Despite rumors that students may have to pay an additional fee at the ticket window when they pick up Duck game tickets, members of the Athletic Department Finance Committee said students should expect admission to remain at the same price.
Although it may appear that students get football and basketball tickets for free, they have already paid for those tickets through the incidental fee. Students paid an estimated $23.53 per term for tickets this year, for a total of $1,040,640.
Incidental fees, however, will no longer pay for pre-season football games, and students who wish to attend those games will be charged at the child price, which ranges from $9-12, although adult prices run close to $24.
Next year, incidental fees that go toward ticket prices will no longer meet the 50 percent of fair market value the Athletic Department asks for because of the significant increase in ticket values. The funding change for pre-season tickets was made as a part of the negotiations between the ADFC and Athletic Department as a way to compensate for the loss.
About three weeks ago, the ASUO senate approved a 5 percent increase to the ADFC, the senate committee that handles incidental funding that goes to the Athletic Department, but this won’t cover the loss. An increase of more than 12 percent would have been necessary to combat the lost costs, Sen. Jennifer Greenough said.
Greenough added that because of the 5 percent increase, the incidental fee amount students pay for tickets could change, but not significantly.
While final decisions have not been made, the ADFC has been working with the Athletic Department to explore options to make up for the expenses, aside from charging for pre-season football games instead of using incidental fee money.
Sen. Greg Zimel said the ADFC understands the Athletic Department’s need for revenue, but that it may take a few years before incidental fees will reach the 50 percent mark again.
“We understand they need a raise,” he said. “Because of the popularity of the Ducks, ticket prices have skyrocketed, and we can’t keep up with what we pay.”
The Athletic Department had suggested students pay an additional $2-3 for tickets at the ticket office to bring in more money and serve as an incentive for students to actually use tickets they pick up.
Sandy Walton, senior assistant athletic director, said the percentage of students who use tickets they pick up for pre-season games is extremely low. Walton also mentioned there have been times only half of the tickets picked up were actually used. She added that ticket usage increases “tremendously” when classes start, but is still always under 100 percent.
“Tickets are getting awfully wasted, although it’s not as bad as pre-season games,” she said. “As long as tickets are free, they don’t have as much value. … It’s no big deal if students didn’t use tickets they picked up, because they didn’t pay.”
Walton added that especially in instances where the game was sold out, the Athletic Department loses money when students don’t use tickets that were picked up but could have been sold. The department is allowed to start selling tickets set aside for students five days prior to a game.
But Greenough said the committee couldn’t agree with the recommendation to charge students for tickets at the office or at the door, because the ASUO is currently investigating the legality of making students pay additional costs for programs partially funded through incidental funds. This includes admission costs for other events, such as cultural nights, put on by student groups. But Greenough added that charging students additionally may be a choice in the future.
Decreasing the number of student seats was another option discussed, but both the ADFC and Athletic Department didn’t want to create a fight for seats between students and the general public. Greenough said that right now, “there’s no danger of that.” During the school year, about 6,048 football seats are reserved for students, plus 50 extra for children of student-parents.
Walton said that although the ADFC and Athletic Department have different agendas, they will find a sufficient compromise.
“We need to generate more money and students want more seats for less money. … That’s normal,” she said.
Although negotiations are still underway, Greenough said the Athletic Department has relied on the ADFC’s “good faith” to work on getting the funds back up to 50 percent of market value. She added that the ADFC trusts the Athletic Department is working for the students’ best interests.
“The committee recognizes that the Athletic Department is making attempts to get the best option for both the Athletic Department and the students,” she said.