GREENSBORO, Ga. — Georgia athletics is looking for ways to increase revenue, and from the sound of what Josh Brooks said on Thursday, just about every option is on the table. Among the possibilities mentioned, raising the prices
“As we talk about future considerations and things we’ve got to be cognizant of, one of our missions in this new future is looking at ways to grow revenue,” Brooks told the board on Thursday. “One of those things we’re studying right now is ticket prices of several sports. We made some adjustments last year to Stegeman and I thought it went really well, but we’ve got to look at opportunities both at Foley Field and Sanford Stadium.”
Brooks would first go on to say that re-seating Sanford Stadium is not on the table. He knows that’s a hot button with fans – specifically ones that have held their season tickets for quite some time – and wanted to “avoid panic.” However, pricing changes are being looked into.
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“When I say that, it’s not just about raising prices. We may be lowering prices. We put a big focus on keeping our events family friendly, family affordable, so we’re going to take a deep dive and look into some of our seats in the 300 level and 600 level, those prices may need to come down a little bit. And then seats in other areas may need to come up as they’re better seats,” Brooks continued. “We’re in the bottom third on the league when you combine donations and ticket cost, and we’re not trying to be top third but we may need to be more middle of the pack. We’ve got to look at ways to grow revenue. We haven’t increased ticket prices in several years.”
Brooks said more information on the potential ways to raise revenue – specifically as it pertains to ticket pricing – would be available at the fall meeting of Georgia’s Athletic Association’s Board of Directors, telling reporters “there’s still more work to be done.” His goal – and the goal of the athletic department as a whole – is to raise the issue and do plenty of research rather than acting on a whim.
“You’ve got to pull every lever, right? It’s just like you with your own personal finances. We’re going to try to find ways to grow revenue, whether it’s through our multimedia rights partner, whether it’s some future revenue gains through TV contracts with the CFP. I think looking at opportunities with ticket prices are a way, but also we’ve got to be good stewards of our money, right? So we’ve got to find efficiencies and make sure we operate in the most efficient manner possible,” Brooks said. “… You can’t always just think the answer to everything is just generate more revenue. You’ve got to look at yourself and say, ‘Where can we be more efficient while still providing a first-class experience for our student-athletes?’ That may be cuts to how staff operates or things like that as well … We like to be very studied and measured before we do it. We’ve still got some work to do to measure that, and we’ll make sure we have the right plan that we think is fair and equitable.”
Georgia hosts a trio of SEC opponents at Sanford Stadium this coming season (Auburn, Mississippi State, Tennessee) with Tennessee Tech, UMass and Georgia Tech also making their way to the Classic City. It’s a less than stellar home schedule propped up heavily by rivalry games between the hedges, but fans will more than get their money’s worth in 2025 when Alabama, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Texas come to town with the league’s announced plans for scheduling that season.
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