Georgia–Florida Ticket Prices Going Up

FOOTBALL

A budget of $89,952,400 for fiscal year 2012 and hike in 2012 Georgia-Florida football game ticket prices were approved by the University of Georgia Athletic Association Board of Directors at its annual spring meeting today at St. Simons Island.

In light of the ticket prices for many of the premier college football games played each year, a six-year approach to Georgia-Florida game ticket prices was also discussed. Ticket prices for the 2012 game was approved at $60 for regular stadium seating (up from $40) and $100 for club seating. The Board delayed action on future pricing decisions for the Jacksonville game. The University of Florida athletic board approved the ticket pricing schedule for the 2012 game at a previous meeting in Gainesville and will discuss the 2014 and 2017 games at it’s June, 2011 meeting.

The projected ticket price for the 2014 to 2017 games will rise to at least $75.00.

It was pointed out that most premier games this past season had ticket prices far more than the Georgia-Florida game for regular stadium seating:

Texas-Oklahoma: $110.00

Army-Navy: $115 club/$65.00 priority seating

Miami-Florida State: $70.00

Oregon-Oregon State: $78.00

Michigan-Ohio State: $70.00

Auburn-Alabama: $65.00

The $89,952,400 budget figure represents an increase of approximately $5 million over the fiscal year 2011 budget. Major factors attributed to the larger budget are increases in scholarships ($2,660,000), football game guarantees ($1,400,000), and student-athlete welfare ($737,000) which includes the addition of two nutritionists, sports psychologist, training table and mentor program.

Faculty Athletics Representative David Shipley presented an academic report which was highlighted by the 524 UGA student-athletes earning a combined 3.0 grade point average for the spring semester. He also noted several special awards including punter Drew Butler earning first team CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors, swimmers Chelsea Nauta and Mark Dylla being awarded SEC Post-Graduate Scholarships of $7,500 each, and track athletes Bridget Lyons and Asaph Levy being named recipients of SEC Community Service Awards. He also noted former gymnast Marcia Newby being named winner of an NCAA Top VIII Award presented annually to the top eight student-athletes in the country.