3/18/05- Football Ticket Increase
  Make Sure You Read the Fine Print

Ticket prices have been announced for the upcoming football season.

Let's begin by looking at ticket prices for the 2004 season:

Here's how seat location impacted ticket price:

The 2005 Season

Well, the "good" news is that everyone now gets the privilege of paying the same price not matter where your seats are located.  This sounds good except that the athletic department has introduced additional complexity to the equation by charging different rates for certain games.  In past seasons there have been "premium" games which cost more.  But two levels of pricing apparently isn't enough.  This season there are three levels.

Non-conference games (Northern Illinois, Eastern Michigan) cost $49; Big Ten games (Minnesota, Penn State, Indiana) cost $54; and premium games (Notre Dame, Ohio State) cost $59.  But you need to look a little closer to determine what the actual ticket costs will be.

For season ticket holders this translates to $50 per game.  At first this this seems like a price drop for most ticket holders.  BUT this is the first year the PSP (AKA seat tax, seat license).  50% of the PSP charges will be applied this season. 

This is what ticket prices will be taking this into account:

Pricey but not too bad considering that the schedule includes Notre Dame and Ohio State. But let's take a look what the prices would look like if the PSP were fully applied:

So next year some people can look forward to paying over $100 a ticket to see Central Michigan get massacred.  Ouch!

For Comparison

The athletic department likes to say that Michigan football is a great entertainment value compared to other sports entertainment in the area.

Let's compare Michigan football tickets prices with the Detroit Lions:

50 yard line seats at Ford Field top out at $70.  The same seats at Michigan Stadium project out to $121 (2006 estimate including full PSP).  And that's assuming a $50 base ticket price.  There will be probably be a price hike of $2-$3. 

Do you think that ANY "seat" at Michigan Stadium is as comfortable as a seat at Ford Field?

Why All the Subterfuge?

It's very simple.  The athletic department is hiding the true cost of tickets to soften the impact.  If the face value of football ticket prices were to reflect the actual cost people would be up in arms.

It just like an advertised "deal' from a car dealership.  You had better read the fine print!

PSP = Seat Tax = Lack of Accountability

The PSP or seat tax (see my previous articles) will insulate the athletic department from accountability.  Michigan fans who were unhappy with mismanagement had a powerful tool to show their displeasure.  When time came to donate to the athletic department they simply didn't.  Of course the athletic department has many reasons for why people haven't been forthcoming with donations.  They discount that the Ed Martin saga, Halo fiasco, or Tom Goss era contribute in any to people's reluctance to donate funds. 

Critics such a myself wonder if anything has really changed.  Looking at the ham-fisted way that the Michigan/Ohio State SBC deal was handled and the current renovation plan for Michigan Stadium there definitely seems to be cause for concern.

Imagine what will happen when the PSP gives the athletic department free reign to do whatever they want no matter what people think?  And that's the fine print we really need to worry about.

Go Blue!

Phil Callihan
UMGoBlue.COM, Editor-in-Chief
phil@umgoblue.com
 

Phil Callihan is the Editor-in- Chief of UMGoBlue.COM.  Phil graduated from the University of Michigan in 1993 and has been a football season ticket holder since 1994.

Full Bio

Read More of Phil's Columns