Tennessee Football Ticket Prices Set to Increase in 2025 to Enhance Player Compensation

The University of Tennessee has announced an increase in football ticket prices for the 2025 season, with a significant portion of the price hike earmarked to fund a new revenue-sharing program for athletes.

The University of Tennessee announced a price increase for football tickets starting in 2025, with the majority of the revenue being directed towards enhancing player compensation. The increase, which was announced in an email to season-ticket holders, includes a new 10% talent fee that will be added to all invoices to "help fund the proposed revenue share" for athletes. Additionally, there will be a 4.5% general price increase.

In a video message accompanying the announcement, Athletic Director Danny White emphasized the importance of adapting to the changing collegiate landscape. "As the collegiate model changes, we have to remain flexible," White said. "We have to continue leading the way. That connection between resources and competitiveness has never been tighter. Only now we have the ability to share these resources with our athletes. We can generate revenue that will go directly to our players. This will give our teams the best chance to be successful and bring championships home to Rocky Top."

Tennessee Football Ticket Prices Set to Increase in 2025 to Enhance Player Compensation

The price hike announcement comes as Tennessee enjoys a successful start to the 2022 football season, with a 3-0 record and a ranking of sixth in the AP Top 25. The decision also follows the ongoing discussions between the NCAA and major college conferences regarding athlete compensation for name, image, and likeness (NIL). A proposed settlement agreement in place would provide $2.78 billion in damages to hundreds of thousands of college athletes dating back to 2016.

Tennessee has been at the forefront of supporting athletes in the evolving NIL landscape. The university signed highly touted recruit Nico Iamaleava, who signed with the Volunteer Club, an NIL collective supporting Tennessee athletes. The deal prompted a meeting between NCAA investigators and Tennessee officials in January, followed by a scathing letter from Chancellor Donde Plowman to NCAA President Charlie Baker, criticizing the lack of clear NIL guidelines.

White believes that NIL has further strengthened the correlation between resources and competitive success. He emphasized that the university wants to be transparent with its fan base, which has played a significant role in establishing the nation's top athletic department. "We want to be a leader in college sports. That means we want to be a leader in revenue sharing," White said. "We want to have the very best experience for our athletes right here on Rocky Top."

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel praised the fan base for selling out 102,000 seats at Neyland Stadium for a third consecutive year, despite a waiting list of over 15,000 for season tickets. He contrasted Tennessee's success with other programs struggling to fill stadiums. Tennessee fans can begin renewing their tickets for the 2025 season on Thursday, with a deadline of February 27th. A 10-month payment plan is available to help manage the cost.