This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Longtime supporters of the University of Utah, Derek Lansing and his family are excited about the move to the Pac-12 and can't wait to see how the Utes fare in the BCS conference.

He worries, though, about how much longer he and his family can afford to see — in person — how the Utes compete against the likes of USC, Stanford and other schools in the league.

Like many season-ticket holders, Lansing is having a harder and harder time justifying the expense, which is increasing about 20 percent for the 2011 season, according to Utah ticket manager Zack Lassiter.

While that amount might not seem exorbitant, Lansing said recent increases have led to a cumulative effect that is causing a financial strain.

"In 2005, our two season tickets cost a total of $170," Lansing said. "This year, they will cost us $450. Our seats have been designated as 'premium bleacher' seats this year, when that category did not exist in the past. Even if that designation had not been made, the price would be $420. The problem is, our income hasn't gone up by a factor of 2.5 since 2005."

Some of the biggest increases from prices in 2010 to 2011 are with the scholarship boxes, which increased from $210 to $250, with the required Crimson Club donation increasing from $2,500 to $2,750.

Bleacher seating has been split into two categories, with the premium-reserved bleacher seats going for $225 and reserved bleacher seats going for $210.

The cheapest season tickets, the Redzone youth seats, are $120 in 2011, up from $99 in 2010.

Utah athletic director Chris Hill said the new ticket pricing is just one of the ways the Utes are trying to raise their available funds to compete in the Pac-12.

According to the Utah State Office of Education, the U.'s spending on football for the 2009-10 season was just $9.9 million, which was only higher than Washington State ($9.18 million) among Pac-12 schools.

Utah's athletic budget for 2010-11 is $31.4 million, while the average athletic budget in the Pac-12 is about $50 to 60 million.

Raising ticket prices is just one of the ways the Utes are trying to catch up to teams in the big league, Hill said.

"We're looking at all of our resources and are trying to grow them this year," he said. "Our fans want us to be good, and at the end of the day, we're not trying to put this all on the back of ticket holders, but we're trying to raise funds through a combination of ways. Student fees, donations — we are looking at everything."

Still, the reality is, the Utes are a hot item in football, selling more than 31,000 season tickets the past two years and drawing record crowds.

Money from football tickets accounts for 15 to 20 percent of Utah's athletic budget revenue, Hill said. In 2008-09, the last year reported, athletic ticket sales accounted for $7,873,997, or 24.59 percent of the school's reported $32,026,436 in revenue. The athletic program reported $31,302,138 in expenses.

"We don't want to take advantage of our season-ticket holders, but we've had to take a look at the areas where we can grow," Hill said. "The reality is, it might be tough for some fans and we don't want to put it all on the back of one group, but at the same time, I know they want us to perform well."

Believing their money is going to fund Utah's move to the Pac-12, whether it be in the form of higher coaches' salaries or bigger recruiting budgets, is easing the sticker shock for some fans.

"I have been going to Utah football games since I was a student there in 2000," said Kevin Paxman. "Not only are the games more of an event now, the level of competition has increased. I don't have a problem with the price increase, but I expect them to be in contention for the league championship within five years. I'm not OK with being like the [University of Arizona] and not going to the Rose Bowl for 30 years."

Others aren't quite as enthusiastic, believing long-term donors shouldn't be hit up during the so-called golden years.

"I believe they are raising prices while interest in their program is high," said fan Adam Medina. "But what about us who have been here when they sucked? I also caution them by saying it's a business. If it's a business, and I am a shareholder, then I will expect a dividend. The money has to translate into wins."

While the price adjustments might cause some to dip into their savings, Utah's ticket prices are largely similar to others in the Pac-12.

According to a survey conducted by The Oregonian, the daily newspaper in Portland Ore., Pac-12 schools charged an average of $61.90 for a single ticket to a high-demand game and $27.60 for a single ticket to a low-demand game in 2010, which are comparable to what the Utes will charge in 2011.

Last year's highest-priced game for the Utes was a $130 scholarship box ticket to the BYU game, which went for $90 for a regular seat. The Redzone adult section was $50.

With the exception of the Pittsburgh and TCU games, the Utes charged a high of $100 for a scholarship box ticket and $20 for the Redzone adult section for games.

In 2011, the Utes are charging $115 for a scholarship box seat to conference games, $80 for prime "regular" seats and $35 for the Redzone adult seats.

Lassiter said he won't know Utah's renewal rate until the May 15 deadline, but Hill believes it will be good based on the feedback from fans. Most understand that change is necessary to create more change, he said.

"Our hope is people see and understand we are on a different level of competition now and are competing in a conference with prestige and national recognition," Hill said. "We need to ratchet everything up to recruit and perform well."

Being competitive is a good enough reason for fan Matt Limburg to pay more.

"My family is solid in wanting to continue season tickets this year and in years to come," he said. "The raised prices are not bad at all, and we support, 100 percent, what the program is doing."

lwodraska@sltrib.comTwitter: @lyawodraska —

Utah football attendance

Year Season tickets Total avg.

2003 16,147 41,478

2004 19,555 44,112

2005 21,540 41,536

2006 24,250 43,279

2007 25,141 42,593

2008 29,553 45,542

2009 31,000 45,155

2010 31,000 45,459 —

Prices around the Pac-12

Some Utah fans have heartburn over the school's football ticket increases, but the Utes may be a bargain compared with some schools when booster donations are considered.

Stanford, which had single-game tickets available ranging from $12 to $65 in 2010, is charging $350 for its Director's Level Skybox, plus a minimum donation of $5,000 per seat.

Arizona asks for a $30,000 priority amount for its end skybox suites. Its cheapest season tickets are $100 for the economy tickets.

Cal, which is playing at AT&T Park in San Francisco due to construction on its stadium, is charging $300 per season ticket, plus a $1,200-per-seat donation for its best spots. The cheapest season tickets go for $250.

Ticket prices for 2011 have yet to be determined at all conference schools, but there are some that are charging slightly less than Utah for next season, at least in terms of variable pricing.

Washington's single-game tickets vary from $65 for reserved and $38 for bleachers for the Eastern Washington game to $80 for both reserved and bleacher seating for the Oregon game.

Single-game ticket prices at Oregon State for 2011 range from $35 for Sacramento State to $75 for Washington.

Oregon is charging $86.50 for reserved seats for its game against Oregon State and just $26.50 for its contest against Missouri State.