A few years back, I was on a Colorado Springs sports radio talk show when the host brought up the new $10 fee to park at Air Force Academy football games.

I said the fee would hurt ticket sales and inspire an avalanche of protest from longtime Air Force fans. The host was incredulous. He couldn’t imagine anyone complaining about a $10 fee to park in the same era when Bronco fans were paying $50, and up, to get their car close to Mile High.

His imagination wasn’t big enough. I still hear a few times a year from Air Force fans who remain disgruntled by that $10 fee. Trust me, the parking charge plays a lingering role in the academy’s struggle to sell football tickets.

Now, Air Force is in the midst of increasing the price of hockey season tickets. In some cases, the price has increased 58 percent since 2013. This is risky behavior for the academy because Air Force sports fans are, yes, loyal but also easily transported to anger.

In my view, a top price of $279 (parking included) for a season ticket is a solid deal. Consider this for context: My son paid $300 for one choice scalped ticket to last season’s Broncos-Cowboys game.

But that was in Denver, and we live in Colorado Springs.

Here’s a truth to remember about Colorado Springs fans, especially those who root for the Falcons. They do not resemble fans in Denver. They tend to be thrifty. They expect free parking.

And they despise price increases.

“Take a look at the landscape,” said Dr. Nancy Hixson, CEO of the Air Force Academy Athletic Corp. “In order to retain good coaches and to compete at the highest levels, we have to continually look at new sources of revenue. We held off for so many years that it was time.”

The best University of Denver season tickets, Hixson said, cost $575.

Coach Frank Serratore led the Falcons to the final eight of the NCAA Tournament last season and to 50 wins over the past two seasons.

“I’ll be honest with you, we have been giving the tickets away at a low price for the quality of what we put on ice,” Serratore said, “Compared with our neighbors, I think we have.”

As of Wednesday night, 1,125 season tickets have been renewed. Last season, the Falcons sold 1,800 season tickets with 100 on a waiting list.

As I said, raising season ticket prices is understandable. The Falcons have been recently powerful. The Cadet Ice Arena is an intimate, fun hockey destination. An abundance of demand is there.

Still, there’s pain. Many residents of Colorado Springs have an extra few hundred dollars to toss around. No pain. No problem.

And many do not.

I heard from a Gazette reader who requested anonymity. The Air Force price increase, the reader wrote, threatens a family tradition.

“I don’t have an issue with increasing prices at a reasonable rate,” the reader wrote. “We all want to support AF athletics (with hockey being our passion), but this has priced us out of our budget. … We now have a choice of either going into debt for the tickets or giving up a family tradition. Neither is a feel-good option.”