The University of Wisconsin Athletic Board unanimously approved a $113.6 million budget for the 2012-13 financial year, along with price increases for student football ticket holders next year.
The price bump is projected to bring a $1 million increase to the Athletics Department budget and is part of a new variable pricing plan for individual football tickets. The plan will allow prices for conference games to be more expensive than pre-conference games.
Student football tickets are set to increase by $2, while student men’s basketball season-tickets will increase by $4. Athletic Board member Philip Brown, who presented the budget, added the price change still keeps UW in the middle range of the Big Ten’s overall price ranges for tickets.
“We do not take ticket price increases lightly,” Brown said. “This is one of the few areas of revenue that is under our control. … You look at the Big Ten, everyone charges a small fortune to see Wisconsin play at their venue. We’re going to start doing the same thing to support our services.”
Brown added the change will maintain the current price ratio with student tickets being held to about half the price of individual public tickets. Season ticket prices will not be changing, which will create more value for a season ticket holder.
Brown also attributed the spike in the budget to the multiple construction projects currently underway. He said the department is currently experiencing a budget hike, which it expects to decrease once the building projects are complete.
The board also debated the current controversy surrounding UW’s contract with Adidas after the Worker Rights Consortium issued a report alleging the company violated workers’ rights, therefore violating the UW code of conduct.
Associate Athletic Director Sean Frazier said the Athletics Department has a seat at the table in the current 60-day period of mediation with Adidas and is hopeful they will be able to resolve the conflict.
“I’m very, very concerned if that doesn’t happen,” Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez said. “If we lose that contract, I don’t know where you go, how we would replenish that $2.3 million … this would be a huge hit to our budget.”
Alvarez also said he spoke with athletic departments at the University of Michigan, University of Nebraska and Indiana University, which also have contracts with Adidas and have not raised any issues regarding the potential rights violations.
Alvarez added after eliminating Nike and Russell Athletic as potential licensing partners, he is unsure what company to turn to.
However, Frazier said he thinks the mediation period will allow the conflict to be resolved.
Athletic Board Chair Dale Bjorling also addressed the controversy over allegations that former senior associate athletic director John Chadima sexually assaulted a male Athletic Department student employee at a party during the football team’s trip to the Rose Bowl in California.
“Again, what I’d say is if you read the paper, you know exactly what I know,” Bjorling said.
He knew of no formal charges being made and added they were turning over authority to the independent investigation.
