Letter Shows Texas AD Wants Aspire Group's Ticket Sales Force Out By Football Season

The Univ. of Texas in June opted out of its deal with The Aspire Group, and a letter from AD Mike Perrin to Aspire Founder Bernie Mullin shows that he "wants the 32-person ticket sales force out by Aug. 26, nine days before the football season opener," according to Brian Davis of the AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. Perrin in the June 24 letter wrote he was “not interested” in keeping the relationship with the company. According to records, Aspire's sales force sold $45.4M in UT tickets "during the most recent school year." The "stated goal" was $45.2M. Aspire is "contractually required to sell" only 90% of its stated goal or "risk contract termination." That is approximately $4.5M "more than the amount of ticket revenue generated by UT's major sports" during the '14-15 academic year. The '15 football season "saw an average ticket price increase" of about 6%. Perrin’s letter "came after a phone call" with Mullin, where Perrin "first expressed his desire to break the contract" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 7/15).