One thing I didn't much like: Those with lower bowl seats in either Hartford or Gampel are expected to make a $100 contribution to UConn Athletics over and above the season ticket price. In my opinion, they should just boil that into the price.
I don't mind the seat license concept. At Arizona we were paying a very substantial football amount (maybe over $300 a seat) and I think $50 a seat for softball and $100 a seat for our courtside floor seats for WBB.
BUT - they eliminated it this year and rolled it into the ticket price. There are 2 factors:
- these amounts figured into your "giving level" for the fundraising arm (at Arizona, the "Wildcat Club"), establishing benefits. For example, at our level, we got free parking for football. NOW your level is determined by what you donate separately plus what you pay for season tickets in all sports. It all comes out pretty much the same, they just adjusted the amounts for the various levels a bit.
- previously, the seat donations were tax deductible (though only partially, but still substantially). This is no longer the case.
That may of course change again, who knows.
I took the leap of faith and bought football tickets, of course they are refundable. My softball tickets were "refunded" but we were asked to donate them specifically to scholarships for our returning seniors taking advantage of the NCAA's extra year. Which we did, Arizona has 6 coming back plus our player that is a member of Team USA.