The University of Kentucky Athletics Association announced ticket prices and K-Fund updates for football and men’s basketball in a proposal submitted to the UK Athletics Board of Directors on Monday.
Coming off the school’s best season in 22 years, and getting ready to host what might well be the most attractive home schedule in America, UK football season tickets will increase by only $5 – less than a dollar per game – for the 2007 season.
Men’s basketball season tickets, which have been sold out for decades, will increase by $6 per game, an increase of $108 for a projected 18-game schedule, for the 2007-08 season.
The updates are in response to the growth of expenses for UK’s 22-sport athletics program, which has shown improvement in broad-based competitive excellence in recent years.
Improvement in competitive excellence
Kentucky has won a conference championship in six sports over the last three years (men’s basketball, baseball, men’s golf, women’s tennis, rifle, and women’s soccer).
In the last two years, UK has won its first-ever Southeastern Conference championships in the sports of baseball, men’s golf, and women’s tennis
UK’s standing in the NACDA Directors’ Cup (all-sports standings) has improved from 50th place in 2002-03, to 45th (2003-04), to 35th (2004-05), to 33rd in 2005-06.
Successes from the 2006-07 fall sports includes football’s Music City Bowl championship, an SEC title for women’s soccer, and the volleyball team advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Expenses
UK Athletics services approximately 500 student-athletes, including scholarship players and walk-ons, on the 22 sports teams
UK Athletics pays full price on all scholarships; tuition costs for the scholarships have increased 63 percent, from $5.3 million in 2002-03, to a projected $9 million in 2007-08
Since 2002-03, UK Athletics has completed more than $40 million in capital projects, improving facilities for 15 sports
Operating budget for women’s sports has increased 22 percent since 2002-03
Operating budget for men’s sports has increased 9 percent since 2002-03
Football Tickets
2007: Football season tickets for the 2007 season will increase only $5 – less than a dollar per game – for the seven-game schedule. Sideline season tickets will increase from $214 to $219. Endzone season tickets increase from $172 to $177.
Single-game ticket prices will increase to $30 for all seats, which currently are $29 for sideline seats and $22 for endzone seats.
Single-game tickets for the premium game will be $70, which is consistent with other rivalry games across the nation. For example, the Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State game costs $100; Texas vs. Texas A&M costs $85; Nebraska vs. Kansas State and Michigan vs. Michigan State cost $70; and Washington vs. Washington State and Iowa vs. Iowa State cost $70.
For what is believed to be the first time in school history, season-ticket holders will be rewarded by receiving a discount over the total of single-game prices. Season-ticket holders will save $31 to $73 off the single-game price total of $250. In the past, season tickets have been priced at the sum of single-game totals.
2008: Sideline season tickets will increase $11, from $219 to $230. Endzone season tickets will increase $18, from $177 to $195.
Single-game tickets will increase to $35 for opponents from non-BCS conferences to $40 for BCS games. There will not be a premium game.
Season-ticket holders will save $35 – $70 off the single-game total price of $265.
2009: Contact the UK Ticket Office for information on tickets.
Men’s Basketball Tickets
2007-08: Season tickets increase by $6 per game, $108 per season ticket, based on a projected 18-game schedule. Lower-level season tickets in Rupp Arena go from $486 to $594. Upper-level tickets go from $396 to $504.
Single-game tickets increase by $6, $33 for lower level, $28 for upper level.
K-Fund Requirements for Men’s Basketball
An increase of $100 donation per seat in the K-Fund is proposed, raising annual fees from $300 to $1,350 per seat, beginning with the 2007-08 season.
Additional notes regarding the K-Fund and men’s basketball:
Less than 30 percent of Rupp Arena (6,700 seats out of 23,000) are under the K-Fund and require a donation per seat
Less than 30 percent of Commonwealth Stadium (19,750 seats out of 67,606) have K-Fund requirements
K-Fund increases in 2004-06 raised giving from $5 million to $7.9 million annually; UK still ranks 11th out of 12 schools in the SEC in annual seat fundraising; Florida and Georgia lead the league, generating $25 and $20 million, respectively, on an annual basis
Looking at donation requirements at schools with comparable fan interest, Duke’s men’s basketball requirement is $5,000 to $15,000 per seat annually; North Carolina is $200 to $2,500 per seat annually; UCLA requires $850 to $6,250 per seat annually; schools such as Kansas, Connecticut, and Indiana reassign seats each year based on giving priority points.
Looking at men’s basketball season-ticket prices at schools with comparable fan interest, Kansas is $945, Connecticut is $660, North Carolina is $535, Indiana is $476, UCLA ranges from $476 to $656, and Duke ranges from $500 to $1,200
Based on the fact that men’s basketball season tickets have sold out for decades, along with the strong secondary market for single-game tickets, indicate that the tickets have been priced well under market value
