UA asks fans to take a hike at ticket window

Cheap seats, Little Rock game exceptions

Arkansas fans call the Hogs during the Razorbacks' game against Auburn on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015, at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.
Arkansas fans call the Hogs during the Razorbacks' game against Auburn on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015, at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- The University of Arkansas announced Tuesday it is raising the price of football tickets for seven of 10 sections of Reynolds Razorback Stadium on campus and lowering the cost for all seats at Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium for the 2016 football season.

Season ticket prices will go up anywhere from $50 to $300 in seven seating areas of 72,000-seat Razorback Stadium. The season ticket price of $300 for Pig Heaven, which is the first four rows of seats in the upper deck, and $750 for the East Outdoor Club will remain at the same level as 2015. The season ticket price for all 500-level upper deck seats, which amounts to approximately 9,100 seats, will drop by $50 to $250.

Ticket prices do not include sliding-scale donations that must be made to the Razorback Foundation to purchase seats in priority areas.

In a university press release announcing the changes, officials said the per-game price for standard bench seating at Razorback Stadium has not gone up for the past six years and that many club areas there have not undergone an increase since those areas opened in 2001.

Student ticket prices at both Arkansas football venues will remain the same as last year. Prices for single-game tickets have not yet been established.

Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long said in the release that tickets prices for Razorbacks football games are still below the average ticket price in the SEC.

Long has written a letter that will be distributed to season ticket holders today that further explains the changes.

Long said in the release that growing costs in the athletic department helped trigger the increased ticket prices.

"It is imperative we continue to enhance our facilities and address the increasing expenses related to the maintenance and upkeep of facilities, rising scholarship costs in conjunction with providing cost of attendance and escalating expenses of feeding and fueling our student-athletes," Long said. "The price increases are primarily in the lower levels, clubs and suites, while, for the first time in decades, prices for some seating in the upper deck and at War Memorial Stadium will be reduced."

Ticket prices for the Razorbacks' lone game at War Memorial Stadium against Alcorn State on Oct. 1 will be $45 for sideline seats and $35 for end zone seats. Tickets for last year's game against Toledo at War Memorial Stadium were $55.

"Our new ticket pricing structure did not simply increase across all of our seats," Long said in the release. "We carefully evaluated the demand and history of those sections before considering any potential price alterations. In the end, we have established a pricing model which will help further our investment in student-athletes while still maintaining our standard ticket prices below the Southeastern Conference average and lower than other peer programs throughout our region."

The steepest season ticket price increases of $300 will be for suites on the East, West and South sides of Razorback Stadium. Season tickets for the East and West suites will move to $2,400, up from $2,100 last year. South suites will cost $2,100 for season tickets, up from $1,800 in 2015.

Arkansas' home schedule in 2016 features games against Alabama, Florida, LSU and Ole Miss in SEC play. The Razorbacks also host Louisiana Tech in their season opener on Sept. 3 and face Texas State at Razorback Stadium on Sept. 17 after a road game at TCU.

The ticket price announcement came the week after the UA Board of Trustees voted to move ahead with a proposal from the athletic department to take price estimates for constructing approximately 3,200 seats to enclose the north end zone as well as add elevators and restructure the Broyles Athletic Center. The work is expected to cost approximately $160 million.

The expansion is to be paid for through donations and bonds, and Arkansas officials stated in the proposal to the board that football ticket prices would be used to help fund the repayment for the bonds.

The UA also announced a new video board will be under construction in the south end zone at Razorback Stadium during the 2016 season.

Sports on 02/03/2016

Upcoming Events