This year's transition from the BCS system to the College Football Playoff "is the latest reinvention" for the Vizio Fiesta Bowl, and the new system "has not been without problems," according to Peter Corbett of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. Boise State officials and fans "are complaining about ticket pricing that could cost the school several hundred thousand dollars in lost ticket sales." Under the new system, the ticket allotment "was reduced from 17,500 per team to 12,500 to ease expenses for teams that could not sell all their tickets." But that is "not how it is working out for Boise State, which might be stuck with 2,900 unsold seats worth $435,000." BSU President Bob Kustra "complained that the Fiesta Bowl undercut the university's ticket prices." Boise State is "selling most of its upper- and lower-level tickets for $150, while the Fiesta Bowl is selling upper-level seats for $75" for the matchup against Arizona. But Fiesta Bowl Exec Dir Mike Nealy said that the event "was clear about the ticket pricing." Nealy: "As part of the contract with college football ... teams pay $150 per ticket, and after that, they are free to do what they want." He added that Boise State "could have charged more for the lower-level seats and less for the upper-deck seats" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 12/27). Boise State officials said that the school "has sold 9,700 tickets from its allotment of 12,500." In Boise, Chadd Cripe reports the school "has returned 2,000 tickets to the Fiesta Bowl for donation to local charities, per bowl policy." The unsold tickets "are valued at $420,000." Boise State's potential payout of $4.167M "is reduced by the value of unsold tickets" (IDAHO STATESMAN, 12/30).
