Tennessee football ticket holders asked for donations
The university athletic department announced in 2004 that by 2006 there would no longer be any grandfathered tickets on the east and west sidelines behind the team benches. Athletic director Mike Hamilton sent letters last week to about 2,000 ticket holders reminding them of the policy and asking them to make a decision by Jan. 20. Season ticket order forms are due March 1.
In 2004, people in sections A, B, C, AA, BB, CC, R, S, T, U, V, W, RR, SS, TT, UU, VV and WW with grandfathered tickets ? meaning they did not have to pay a donation up front to have the privilege of buying season tickets as new ticket holders do now ? were allowed to keep a maximum of two tickets without making a donation or move their seats to the end zones and keep their grandfathered status.
The people who stayed on the sidelines must now pay the donation, move to the end zones or transfers the seats to a relative. Donations to the Volunteer Athletic Scholarship Fund, the fundraising arm of the athletic department, have been discounted.
For instance, current donors to the VASF have to pay between $2,500 and $5,000 per ticket for new seats in sections U and T, but grandfathered people will pay $1000 per ticket to remain in those seats.
The money will partly go toward the planned renovation project of Neyland Stadium that is expected to begin in the coming weeks.
Bids for the first phase that includes the construction of club seats on the east side above the student and visitors sections came in higher than expected. The athletic department had been given an estimate of $16 million, but officials planned to ask the State Building Commission on Thursday for $24 million. The bids reflected a rise in construction costs because of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The ticket reminders come after a disastrous 5-6 season that was the Volunteers’ first losing season and lack of a bowl bid since 1988.
“I know this past season has been disappointing for our fans, players, coaches and administration. While we have not achieved all that we had hoped for in the 2005 season, I remain confident that coach Fulmer is making changes that will address the issues and get this team back on track for next season,” Hamilton wrote in a letter to ticket holders dated Dec. 1 and obtained by The Associated Press.
“Although we had a disappointing football season, we still have difficult business decisions to make.”
Getting the renovations started is one way to help the football program even after a losing season, officials say.
“Renovating the football stadium and updating it for our fans and for the enjoyment of our fans and the convenience of our fans is part of what from the long-term perspective will help keep our football program and the athletic program, and university in general, strong,” John Currie, associate athletic director for external operations, said Wednesday.
The policy affects about 4,500 seats in the 104,079-seat stadium. A total of 28,900 seats, or nearly 38 percent of the stadium, are covered by grandfathered tickets.
The first phase of the stadium renovation includes about 400 chair-back club seats that will replace the bleachers under the east skyboxes in sections AA to FF. Fans have already signed up for over 60 percent of the seats, Currie said. They require a $15,000 donation and $2,500 a year per seat.
‘
On the Net:
Tennessee football: http://www.utsports.com