March 4, 2004
TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of LSU Athletics
FROM: Skip Bertman, LSU Athletics Director
RE: LSU Tradition Fund
This week I am writing to remind you of an important deadline that is approaching for many LSU fans.
The 2004 football season will be the first year when approximately 13,000 season ticket holders will be contributing to the Tradition Fund in order for the right to purchase approximately 45,000 seats in Tiger Stadium. The deadline for paying at least half of your contribution amount is March 31.
I want to take this opportunity to address some of the questions and concerns that have arisen over the past seven months since this plan was approved by the LSU Board of Supervisors. As a reminder, the Tradition Fund will generate approximately $7.5 million per year for LSU Athletics, which in turn will allow us to invest in athletics facilities improvements and the increasing costs of operating a successful athletics program.
CONTRIBUTION DEADLINE
The March 31 deadline is important because any season ticket holder who has not paid at least half of his or her required contribution amount by that date will not have the opportunity to renew their tickets for the 2004 football season.
Invoices for contributions were mailed to season ticket holders in January. All season ticket holders who have paid at least half of their required contribution by March 31, as well as those season ticket holders who are not required to pay a contribution, will receive an invoice for their season tickets shortly after April 16.
If you have any questions about your contribution requirements, please call the LSU Athletics Ticket Office at (225) 578-2184.
TRANSFER OPTION
Don’t forget that there is a one-time opportunity to transfer your tickets into the name of anyone you wish. The deadline for transferring tickets is also March 31.
In order to transfer tickets, you must fill out a Transfer Form and have it notarized and returned to the LSU Athletics Ticket Office. The Transfer Form was provided with the invoice in January and can also be printed out from the Internet at LSUsports.net/vision.
It is important to know that any transfers that are submitted to the ticket office after March 24 must be accompanied by at least half of the contribution payment for the tickets that are being transferred.
Also, please be reminded that LSU has an existing policy that allows any season ticket holder to transfer tickets to a spouse or a direct descendent at any time. In other words, if you want to transfer your tickets to a spouse or direct descendent, you don’t have to do it by March 31. You can do it now or at any time in the future.
UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES
Many season ticket holders have requested an upgrade or improvement to their seating location, and very few have asked to be moved to a lower contribution area of the stadium. In fact, upgrade requests have outnumbered downgrade requests by 40 to 1.
This means there will be very few, if any, upgrades to new locations because existing ticket holders are simply not giving up their seats.
The deadline for requesting a change in seating location was February 28. All persons who requested a move to a lower contribution area will be contacted by the LSU Ticket Office by March 31 to discuss their seating options. If they are not satisfied with the new seats that are offered, they will have the option of remaining in their existing seats.
TRANSFERS FOR MONEY
Some season ticket holders have been offering to transfer tickets in exchange for cash, as evidenced by classified ads in the newspapers and on eBay. The LSU Athletics Department does not encourage this practice and did not create the Transfer Option for the purpose of individuals benefiting monetarily.
The Transfer Option was created to allow season ticket holders to be able to transfer tickets into the names of people who have been using their tickets anyway, and to be able to transfer tickets to friends or relatives instead of giving them up for sale.
NEW TICKET PURCHASES
With interest in LSU football at an all-time high, many of you are writing and asking how to buy new season tickets. Because all existing season ticket holders have the opportunity to renew their seats, new tickets cannot go on sale until June. Please watch your local news media, check LSUsports.net and watch for information in future Cyber-side Chats for exact dates on the sale of new season football tickets.
MORE INFORMATION
If you need more information on the Tradition Fund, please log on to LSUsports.net/vision. You can read all about the Tradition Fund and you can download any form you may need to help manage your season ticket account.
THANK YOU!
Sandy and I thank everyone for all of the kindness and support in the days following the fire at our home. It was truly heartwarming to see how everyone rallied around us and it reaffirmed our belief that LSU is truly a family that looks out for its own. Sandy and I are fine and we look forward to our continued service to and involvement with the great fans of LSU.