I am writing in regards to the MSU Athletic Department’s decision to raise football ticket prices for the upcoming year (“Football ticket prices increase,” SN 4/16).

I don’t believe in their philosophy that in order to create a more competitive football team, more money needs to be raised through ticket prices. Especially when that money will be put towards something as trivial as a natural grass surface.

The best way to improve recruiting is to have a better season and not end up last in the Big Ten. Sure, the rational way to revive the ailing Spartan football program is to pump money into it, but wouldn’t that money be better spent on more recruiters or possibly “pulling a LSU” (alluding to the forgotten Nick Saban) and spending a million on a headlining coach that can pull in the big name recruits?

It’s well-known that virtually all revenue for the athletic department is gained from football, ice hockey and basketball. As you raise prices for an under-performing team, the number of empty seats in Spartan Stadium will rise, thereby cutting funds from other sports. Why not raise ticket prices from the regular season basketball team or the hockey team?

It seems like elementary economics that the athletic department directors would raise ticket prices of the sports that perform well and attract more fans, as opposed to having students pay more to watch a battered team. If the athletic department wants to keep up with the Big Ten in ticket prices, they need to show they can keep up in the standings.

As trying as it is, I think I would rather pay $1 a game more, and watch the co-Big Ten champion Wolverines play than save and stand another season like last year’s.

Stephen MacGuidwin
Okemos High School senior
2001-2002 MSU freshman