Group to review athletic tickets

In response to waning student interest in football games, the IU Student Association announced Wednesday the formation of a new student commission on athletics. \nThe commission will explore increased ticket package flexibility, free football tickets and other potential initiatives to benefit students.\nStudent Body President Casey Cox and Student Athletic Board President Mike Puck began investigating methods of bolstering football attendance and overall athletic participation this summer.\n"A new plan would increase attendance and really inspire a fresh devotion to the University," IUSA press secretary Scott Norman said in a news release.\nThe commission will study ticket packages at other universities to ascertain their applications at IU, Cox said. \n"I think the students' reaction to this whole process will be something that governs the policy itself or whether or not there is one," Cox said. "We're really leaving the door open (to student input)."\nIn its search for a solution, IUSA conducted student opinion polls at the Main Library and tailgate forums throughout the fall. Polls showed about 90 percent of the 200 people surveyed would be "more likely to attend football games if they were free" and 82 percent said a $25 bursar fee for athletics would be reasonable.\nThe 11-member commission will begin examining athletics fee solutions next week. The group will begin by tackling low football attendance.\n"One of the biggest things I've heard is how high ticket prices are," Cox said. "We thought it would really be great to lower football ticket prices. (Football) still plays a huge part in the University."\nCox said he is hesitant to raise student fees but said he believes the right sports package options will satisfy students. \nThe commission will address other sports as well, including basketball, in order to sway student opinion in favor of the initiative.\n"Football tickets would be great, but we would really need something like basketball to sell this to the students," Cox said. "If we're going to tack on any small fee, the merits would have to outweigh the cost."\nThe commission will pitch its plan to a liaison from the Athletic Department who will decide if the plan is economically feasible. The Athletic Department budget director will most likely act as liaison, Cox said.\nCommissioners will include representatives from all walks of student life. Brandon Williams, president of The National Pan-Hellenic Council; senior Grant McFann, IUSA vice president; junior Dan Neumann, Read Center senator; senior Erin Sparks, Student Recreational Sports Association council member; Matt Hottell, moderator for the Graduate and Professional Student Organization; senior Maggie Brozio, president of Student Alumni Association; and senior Mike Minton, Men's Track and Field member. Two representatives from the SAB will also participate.\n"I think that (the initiative) would have positive reaction," Brozio said. "Obviously, attendance at football games is a problem. One of the ways to help the team improve is to have fans here."\nCox stressed that the impact athletics have on IU culture makes the initiative a crucial one.\n"Athletics is an important part of our student experience at IU," he said in a news release. "The cost of education is a concern to all students, and the merits of this idea mandate that we look into it. It deserves to be investigated by students."\nCox said the commission encourages student input, and students may e-mail him at cbcox@indiana.edu.\n-- Contact staff writer Mike McElroy at mmcelroy@indiana.edu.