Michigan State hikes price on football tickets

East Lansing — Michigan State has watched its status in college football rise over the last few years, and now ticket prices will follow suit.

The university announced on Friday that season-ticket prices will increase by $5 per game while parking will rise $10 a game. It is the first price increase since 2009, the university said in a press release issued late on Friday.

“Our season-ticket holders are some of our most important stakeholders and their commitment to Michigan State Athletics, our coaches and most importantly our student-athletes, is what makes MSU a special place,” athletics director Mark Hollis said in a statement. “We never take our fans for granted and we understand that they make a significant financial commitment for the opportunity to attend our events. Over the years, we strive and have been successful in maintaining reasonable prices for our fans in the college football market.

“We also cannot take our success for granted. Therefore, we must continue to generate revenue and resources to maintain our program at the top of both the conference and national level. This season-ticket plan will help us reach our goal of consistently being in position to compete for championships.”

Season tickets for the 2016 season will be priced at $343 for public and $280 for faculty and staff. Along with season-ticket renewals, current season ticket holders can also renew requests for parking for the 2016 season. The price for season parking is $210 ($30 per game).

Michigan State said in the announcement that based on 2015 season-ticket prices, it still was in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten, ranking seventh behind Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Penn State and Rutgers.

“We thank Spartan fans for their continued dedication and support during this exciting era of Michigan State football,” Hollis said. “We appreciate the investment they make in our program and the significant role they play in our ability to compete for a Big Ten and National Championship.”

Student ticket information will be announced in March.

Michigan State’s home games for 2016 include the opener on Sept. 2 against Furman as well as the first meeting ever with Brigham Young on Oct. 8. Big Ten home games include Wisconsin (Sept. 24), Northwestern (Oct. 15, Homecoming), Michigan (Oct. 29), Rutgers (Nov. 12) and Ohio State (Nov. 19).

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