ASU raises football ticket prices on 83 percent of seats

For those who have Arizona State football tickets, chances are it will cost a little more next season. The school announced a price increase Tuesday for nearly 60,000 of Sun Devil Stadium’s 71,706 seats, or 83 percent.

The other 12,000 tickets will still cost $99.

Season ticket renewal information was mailed in early December under a new plan to help standardize the process and ease the burdens for the athletic department. Season ticket renewals are due by football letter-of-intent signing day, which is Feb. 4.

Following a 10-3 season in 2007, the Sun Devils sold slightly more than 53,000 season tickets for 2008, the most since 1986. The Devils went 5-7 this past season, missing a bowl berth for the first time since 2003.

Stephen Ponder, the senior associate athletic director for development, said the price increase was influenced by big-ticket draw Georgia not being a home game on this fall’s schedule to help season ticket sales.

The athletic department budget is $41 million.

“We desperately tried to hold the fort, but we couldn’t do it with our budget,” said Ponder, who noted a vast majority of seats hadn’t seen price increases since 2001. “We always ask whether we could afford to do this. We do the same things with our families everyone else does. It’s not like we just come up with a number and put it out there.”

Sections with the biggest increase are in the upper deck end zone with seat backs on the north side of the stadium. Those prices will increase 50 percent to $149.

The next highest percentage increase is in upper west side sections below the press box, where the seat premium is $80. The sections with the largest dollar increase of $145 are on the lower bowl’s west side.

ASU has a six-month payment program, which Ponder said has been popular among ticket buyers to help defray costs.

“We knew the economy is the way it is, but for us to balance the budget, we had to do what we did,” Ponder said.

“We’re not pro sports. We’re trying to educate kids on scholarship, and so people are helping someone (college athletes) get an education.”

Those with questions about season tickets can contact Kevin Haslam at (480) 965-3934 or Kristin Hartman at (480) 965-5449.

NO BYU

An ASU athletic department official confirmed ASU will not play BYU this season at Sun Devil Stadium.

The game was originally scheduled for Sept. 12, but the Cougars found a date with Oklahoma at the new Dallas Cowboys stadium schedule for national TV more appealing to open their schedule.

The two schools will also not play each other in Utah in 2011, also originally part of the two-game series.

ASU will begin its 11-game season against Idaho State on Sept. 5, followed by a bye week.

Then the Sun Devils host Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 19 at home before traveling to Georgia on Sept. 26.