AU FOOTBALL: Revenue from ticket sales down from last year

Auburn is expected to see a 6-7 percent decline in revenue generated from 2009 season tickets, executive associate athletics director Tim Jackson said Wednesday.

A heavy dose of it can be attributed to the nation’s economic woes, while last season’s 5-7 finish without a bowl trip can also be seen as a culprit, he said.

“It’s not that (fans) just don’t have the money, it’s that they don’t know,” Jackson said. “The uncertainty has a lot to do with it.”

Over the past few seasons, members of Tigers Unlimited — Auburn’s fundraising arm — have gobbled up the lion’s share, if not all, of the roughly 50,000-55,000 seats reserved for season tickets. The rest are for students, faculty, suite-holders and visiting fans.

Because a handful of the group’s members have downsized their ticket orders this season — going from six to four or from eight to six in some cases — along with their donations — these are required by Tigers Unlimited members to purchase and maintain their seats — the Tigers simply won’t be seeing as much money this season, even though the stadium will, in all likelihood, sell out like it always does.

“I was planning on anywhere from 8 to 10 percent,” Jackson said. “You just do not know what to think with the economy like this.”

That uncertainty, though, could benefit others who, in the past, have had to find scalpers or watch games on TV.

Season tickets went on sale to the public last week, just like they always do. But, unlike previous odd years, fans are able to snag a seat for the Nov. 27 Iron Bowl against Alabama.

That’s a perk that wasn’t available to the public in 2007, Jackson said.

The season tickets package is currently being promoted on Auburn’s official Web site, but the marketing push has been minimal thus far.

The season ticket package costs $395, which is $45 higher than last season. The Tigers only played seven home games last season, as opposed to the eight on the 2009 schedule.

The Alabama ticket costs $65. Tickets to games against West Virginia and Auburn’s three other SEC games — Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Kentucky — cost $55.

“When we publicize it, I expect them to go pretty quickly,” Jackson said. “When people find out there’s an Alabama ticket, they’re going to buy that thing.”

Because a handful of Tigers Unlimited members have dropped their commitment altogether, spots in the group that were highly sought after in the past, especially after the Tigers’ undefeated season in 2004, are also now available. Jackson said somewhere around 10,000 members account for the 50,000-plus seats the club occupies.

Jackson said the group has added more than 300 members in recent months.

“Somebody asked me one time, ‘How do I improve my seat?’” Jackson said. “Well, unfortunately, some bad things are probably going to have to happen for you to get your opportunity. Somebody’s gotta die, somebody’s going broke or we’re going to have an awful football season.

“When you start putting those things in combination, seats are going to open up.”

These economic woes aren’t unique to Auburn’s ticket situation.

A recent article in the Charleston Post and Courier reported that Clemson’s season ticket renewals were down 5 percent while South Carolina’s were expected to dip below 11 percent.

“It’s hitting all of us pretty similar,” Jackson said.

Jackson said thrifty and efficient spending over the past few years has prevented Auburn from making any major cuts because of the decreased revenue. He said he doesn’t expect it to get any worse, either, but there’s only one way Auburn can remain completely immune to the country’s economic woes.

“The only thing you can really do right now is just hope for success,” Jackson said. “You don’t have to win all your games with Auburn fans, but you want them to be able to see what you’re building and have them like what they see.”

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