.1% increase in a single year, while college football costs are climbing even faster, led by Texas ($388, up 45.9%) and Tennessee ($302, up 64.1%) year-over-year.
The cost of stocking the cooler and firing up the grill has climbed just as fast. Beer is up 26% since January 2021, including a 3% jump in the last year alone, as Trump’s aluminum tariffs drive up the cost of beer and soda cans industry-wide. Ground beef is up roughly 24% since Trump took office, and propane for the grill has risen more than 11% since Trump’s war in Iran began.
Trump promised to bring down costs for working families. Instead, he’s made one of America’s favorite fall traditions more expensive than ever.
A full copy of the report can be found here.
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