The Univ. of Texas yesterday announced its ticket-pricing structure for the '15 football season, and the average price of season tickets "went up" by 6%, according to Stefan Scrafield of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. However, a new, entry-level ticket "was introduced to reduce the get-in-the-door price." Fans "may now sit in the upper deck of the north endzone for as little as $199 for the year." To sit on the 50-yard line, new ticket buyers "will have to pony up $4,160 per seat, which includes a $3,500 contribution in addition to the $660 ticket price." The school "will continue to honor grandfather pricing." The school last week announced a Loyalty Points system, which "will be used to reward loyal ticket holders with priority for season ticket upgrades, parking, AT&T Red River Showdown, postseason games and other high-demand events" (DALLASNEWS.com, 3/9). In Austin, Brian Davis notes UT men's AD Steve Patterson and other school officials "have received complaints that fans resell their tickets, many in prime locations, to opposing fans." As a result, ticket holders will be asked during the '15 renewal process "if they’d like to continue paying at their grandfathered donation level," or they "can choose to pay the present-day donation and then have the ability to resell tickets on StubHub or any other online market." Present-day donation levels "range from $150 to $3,500, depending on seat location." That "must be paid on a per-seat basis." A new policy states that "anyone caught violating the new rules will receive a warning," and a second violation "will result in forfeiture of tickets and seat assignments." School officials said that they "will be monitoring the secondary markets, with help from StubHub" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 3/10).
NOT STANDING PATT: Patterson during an interview on Austin-based KTXX-FM yesterday said, "Some of the beach front property goes up a bit. ... We've got about 10,000 seats that we've actually dropped the price on for the first time since 2001." He added, "We're trying to keep up with the additional costs brought on by some of the court cases out there -- with name, image and likeness and with the additional food service we're doing for student-athletes and with the full cost of attendance increase." Patterson also said that commercial announcements during football games "have been reduced" by 11% and the school "has cut the time of those" by 26% ("Afternoons With Bucky And Erin," KTXX-FM, 3/9). Patterson: "Given the changing landscape and increased costs, you have to be able to fund the operation." Aspire Group Chair & CEO Bernie Mullin, whose company runs UT ticket sales, said the increases are "very fair, considering what the situation is" in college athletics. He added that the company's research shows that UT "lands in the middle of the pack when it comes to ticket prices and contribution levels" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 3/10). Patterson justified the increases, saying, "The reality is if you look at our pricing, we’re below the middle of the market." But in Austin, Kirk Bohls writes it is "past time that the school drastically improve the product on the field as well" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 3/10).
NO EX-CUSE: Patterson during his radio appearance said of the recent sanctions levied on Syracuse by the NCAA, "What's disappointing is when you see a culture of consistent rule-breaking over time, not just in the athletic department, but across the university." He added, "By and large, I think most universities operate in an ethical manner. That doesn't mean of the thousands of schools that are out there, and of the half million students competing at major Division I schools that you aren't going to have some mistakes and people falling down from time to time, that's the way of the world" ("Afternoons With Bucky And Erin," KTXX-FM, 3/9).
