UGA football ticket prices going up, starting in 2018 season

Georgia is raising ticket prices for home football games, effective this upcoming season, from $50 last season to an average of $66.42 per game, on a two-tiered system.

Games against Tier 1 opponents will per $75 per game. Games against Tier 2 opponents will be $55 per game.

Athletics director Greg McGarity cited increased salaries for the football staff, among other reasons, for raising prices.

“We plan to make substantial adjustments to the compensation of our coaching staff,” McGarity told the UGA Athletic Board on Tuesday.

UGA president Jere Morehead told the board it was a “good problem to have.”

“Because it means our football program is strong,” Morehead said. “But they are going to need our ongoing support.”

Georgia has seven home games for the upcoming season: Auburn, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Middle Tennessee, UMass and Austin Peay.

UGA saw an increase in football ticket revenue and football ticket contributions last year:

• $22.6 million in ticket revenue as of December 2017, an increase from $19.1 million the previous year. The school said "some additional" revenue will be reported in February "once all ticket sales for games have been finalized."
• $9.5 million in ticket contributions compared to $4.3 million at the same point the previous year.

UGA has a little more than $80 million in reserve funds, including $47 million that it reports at each meeting, along with money in the UGA Foundation that is set aside for athletic support, which was $34 million as of last summer. It has said it cannot spend the reserves freely because of debt tied up in bonds.