Buckeye fans can expect to pay more for tickets to the 2013 home football game against the University of Wisconsin.
The Finance Committee of the Ohio State Board of Trustees voted on Thursday to hike the prices of OSU football tickets, and named the Sept. 28 game against Wisconsin a premier game, raising ticket prices to as much as $175.
The football season can now include up to two premier games, priced between $79 and a maximum of $125 to $150, or a maximum of $175 for a single premier game in a single season.
OSU athletic director Gene Smith said during the meeting he has already determined OSU’s home game against the Wisconsin Badgers as a premier game, which is expected to cost the public $110 per ticket.
“I anticipate we’ll get to a point where there’s two (premier games) every single year,” Smith said.
Premier games will not affect the cost of student tickets, but the extra revenue from public ticket sales is expected to help OSU’s athletic department balance its costs of operation without the help of funds from “non-athletic sources.”
“The Athletic Department is self-sustaining,” said Geoff Chatas, chief financial officer at OSU. “As we developed a plan … it was with a mind to ensure that we continue to have a self-sustaining athletic department which covers all of its costs and maintains that division of excellence.”
Although student tickets will not be subject to the premier game’s increased price, all individual student tickets’ prices will increase by $2, bringing the total cost per game to $34. An increase of $9 will be seen for the general public, costing fans a minimum of $79 per home football game not designated as premier.
With its implementation of premier games, OSU will join Alabama, LSU and Notre Dame as an institution that no longer charges the same rate for every football game.
The Board also voted to increase the cost of men’s basketball tickets. Up to five conference or non-conference games will be eligible for designation as premier games.
Should a basketball game be considered premier, personal seat licenses will cost $47, while public lower bowl tickets increase to $46, public upper bowl tickets to $25, faculty and staff lower bowl tickets to $37, faculty and staff upper bowl tickets to $20 and student tickets to $13 per game.
Jerry Jurgensen, head of OSU’s finance committee, said he is satisfied with the slight increases.
“We have an obligation to the average fan that comes to see the Buckeyes to not to price out of the market.”
