UGA season ticket cutoff drops

By TIM TUCKER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It’s still a pricey proposition, qualifying to buy new University of Georgia football season tickets. But not nearly as pricey as last year.

This year, new purchasers are required to have made cumulative contributions of at least $4,205 to the UGA Athletic Association’s “Hartman Fund” to earn the right to buy season tickets, contributors have been informed.

That’s down by more than $6,000 from last year’s record sky-high cutoff of $10,651.

The reasons for the return to earth: Demand was at a fever pitch last year because of the Bulldogs’ No. 1 preseason ranking; thus, more season tickets opened up this year because more people chose not to renew or reduced their number of seats; and the recession helped drive down overall Hartman Fund contributions by about $3 million.

Still, demand again exceeded supply for Georgia season tickets. While this year’s financial cutoff is less than half of last year’s, it remains more than double 2007’s. For the ’07 season, contributions of $1,991 qualified for new season tickets.

Fans make financial contributions to, in essence, buy the right to buy tickets. After becoming a season-ticket holder, one can keep the right to buy the seat(s) each year by making a prescribed annual contribution to the association -- a minimum of $250 per seat, more for prime locations. But becoming a first-time season-ticket holder is far costlier.

Orders are filled on the basis of cumulative lifetime contributions, starting with the highest and continuing until no tickets remain. This year, no orders were filled for would-be buyers with contributions below the $4,205 level.

The contribution requirements for the right to buy road-game tickets and, when available, single-game home tickets will be determined later this month, UGA said.