Fans of the University of Tennessee are about the a significant increase in the cost of tickets for football games.
And the money isn’t going to facility upgrades, or even better seating.
It’s going to the bank accounts of its athletes.
According to Fox News, the increase announced Tuesday morning in an email to season-ticket holders notes a new 10% “talent fee” for all invoices to “help fund the proposed revenue share” for athletes and help Tennessee attract and keep the best talent.
A video link features athletic director Danny White explaining the reason for the price hike per seat across Neyland Stadium.
Here’s a complete video interview of White explaining the reason for the price increase:
Tennessee Volunteers AD Danny White talks ticket surcharge to pay players | College Football News@Andy_Staples sits down with Tennessee AD Danny White (@AD_DannyWhite) after announcing a talent fee in ticket prices, @Volquest_On3 pic.twitter.com/cC6cJoykSK
— On3 VIDEO (@On3Video) September 17, 2024
“As the collegiate model changes, we have to remain flexible,” White said of the price hike, which includes a 4.5% increase on top of the 10% talent fee. “We have to continue leading the way. That connection between resources and competitiveness has never been tighter. Only now we have the ability to share these resources with our athletes. We can generate revenue that will go directly to our players. This will give our teams the best chance to be successful and bring championships home to Rocky Top.”
The announcement also includes a link to updates on talks between the NCAA and major college conferences trying to settle three antitrust lawsuits related to athlete compensation for name, image and likeness. They have a settlement agreement in place to pay $2.78 billion in damages to hundreds of thousands of college athletes, dating back to 2016.
At a hearing last week, the federal judge overseeing those cases declined to grant preliminary approval of the deal and kicked it back to attorneys to address her concerns with certain aspects of the agreement.
The NCAA changed its rules in 2021 to allow athletes to cash in on their fame through sponsorship and endorsement deals after decades of prohibition.