August 22, 2003
TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of LSU Athletics
FROM: Skip Bertman, LSU Director of Athletics
This Week:
Yesterday the LSU Board of Supervisors gave overwhelming approval to our plan for the future of Tiger Athletics. I have confidence that yesterday was a decisive day for your athletics program, and one that we will look back on as an important day in LSU Athletics history.
With the approval of a Preferred Seating Program, we have the opportunity to make a significant investment in our athletics facilities, which will in turn allow us to continue to attract the very finest student-athletes and coaches to our campus, and to give you a safe, fun and comfortable place to enjoy LSU athletics events.
I know a lot of you will have questions about how this plan will work and how it will affect you. As always, we welcome your feedback. But there is plenty of time between now and January, when the Transfer Option Period begins, for everyone to gain a full understanding of this plan.
All season ticket holders will receive a full informational booklet in November that will outline the entire plan and all of your options for the 2004 season. In the short term, you can log onto www.LSUsports.net/vision for more information.
I want to take this opportunity to answer some questions and concerns that we’ve heard since we announced our proposal.
First, the price of a single game ticket in 2004 will be $36. Currently, the LSU ticket price is $32, but there is a surcharge attached to every ticket. If you currently buy a sideline or east upper deck season ticket, you pay an average of $39.14 per game. If you buy an end zone or west upper deck season ticket, you pay an average of $35.57 per game. If you walk up to buy a single game ticket, you pay $36.
We have rolled those surcharges into the price of the ticket, so every seat in the house will cost $36 beginning in 2004.
That’s important to know, because for those people who feel they cannot afford a season ticket beginning in 2004, they can buy a single game ticket for the same price they bought one this year.
Most of the season ticket holders we have heard from have asked how they can upgrade their tickets. They want to know how they can purchase any seats that become available on the sidelines.
Frankly speaking, I don’t believe that very many season tickets will become available. There are two primary reasons. First, the contributions have been priced at an affordable level for a great majority of current season ticket holders. Second, with the Transfer Option Period, anyone who feels they cannot afford their seat, and who doesn’t want to move to another location, can assign their seat to any LSU fan they choose.
I believe that LSU season ticket holders, who have time and time again proven themselves to be among the most resourceful fans in America, will take advantage of the Transfer Option Period to locate a seat that can be transferred to them by a friend or acquaintance in an area where they would like to sit.
This is the first time LSU has made a major adjustment in its football season ticket policy, so it’s impossible to predict how many season ticket holders will choose not to renew their tickets. This plan was not designed to create a major turnover in season ticket holders. To the contrary, it was designed to keep the price of admission as affordable as possible to existing season ticket holders while giving LSU the resources to invest in facilities and create financial stability.
If any tickets become available, the distribution of those seats will be fair and equitable, and like any other distribution of tickets, such as bowl game and road game tickets, a portion will be made available for upgrade to existing Tiger Athletic Foundation ticket holders and a portion will be made available to non-TAF ticket holders.
Any method used to distribute newly available seats will be fully publicized in advance, giving those individuals who wish to upgrade ample time to apply for such an upgrade.
I’m confident that this plan has achieved some of the important goals that we set for ourselves. No one has been removed from their seat; every season ticket holder has ultimate control over his or her seat; contribution levels are affordable for a great majority of the fans; revenue will be created to invest in facilities and financial stability, and all monies will be controlled by the University.
I hope you will continue to study this plan at www.LSUsports.net/vision, and give us your input. Your correspondence will continue to play an important role in our future. I believe we have created an open line of communication with these Cyber-side Chats, and we intend to continue writing to you about all aspects of your athletics program in the future. We hope you’ll continue to write back.
Although I cannot guarantee a response to every e-mail, please know that they have all been read and each and every one will continue to be read.
Thank you for your continued support of Tiger Athletics.