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Indiana University Ups the Prices

Basketball has been a fixture in Indiana for many years now. In this part of the country basketball is more than just a tradition, it?s also a way of life. In light of that you can imagine how surprised were Indiana University students who learned earlier this week that they will be required to pay more money in order to attend basketball games. In order to justify the recent raise in prices, the university will no longer charge students a $30 athletic fee.

The decision was made by IU trustees who voted to eliminate the fee as part of a plan to eliminate a $2 million athletics budget deficit. The plan was spearheaded by Athletics Director Rick Greenspan`s, who also calls for reserving 500 prime Assembly Hall seats for university donors, taking them from the student sections, and eventually raising ticket prices by $4 for students. Indiana University allocates 7,800 seats to students for home basketball games. Assembly Hall seats more than 17,000.

"It`s just not fair for students, who are the biggest supporters of their peers playing these sports?, said Will Leckey, vice president of the Indiana Student Association. According to Greenspan`s figures, the student seating is more than other Big Ten schools or basketball powers such as Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina provide.