News

Ticket prices could see hike

The University of Wisconsin Athletic Board Finance Committee proposed raising season football ticket prices for 2007 Tuesday.

If the proposal gets forwarded at the Feb. 22 meeting, student season ticket holders would pay $19 per game, up $2 per game from 2006. Regular tickets would increase $4 from last year to $39 per game.

For next year's home-game package, students would pay an extra $14 for the seven games.

Finance Committee Chair Philip Brown told The Badger Herald Tuesday the proposal was made based upon projected expenses for next season that will require additional revenue.

Brown said the UW ticket prices will still remain low compared to other comparable schools.

"Football tickets at UW are essentially at the bottom of the range of tickets in the Big Ten," he said. "Clearly we have an outstanding program and product."

According to Brown, the Athletic Department has a philosophy of pricing tickets only at the level they need to sustain the department.

Other nationally recognized Big Ten organizations charge much higher prices, according to Brown.

"This season we were at $35, and Michigan and Ohio State were getting $50 and $60," he said. "The cost of everything is going up, so this is the spot that they've chosen to generate additional funds."

The UW football team tied with Michigan for second in the Big Ten this year behind Ohio State.

In January 2005, the Athletic Board raised student prices by $1 and regular tickets by $2.

UW sophomore Andrew Shuman said the price hike puts an extra cost on students already stretching their finances.

"I don't like it that much — that's almost like an extra ticket," he said. "I was on a budget buying the tickets last year. I had to make the decision with also looking at hockey prices."

Freshman Ben Hakes, however, said even with a tight budget, he won't pass up the chance to see the championship-caliber team in 2007.

"As nitpicky as I am about money, the extra over the amount of this season is not that big of a deal," Hakes said. "I'm still going to the games — $14 isn't enough to make me miss a Badger football game."