Sluggish Seat License Sales Could Delay UNCC Football Program

UNCC May Delay Start Of Football Program Due To Seat License Sales

PAY TO PLAY: In a front-page piece for the N.Y. TIMES, Jere Longman noted as athletic costs "rise at a rate that the NCAA warns cannot be sustained, and as states continue to reduce spending on higher education, many athletic departments are seeking income beyond ticket sales, booster donations and television revenue to help stem the flow of red ink." But students "seem less inclined to pick up the tab, especially at universities that do not field major-college football teams." Students at three California universities recently "voted down fee increases to help pay for athletics," and the U.S. Student Association indicated that students "seem to be growing more reluctant to pay additional fees for everything from athletics to health care to transportation." The NCAA said that it did not keep data on such fees, though newspaper surveys have indicated that "more than half of Division I universities rely on student athletic fees, which can range from $30 a year to more than $1,000." Fee increases "must be put to a vote at some universities," while at others, school officials "consult students." Longman noted universities where students recently voted down athletic fee increases "seem to have a couple of things in common: They are primarily commuter colleges, where students may be less invested in sports; and they either do not compete in major football conferences or do not have football, which is the largest revenue sport" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/30).

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