By Brett Hatch
After two years of talks and a shrinking financial base, BYU''s athletic department will make modifications to the seating at LaVell Edwards Stadium to aid funding for BYU athletics.
'We are going to put in 2000 seats on the east side of the stadium, between the 25-yard lines,' said Duff Tittle, associate athletic director of media relations. 'Seating will be determined by donations. We think this will encourage people to give to BYU athletics and reward them for doing so.'
Seats with backs will replace the aluminum benches. Current seating provisions at LaVell Edwards Stadium do not allow for restructuring of prime seating based on donations, Tittle said.
'Universities across the country have been doing this for years,' he said. 'We need a way of giving good seats to people and companies who give generous donations to the athletic department.'
Seating changes will drop the stadiums total capacity by roughly 1000 seats, but Tittle said the athletic department feels the new premium seats will bring in more money than keeping the current seating structure. The department projects revenue from the change will be equivalent to adding a seventh home game.
The university administration and the board of trustees have approved all changes to seating, parking and ticket prices in the planned change.
Those who will see the most change are those who are part of the Cougar Club, Tittle said. He said the athletic department wants to give members of the club better seating than current arrangements.
'They (Cougar Club members) have been sitting in seats without backs and in the corners of the stadium, they are the ones we hope to benefit most by the change,' Tittle said.
The stadium''s remodel will be the first since 1982, when it was expanded to hold 65,000 fans.
Construction is planned to begin as soon as possible and be finished by the end of June. Bids for the construction are due Tuesday.
Following a meeting with two members of BYU''s board of trustees in 2001, BYU''s athletic department was charged with maintaining all athletic operations without aid of tithing dollars from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All athletic teams at BYU are supported by donations and ticket sales.
Along with the new seats, ticket prices will go up and parking at games will be restructured.
Cougar Club member parking will be closest to the stadium and all other parking in campus parking lots will be free. This is different from the past, when all season ticket holders were given parking passes.
'Again we want to encourage Cougar Club participation without charging everyone for parking,' Tittle said.
Ticket sale increases will aid in bringing in more money as well, according to the plan. The hike will affect all ticket holders, including students and faculty. Student All-Sports Cards will be $85 and faculty season tickets will increase to $90. Individual game tickets will sell anywhere from $14 to $35 depending on seat location.
In 2000-01, BYU operated on the lowest budget of all twenty Sears Director''s Cup teams in the nation. To remain competitive with other universities, Tittle said cutting costs would only go so far. He said more revenue will allow for all athletic operations to stay competitive.
'We''ve received calls from Cougar Club members with questions, concerns, comments and support for what we''re doing,' said Tom Holmoe, associate athletic director of development. 'They say they understand what we''re doing. Some say, ''Where do I join?'' while others say they can''t afford it. But everyone understands what we''re doing in today''s college athletics.'
Before ticket holders were informed of the change, Holmoe said many people didn''t know how BYU athletics was funded. Information packets were mailed to season ticket holders describing the planned change.
'Fans support BYU athletics in a big way emotionally, but now that they are learning it costs money to run an elite program, they want to contribute,' Holmoe said.