LSU AD Joe Alleva on Friday will ask the school's Board of Supervisors for "permission to increase some Tradition Fund payments for football season ticket holders beginning in 2014 and a flexible pricing plan that would allow different prices for games depending on the opponent," according to Quincy Hodges of the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE. Alleva will do so "in order to stay competitive" and fill a $2M "budget gap." Alleva told the board at its Oct. 25 meeting that expenditures in the last four years "have increased" by about $20M. Hodges notes the expenditures "include fringe benefits, scholarships, football salaries, travel and payments to the university." LSU Senior Associate AD Mark Ewing on Thursday said that the ticket price increases would raise nearly $2M, "which will fill the department's budget gap due to lost revenues in the Tradition Fund." Hodges reports $59M of the LSU athletics department's overall budget consists of "seat donations and ticket funds," while parking brings in $2.9M. This is the "first proposed increase" since '10. Alleva's proposal calls for a 6% "increase in season-ticket pricing from the previous season." Under the proposal, season-tickets "will be $425 next year, a $25 increase from the previous season." Student season tickets prices "will remain the same at $84 for general admission and $126 for reserved seats" (NOLA.com, 12/12).
