Univ. of Tennessee football season-ticket prices "will increase" approximately 6.5% for the upcoming season after sales for '14 "snapped a downward trend" that went back to '05, according to a front-page piece by Dustin Dopirak of the Knoxville NEWS-SENTINEL. Season tickets for bleacher seats in Neyland Stadium "will increase in price from $385 for the season to $410," while chairback seats "will go up from $406 to $431." UT Senior Associate AD Chris Fuller said that the price increase "is not being made because of growing demand but because of operation cost increases that could occur if the NCAA decides to increase student athlete compensation." Fuller: "It's been more of a cost-of-living adjustment than 'Hey, demand's up, so we think we can charge more.'" Dopirak notes for UT, finding an "extra seven figures annually for student athletes means making significant changes." The athletic department in FY '13-14 posted $103,542,111 in revenue "but spent $103,481,231 for a surplus of just $60,880." The athletic department "also claims that its athletics reserve fund is one of the smallest in the SEC." So UT "looked into ticket prices." Fuller was "somewhat reluctant to go that route because season ticket sales were on a downward trend from the early 2000s until this past season." But UT "sold more than 62,000 season tickets" in '14, "breaking the 60,000 mark for the first time since 2011, and early indications are that ticket demand will increase" for '15 (Knoxville NEWS-SENTINEL, 1/14).
LESS IS MORE? UNC-Charlotte student newspaper the NINER TIMES' Nick Cropper reported UNCC in '15 will "reduce the amount of student seating" at Jerry Richardson Stadium from 7,500 seats to 4,000 due to a "consistent lack of student attendance" this past season. Based on student attendance in '14, the "average amount of requested tickets fell between 3,200 and 4,000." UNCC is entering the FBS level next season as a member of Conference USA, and the league is requiring the school to "have a minimum attendance of 15,000 people per home football game." The school "could face several penalties if the requirement is not met" (NINER TIMES, 1/13 issue).
