The Athletic Department made a wise move this time. When the LSU Board of Supervisors convenes Thursday, it will consider the Athletic Department’s proposed three-year funding plan. At the heart of the plan is a steep rise in the Tradition Fund, which is a contribution made by football season ticket holders. The plan’s structure will nearly double the Tradition Fund’s revenue from $8.9 million in 2007 to $17.5 million in 2010, thus giving a significant boost to the Athletic Department’s operating budget. The department’s budget hovers around $70 million and is generated without student fees or state tax dollars. The greatest aspect of the new plan is that student football season ticket prices are not increasing. The Athletic Department’s decision to keep student prices the same is very encouraging, especially when looking at past decisions. Student ticket prices increased from $7 to $12 for general admission and $11 to $18 for reserved seating in February 2006 after hurricanes Katrina and Rita turned our world upside down. The Athletic Department said the hike was necessary to keep it “self-sustaining,” in the aftermath of rising costs and the relocation of a “home” game against Arizona State to Tempe, Ariz. College students have an unfair amount of additional expenses and adding increased football season ticket prices to that long list is unfair. Tiger Stadium is always labeled as one of the premier venues in college football. And it is impossible to argue that students are not the driving force behind the stadium’s remarkable home-field advantage. The Athletic Department made the best decision – charge the season ticket holders who are employed and who have enough money to spend a little extra on football tickets. We will continue to keep a close eye on the Athletic Department’s decisions in the future. The department has a history of shunning students, most notably by selling 740 student tickets to the public for the Nov. 11, 2006 home game against Ole Miss. Low student attendance at home games was cited as the reason for the decision. Still, asking students to pay more for a chance to cheer on their team would have been wrong. We applaud the Athletic Department for its decision, and we know the student body feels the same way. Thank you.
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