NU Announces 2004 Football Ticket Prices

Lincoln -- A combination of fewer games on the 2004 football schedule, increases in utility costs and anticipated increases in tuition precipitated a minimal increase in the average cost per game for season ticket holders.  However, the cost for UNL students will remain unchanged.

Husker season football ticket holders will see the average price of their tickets go up from $42 per ticket in 2003 to $45 in 2004.  That is a $3 increase from a year ago, but is just $1.25 over the average cost of season football tickets in 2002 ($43.75).  In fact, over the past two years, Nebraska’s tickets have increased an average of 63 cents per home game.  Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson lowered season ticket prices last season by an average of $1.75 per ticket.

Nebraska’s home football schedule features six games in 2004, the fewest since 1999.  As a result, the Nebraska athletic department will have significantly less income coming into its annual budget as football ticket sales equate to approximately $2.5 million per game (40 percent of annual budgeted revenue).  In addition, while Nebraska’s expenses for game management would decrease proportionately, the athletic department will also lose an estimated $100,000 per game in income generated from concession sales.

In addition to a decrease in income, the athletic department is also facing significant increases in tuition, room and board and fees for the 2004-2005 school year.  In fact, if the proposed increases are affirmed by the Board of Regents, the result would be an immediate need for an additional $550,000.  One of Nebraska’s largest expenses annually, NU will pay more than $6 million this academic year for tuition, books, room, board and other fees for 433 scholarship student-athletes.  Also included in Nebraska’s annual budget projections are increases in utilities, which have increased more than 15 percent in the last 18 months.  The department will budget just over $1.25 million for utilities in 2005.

"With just six home football games in 2004 to provide the bulk of our incoming revenue, we were forced to take a hard look at how we could meet the escalating costs of tuition and utilities," Pederson said.  "We believe we can balance our 2004 budget with just a slight increase in our season football tickets.  Fortunately, we were able to meet our budgetary needs and still keep the cost of student season tickets the same as last year.  We have tried to keep our prices affordable and still less than our conference peers."  

Nebraska’s average price for season ticket holders of $45 is competitive nationally and ranks sixth among Big 12 schools, behind Texas A&M, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas State and Texas.  The average price to attend a Nebraska game on the road this season is $56.40.  Tickets to the 2003 Big 12 Championship game in Kansas City were $70 each. 

Because of an NCAA exemption, Nebraska and all other Division I teams were allowed 12 regular-season games in 2002 and 2003, which gave Nebraska an all-time high eight home games in 2002 and seven in 2003.  Nebraska also had eight home games in 2001 after hosting the Pigskin Classic. 

Full face value of the six home games in 2004 is $320. Public season ticket holders will pay $270 for their six-game packages, $50 less (16 percent discount) than the face value.  University of Nebraska-Lincoln students will be able to purchase their season tickets for $126, $194 less than the full face value (61 percent discount).  The average price for UNL student season tickets in 2004 is $21, the same as last year.  Faculty will continue to be able to purchase season tickets at a discounted rate from the single-game price (21 percent discount).  Individual game prices for non-season ticket holders will be priced at $50 for the two non-conference games and $55 per ticket for the four home conference games.

 Season Ticket Holder UNL Student Single-Game

   

Season Ticket Holder

UNL Student

Single-Game

Date Opponent

Average Cost/Ticket

Average Cost/Ticket

Home

RoadSept. 4 Western Illinois

$45

$21

$50

--Sept. 11 Southern Mississippi

$45

$21

$50

--Sept. 18 at Pittsburgh

--

--

--

$45Oct. 2 Kansas*

$45

$21

$55

--Oct. 9 at Texas Tech*

--

-

--

$50Oct. 16 Baylor*

$45

$21

$55

--Oct. 23 at Kansas State*

-

--

--

$65Oct. 30 Missouri*

$45

$21

$55

--Nov. 6 at Iowa State*

--

--

--

$60Nov. 13 at Oklahoma*

--

-

--

$62Nov. 26 Colorado*

$45

$21

$55

--* Big 12 Conference Games

Single-Game Home Total/Average...$320.00 ($53.30)
Single-Game Road Total/Average....$282.00 ($56.40)
Season Ticket Total/Average.......... $270 ($45.00)
UNL Student Total/Average............ $126.00 ($21.00)

After much success in 2003, Pederson will again hold a minimum of 200 single-game tickets for the on-line wait list.  Last year, 1,400 Husker fans were given the opportunity to see a Husker home game through this program.  The single-game tickets in this pool were made available in 2003 from three sources; season-ticket holders who did not renew; season tickets made available because of season-ticket holders who passed on; and single-game tickets returned from the opponent's allotment.  This pool of tickets remains intact for 2004.  All new  season tickets that become available in 2004 will be assigned to donors who give to the University of Nebraska Athletic Department.  Fans can sign up for a chance at these single-game tickets on a first-come, first-served basis by signing up on Huskers.com?the official website of the Nebraska athletic department.  If fans do not have access to the internet, they may send a letter to the Husker Athletic Ticket Office that includes their address and phone number.

According to Assistant Athletic Director for Ticket Marketing John Anderson, of the 73,952 capacity tickets in circulation, approximately 18,000 different Husker fans purchase 54,500 tickets on a season basis.  Faculty purchases approximately 7,300, UNL students purchase 8,200, while the opponent allotment is 3,850 per game. 

With the stadium expansion plan scheduled for completion prior to the 2006 football season, Nebraska will have at least 5,000 new seats.  Pederson has said that at least a portion of seats which become available as part of this project (not necessarily in North Stadium) will also be made available to non-donors on a season and single-game basis.

Season ticket holders are encouraged to renew their tickets on line.  The $10 handling fee will be waived for those renewing on line using the electronic e-check program.