One month after "raising football season ticket prices," Univ. of Texas officials yesterday announced that men’s basketball ticket prices also "are going up," according to Brian Davis of the AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. Season tickets "will rise" an average of 7% for '15-16, coinciding with the arrival of new coach Shaka Smart. Similar to football, the "biggest increases will be near center court, and there’s also a $99 option with no donation requirement." UT last month announced a 6% "increase in football season tickets at Royal-Memorial Stadium." That featured a 31% "spike for seats along the 50-yard line." But the school also "made $199 tickets available for those who just want to get in the door." For the upcoming men's basketball season, seats which straddle center court "will be $715 for renewing ticket holders and $750 for new customers." Each seat requires a "minimum $2,500 donation to the Longhorn Foundation for new customers." Meanwhile, some tickets will "go down in price depending on seat location." There are $99 seats in the "upper portions of the Erwin Center." Davis notes UT officials have "spent considerable time and effort improving the Erwin Center’s game-day atmosphere." UT "had an average paid attendance of 11,249 last season for 18 home games," with the arena's capacity at 15,540 (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 4/15).
RUNNING WITH THE BIG DOGS: Univ. of Washington student newspaper the DAILY's Starla Sampaco reported the school has "proposed two major changes to the structure of its football and men’s basketball ticket sales." The first proposal would "allow students the option" to purchase football and men’s basketball season tickets "in a joint package for $105." Currently, UW season tickets for "football alone cost $99." UW also "proposed the option" of a four-year football package "for incoming freshmen at the discounted price of $375." If approved, these packages "would be available for student purchase in May." Associated Students of the Univ. of Washington Dir of Service & Partnerships Kainen Bell said that this proposal is "modeled after other schools using a similar joint ticket structure," like Washington State and Colorado. Bell said, “We want to get back to the days when students were lined up at the doors to see basketball games" (DAILYUW.com, 4/13).
