Student Football Tickets Could Increase By $2/ticket. Do You Care?
Hello all. I am your student appointee to the Athletic Board. On Friday Febrary 17, 2012, the Board will vote on a proposed increase in ticket pricing on football and basketball tickets. Among the proposed increases is a $2 increase in student ticket prices for football games, going from $22 to $24 per ticket. To read the Athletic Department’s statement on the increases, follow the link at the end of this post.
Earlier this week, I voted against a recommendation to increase the prices because I hadn’t had a chance to solicit student opinion on the issue. So, I’ve put together a poll to see what the students say so that the student voice can be heard on Friday before the Board votes on the proposed increases. To let your voice be heard, please complete the poll below.
Thanks!
Valyncia
Link to Athletic Department’s Statement: http://www.uwbadgers.com/genrel/021412aaa.html
I’d like to know how much of the cost of sports programs is subsidized from tuition and tax dollars. Why not raise ticket prices even more so that sports programs can fund themselves?
Valyncia,
Thanks for the opportunity for input. It’s difficult to make an informed decision based on what is in your link and the contents herein.
Has Athletics made a business case as to why they need more money? Are they experiencing some sort of cashflow issues? What will we get for the increased fees – or loose without them?
Asking for more money simply because other schools get more money is no justification IMHO. At a time when the value of college athletics itself is being called into question, I recommend a very thoughtful justification for more funding.
http://chronicle.com/blogs/brainstorm/standing-up-against-money-in-college-sports/24720
http://chronicle.com/blogs/players/college-sports-at-a-crossroads/25006
If student ticket prices are increased then I would hope that you press them for a concession or justification of some sort that shows that the increase would directly benefit students.
Why the increase? $2 isn’t too steep though…
Thank you for your comments.
@Nick, your question is a good one that pertains to intercollegiate athletics generally, but is beyond the scope of my knowledge base and I may not apply to our specific campus issue at hand (I encourage you to pursue the research idea becuase I’m sure many others wonder the same thing).
@Al and @Ashley, Good questions. The reason is releated to covering budget demands. I’ll post more specific reasons if/as they become avialble, but will be sure to “press” as appropriate. Please keep in mind, however, that recent budget cuts call for many departments across campus to make adjustments.
I agree that many departments are making adjustments. They are changing the way they work, not the fees they charge. Departments across campus are charged to find efficiencies, make strategic cuts and reallocating funds – not surcharging students. I’d start by recommending the same for athletics.
@nick, the link above, 2nd paragraph of the letter, mentions: “As you know, UW Athletics is not funded by state tax dollars.” It seems to me, then, that budget cuts from the state wouldn’t apply in this scenario.
I am also not intimately aware of the financial comings and goings of the athletics department(s) as they relate to UW-Madison. I believe it is a fee-for-service model that stands alone from tuition and state support. As for the financial benefits to the University, it is commonly argued that athletics drive donations from benefactors.
http://host.madison.com/sports/columnists/andy_baggot/article_436f6238-3942-11e0-be6d-001cc4c002e0.html