Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

8/11/2010 at 6:55pm

FAYETTEVILLE — A change in football ticket seating priority is conservatively estimated to generate $5 million annually for the University of Arkansas athletic department.

Arkansas announced its Razorback Seat Value Plan (RSVP) on Wednesday and athletic director Jeff Long said the initiative, which will increase donation amounts beginning in 2011, is a crucial component to increasing revenue. Currently, the UA has a $63 million operating budget for athletics and Long said the hope is to increase that figure by $11 million annually in the coming years.

Long revealed the RSVP plan to be a portion of a “decade-long, comprehensive fundraising initiative.” Other components are in the planning stages as Razorbacks officials work to maneuver Arkansas into the middle of the pack when it comes to SEC budgets. Tennessee tops the list at $98 million and the Razorbacks currently rank ninth in the league at $63 million.

“We don’t need to be at the top of the SEC to compete to win, but we need to lessen the gap between those ahead of us,” Long said. “That’s what we’re hoping to do. Does this plan get us all the way there? No. We do think it’s a step.”

The first step comes after a committee – spearheaded by senior associate athletic director Chris Wyrick — put in an estimated 400 hours of review and considered 55 different plans. Wyrick and Long have previous experience with priority seating changes.

It is believed to be the first ticket priority increase since 1982. (Jim Harris explains what that means for the common fan in a column.) These increases are in additon to Razorback Foundation giving levels and for the best seats the Broyles-Matthews Silver Level ($5,000) must be the minimum donation to the annual fund.

Seat donations to sit in Razorback Stadium will range from $50 for upper deck seating to $300 for midfield seating in premium sections. Donations are per-seat. At least 15 percent of seating in the stadium will not require a donation. War Memorial ticket priority will require donations of between $75 and $160, depending on the section.

Wyrick, who will take what was termed a “one-year leave of absence” from the athletic department to work at the Foundation with a full-time staff of four, was involved in a seating-restructuring program at South Carolina. Long oversaw a similar move at Pitt.

Unlike other plans, however, current seating arrangements will not change if donors reach the minimum levels. This is not a total reseating plan; something Wyrick said “rewards loyalty.”

“Also, for the first time in a long time, perhaps [Arkansas will open] up some seats for some first time donors to come in and obtain seats and give new customers the opportunity to purchase even more,” Wyrick said.

Components of the plan  — outlined in a 22-page brochure mailed to 14,116 current season ticket holders — are listed below, courtesy the University of Arkansas:

Loyalty.  All season ticket holders have the right to keep all their current seats and will have the first opportunity to secure the seats and locations they have had previously.

The Tie That Binds.  The Razorbacks are the common thread that unites our entire state.  This plan is an opportunity for Hog fans to come together and achieve one common goal. This plan is an opportunity to help secure the future of the Razorbacks program.

Equal Opportunities.  RSVP is an equitable program that gives all fans equal opportunity to purchase premium seats and enables each donor to find a price point with which they can be comfortable. 

Customer Service.  In order to address questions from Razorback donors, the Razorback Foundation has assembled a team that will walk ticket holders through the process and answer any questions they may have regarding their orders.  By calling 1-800-982-HOGS and then selecting the option for RSVP, Razorback fans will get personal assistance with any questions they have.  AnswerTheHogCall.com has been launched today and will continue to provide ongoing details about the plan.

Arkansas is also mailing out an “Answer the Call” DVD to further explain the initiative. It’s a 13-minute video that features current and former Arkansas athletes, including Scotty Thurman and Ryan Mallett. Also featured is coach Bobby Petrino, who explains on the video that the school is in need of additional locker and training room space.

“We need a new locker room. That’s a must for us,” Petrino said on the video. “We don’t even have enough [room] to meet.  Our training room, we have got guys after a game lying around on mats to rehab. 

“This is something we need,” Petrino added. “The players we bring have four other visits. We try to keep them out of the locker room. We don’t try to get them into our locker room where others schools we compete against, that’s the first thing they show them. To compete and get the best recruits to come to the University of Arkansas, this is a must.”

(Click here to see the full video.)

Arkansas is currently in the process of putting together a master plan for athletic facilities. Included in that plan is a new or renovated football facility, but the price tag is near the $20 million mark.

Increasing the money required for individual seats is part of the plan to raise money that can be used for upgrades and day-to-day operation of the department. Presumably, more money will help fund more success.

Ideally, the department would hit the $70 million mark. That is not a hard target and could change over the years, Long said.

“Really, it's kind of a chicken and the egg concept,” Long said. “ You need more resources to help your team win and you need your team to win to get more resources. So we haven't set a hard and fast number we expect to be at the end of a 10-year period."

Tagged: RSVP, Razorback Foundation, Jeff Long, Chris Wyrick, Bobby Petrino, Arkansas Razorbacks