We’re just days away from the kickoff of both the college football season and the NFL regular season, so the number crunchers at Wells Fargo thought they would rain on your parade.

According to Wells Fargo economist Sarah House, as quoted by USA Today — even with higher prices, tailgating should still be robust as "There's a lot of pent-up demand. (And) there are ways that fans can mitigate the cost of seeing their favorite team play, whether it's in person or away from the stadium."

So, where are the increased costs coming from?

One of the big drivers is transportation; gasoline has increased from $3.17 a gallon last year to around $3.90 this year, nationally.

Also, if you’re a rabid college (or pro) fan planning on flying in for the game, expect to pay 28% more for a flight than at this time last year.

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We’ve all noticed that the price of food has gone up and that affects tailgaters, too.

The Wells Fargo report says that the price of ground beef is up 9.7% this year, while chicken has gone up 17.6%.

The good news is that the cost of chicken wings is at its lowest point in years, so you may want to stock up.

Hot dogs are up 5.3% and pork ribs are up a mere 1.6%. Condiments, namely pickles and relishes are up 15.8%.

More good news is that beer, wine, and liquor prices have only increased marginally, so those staples shouldn’t be in short supply.

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According to TheStreet.com, the average cost to attend a Giants game at MetLife is the seventh most expensive in the NFL at $376.62; that includes tickets, two beers, two hot dogs and two t-shirts. The Jets are 16th at $334.32.

Your first chance to tailgate at a Jets game is Sep. 11, as they are home to the Ravens; the Giants open on the road, but come back to the Meadowlands in Week 2 to host the Panthers (9/18).

Rutgers first tailgating opportunity is on Sep. 10 as they host Wagner; the Scarlet Knights open on the road at Boston College the week before.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle only.

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