With two months left before the football home opener at Kroger Field, the Univ. of Kentucky "already is nearing its season ticket sales total from last season," according to Jen Smith of the LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER. As of last week, UK had "sold 32,000 season tickets," about 2,000 shy of the school's total sold last season of 33,658. Those figures are "still down from recent previous seasons, with 38,658 season tickets sold" in '15 and roughly the same number in '14. But UK is coming off its "most successful season" since '10, going 7-6 last year and playing in the TaxSlayer Bowl. The 32,000 threshold also "does not include student ticket sales or comps" (LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER, 7/6).
WORD OF MOUTH: In Honolulu, Ferd Lewis notes Univ. of Hawaii football coach Nick Rolovich, his assistants and players over the offseason "made an estimated 600 phone callbacks to season ticket holders beseeching them to renew" for '17. Rolovich said the school is now "ahead of last year's" pace but still has not posted "earth-shaking numbers." Rolovich: "But it has been encouraging just like seeing the UH hats and shirts around the state. That's one (gauge) for me." UH said that '17 renewals are running at 86.2% compared with 85.3% "at about the same time last year." So far, 12,463 tickets have "been renewed for this season" (HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER, 7/7).
