The Gators have a new coach, different play-calling scheme and an overall fresh look.
Fans, on the other hand, will have a higher price to pay for football tickets this season and beyond.
The University Athletic Association’s Board of Directors approved a five-dollar-per-game increase on its season ticket packages, jacking the price for a student package up from $70 to $105.
Byron Logan, a UF student, said he thought the price increase was unreasonable.
“Considering we lost our coach and our team doesn’t seem that good anymore, I really don’t understand what the increase is for,” he said, referring to last season when the Gators went 8-5 and lost head coach Urban Meyer.
The increase, however, had less to do with the team’s on-field performance as it did with other factors, said Mark Gajda, assistant athletics director of ticket operations. The increase had been scheduled well in advance of Muschamp’s hire.
It’s been about five years, Gajda said, since the price of student tickets has increased.
After researching ticket prices around the country, the UAA realized its prices were lower than other BCS-conference schools and felt it would be justified in raising them, he said.
The increases are expected to generate $3.1 million in revenue for the UAA, which is currently working to subsidize upstart sports like lacrosse, he said.
Despite what comes out to to be a 50 percent increase in ticket prices, students still get a pretty good deal compared to the folks across the field. For faculty, alumni and fans, a set of season tickets costs $259. This is in addition to booster fees, which can range anywhere to $250 to $15,000, Gajda said.
Not all students are opposed to the new ticket prices.
Scott Hendel said he thought the price change was not a big deal and said he would be more than happy to pay more should he win the ticket lottery.
“It’s like if a woman buys a $1,000 wedding dress,” he asked, “is she going to care if she buys a $100 pair of shoes to go with it?”
