Facility ticket fees for sporting events at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, including men’s basketball games, will increase for the 2014-15 season.
Facility fees for individual tickets priced at $12 or less will increase between 25 cents and $1.50 per ticket, while fees for tickets more than $12 will increase between 40 cents and $2 per ticket. It is not known whether this will affect fanatics season tickets. The increases were based around the need to renovate the 25-year-old arena, according to a press release near the end of last year.
“We work hard to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable fan experience, but as far as buildings go, the BMO Harris Bradley Center is a senior citizen,” said Steve Costello, Bradley Center CEO in the press release. “It is becoming more and more difficult to maintain the building – and a stable fiscal position – amid the challenges that we face.”
The university will decide the price of fanatics season tickets this summer, said Michael Broeker, deputy athletics director, in an email.
“As it stands now ticket prices for students next year will be the same as this year,” Broeker said. “We are committed to keeping men’s basketball affordable and accessible for students but must understand future fee increases before determining whether or not continuing to fund on behalf of students is financially sustainable for our department.”
Traditionally, since the fee’s inception, the university paid the fee for fanatics ticket buyers. The fee is expected to cost more than $35,000 this year, and the increase is anticipated to bring the total to around $40,000 next season.
Broeker said the price of season tickets for non-students, which are now either $20 or $25.60 per seat, will increase because of the change in fees.
“Based on a 16-game home schedule, season ticket holders will pay a facility fee of $24 or $32 per seat next year,” he said. “Understand this is not revenue to athletics. This fee is passed through directly to the Bradley Center to help fund operations.”
