PSU AD defends ticket increases

Associated Press

STATE COLLEGE, Pa.

Penn State athletic director Tim Curley has been playing the Big Ten divisional guessing game, too.

The conference appears headed to a two-division format after Nebraska accepted an invitation to become the 12th member. Divisional alignment is expected to be a prime topic of discussion in a couple weeks, when athletic directors and football coaches meet in Chicago.

And just like dozens of other football fans, Curley has been scribbling out his own ideas — though he’s not giving any clues about where he wants Penn State to end up.

“Every time, I’ve looked at it and tried to slice and dice it, each one has its real strengths and some question marks,” Curley said Wednesday. “At the end of the day, because of the strength of the conference, whatever division we end up in, it’s going to be dynamite.”

Expansion talk aside, it’s been a busy year regardless for Curley, who heads one of the country’s largest athletic programs with 29 varsity sports.

He’s watched the Penn State women’s volleyball team go into the NCAA record books with a third straight national title and the second-longest winning streak in Division I team sports (102 games). He’s watched Olympic gold medalist Cael Sanderson start a new era for the Nittany Lions wrestling program, and followed that up with the hiring of highly regarded head coaches in lacrosse, men’s soccer and women’s gymnastics.

And he’s also looking at possible renovations to facilities including Beaver Stadium.

Like many other schools facing tight budgets, Penn State has had to find new ways to pay for a $100 million budget expected to balloon due to travel costs, insurance and other reasons. And, like other schools, Penn State has turned to football tickets as a way to help pay the bills.

The school is in the midst of phasing in new season-ticket pricing guidelines for the 2011 season that could force some fans to donate more to the football booster club to keep their seats. Location will be a new factor in determining giving levels for seat renewals, along with the number of tickets purchased and parking.

Currently, Nittany Lion club members must contribute at least $100 a seat to renew season tickets, regardless of where they sit. The new guidelines start at a $100 per seat, primarily around the end zones, and increases to $400 and $600 closer to midfield, and a $2,000 section for a small section of seats at midfield with seat backs.

The actual price of a ticket ($55) will not change.

“The majority of our [fans], they understand, they appreciate how Penn State has gone about it in terms of funding, and I would say most of our fans are willing to try to help support and to try to have this broad-based program,” Curley said.

Football and, to a lesser extent, men’s basketball, are the only sports that make a profit.