Seated on the east side 35-yard line in Tiger Stadium are Bo DeBlieux and his family. His family has been sitting in the same seats for the past 20 years and now fears not being able to afford tickets in the 2004 season.
In the north end zone sit Bill Haws and his family. Haws has concerns about affording his seats, but he knows LSU needs to be competitive in the Southeastern Conference.
Thousands of Tiger Athletic Foundation members sit dispersed throughout Death Valley, enjoying the game while supporting the LSU Tigers.
To continue raising support for Tiger athletics, University and TAF officials are presenting a plan to state legislators to repeal a Louisiana law.
Louisiana law RS 17.3390 states any institution of higher education may permit a private, non-profit corporation to purchase tickets to any event sponsored by the institution, not to exceed 12 percent of the tickets available for the event.
Officials would like to use more than 12 percent of Tiger Stadium seats for fund raising. To do this, the University would allow TAF to buy tickets to sell to season-ticket holders with a surcharge attached to the ticket price.      
While TAF officials will not disclose the amount of the proposed surcharge, the current surcharge for seats on the west and east sidelines is $750. Surcharges for other seats in the stadium held by TAF vary by location.
Currently, most ticket holders do not have to pay a surcharge for their seats. If the legislature repeals the law and the Board of Supervisors approves the surcharge proposed by the Athletic Department, current season-ticket holders will have to pay the surcharge or give up their seats.
Season-ticket holders have first priority in keeping their seats, said Herb Vincent, associate athletics director for external affairs. If ticket holders cannot afford or refuse to pay the surcharge, they can buy tickets in another area of the stadium with a lower or no surcharge.
Officials are formulating a plan to take before the Board of Supervisors in February outlining how many seats LSU would use for fund raising and with what surcharge.
TAF currently holds 11,000 seats in the east side expansion and 7,280 other seats dispersed within the bowl area of the stadium.
Although officials do not yet know how many seats they would sell to TAF, the number of student seats and visitor seats would remain the same, Vincent said.
Chancellor Mark Emmert said ticket prices would be scaled according to the seat placement. For example, it would cost more for a seat on the 50-yard line.
“The University has the authority to raise ticket prices, but the advantage to the donation system is it is 30 percent tax deductible,” Emmert said.
Rep. William Daniel, D-Baton Rouge, is a TAF member. He said he is looking for a concrete plan from University administrators, as well as what intentions they have for the money.
“Being competitive in the SEC is important, but I want to see a plan that will balance it with the right of people to continue to afford and attend LSU football games,” Daniel said.
Scott Woodward, University director of external affairs, said the legislative aspect is a small part of a big vision for the campus — the Master Plan.
The money the University receives from the TAF surcharge would help finance renovations to athletic facilities and finance moving some facilities to other areas of campus, freeing up real estate the University could use for other academic purposes, Emmert said.
Vincent said 10 percent of the money would be used for things such as building renovations, scholarships and professorships.
Funds gained from the surcharge also will further the University’s effort in keeping up with the other nine schools in the SEC.
“We need to compete in the SEC,” Emmert said. “Out of all the competitors, LSU is the only [school] in America that has a state law that limits the number of seats in a stadium for fund raising. This is not new and everyone else does it.”
All nine schools in the SEC allow 100 percent of their stadium seats to be used for fund raising. Auburn University uses 65 percent of its seats while the University of Kentucky uses 14 percent.
Vincent said each university has a different method of scaling its seats for fund raising.
The University annually raises $3.1 million from priority seating and approximately $1.1 million from club seats. The University of Tennessee, which only has priority seating, raises $13.4 million in fund raising annually.
“UGA, Florida and Tennessee get $10 to $15 million in donations to support the athletic and academic programs,” Emmert said.
The University’s athletic department generates all revenue itself. It does not use state tax dollars or student fees.
Woodward said TAF’s purpose is to do things to help LSU athletics because they can do things more efficiently.
TAF, as a private, non-profit organization, can finance University expansions without having to report to the legislature.
“TAF can’t make any expenditure to build or do anything on campus without being approved by [the chancellor] or the Board of Supervisors,” Emmert said. “TAF can only use those funds for projects we want to see done.”
Though season-ticket holders are concerned about losing their seats to the surcharge, Emmert said the University does not want to disrupt the tradition of Tiger Stadium.
Haws said he understands to keep competitive with other schools, “some creative accounting” has to be done.
“I don’t like the idea of the surcharge, but I will probably support it,” Haws said.