Kudos to the State News for shining the spotlight on the recent announcement to raise football ticket prices for the 2012 season and to athletics director Mark Hollis for seizing the opportunity to capitalize on what appears to be the most attractive home football schedule in years. Keep in mind that Hollis focuses on marketing and will do whatever it takes to maximize the importance of the “Spartan brand.”

If Hollis is worried about raising money, however, he ought to lean on Senior Associate Athletics Director Chuck Sleeper and his Spartan Fund development staff to raise the necessary funds to keep the football program competitive. Sleeper can start by tapping Super Bowl participants and ex-Spartans Greg Jones, Brian Hoyer and Devin Thomas for contributions to the college program that helped them reach the professional level.