Opinion Page 4 Daily Nebraskan Monday, February 26,2001 ZM/yNebraskan Since 1901 Editor Sarah Baker Opinion Page Editor Jake Glazeski Managing Editor Bradley Davis Covering costs Raising ticket prices ultimately wise decision Another year, another increase in season ticket football prices at Nebraska, another group of Comhusker fans more than willing to dole out the cash. And people think there’s something wrong with that. Not us, not this time. When news broke Friday that the department had chosen to increase the ticket price of NU’s three mar quee home games next season - Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Kansas State - from $38 to $50, there was some consternation among tradi tional season ticket holders. My, how prices had changed from the $25 per game docket not long ago. The Athletic Department says the increases ' are needed to keep up with competition and cover departmental costs. The department also stands to recover quite a bit of lost rev enue with its new parking pass charges of $15 per game for passenger vehicle lots adjacent to Memorial Stadium, —^——mmmm $10 per game for all If Nebraska other passenger vehicle if NeorasKa lots $75 per game for can charge RVs and £„ ger game these prices, for reserved parking in and the Lot 19. market - NU Whether it’s needed is season ticket one question. But recent holders - can cuts in athletic depart bear to pay ment suggest that these (and trust us, increases are needed to we know if cover increased costs thoro'c thnc* ^ n0t forCe NU t0 CUt therms those sports, keep in compli who wonX ance with xitle IX and there s act responsibly with its certainly some funds. So it’s needed, the who will in department says. their place), But that’s beside the then the point, which is this: If Huskers are in Nebraska can charge the clear. thes® Pnc®8- and the - market - NU season ticket holders - can bear to pay (and trust us, we know if there’s those who won’t, there’s cer tainly some who will in their place), then the Huskers are m the clear. As the athletic departments like to consider themselves self-sufficient businesses anyway, we might as well look at them the same way. As much as certain fans like to bemoan the costs of an NU sporting event these days, they pay it regardless. Who’s the sucker in that case? So if NU wants to jack up its prices for a few of the big games and see if people will bite - and they will, most assuredly - let them until it no longer works. The ceiling will arrive at some point or another, and when it does, the department ought to be smart enough to lay off the fans. Student football tickets are a good exam ple. As students have been spoiled with suc cess, a giant raise in ticket prices there would n’t likely work out as well. The department may not care about such things, but contin ued raises could result in the consecutive sell out streak being in jeopardy. It's a risk we assume the department is will ing take about 12 years from now. In the year 2001, not only does the increase solve some problems of funding within, but it proves that the game has changed. NU has done many favors for its season ticket holders and donors. Those favors are about to come due. Editorial Board Sarah Baker, Jeff Bloom, Bradley Davis, Jake Glazeski, Matthew Hansen, Samuel McKewon, Kimberly Sweet Letters Policy The Daiy Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor and guest columns, but does not guaran tee their publication. The Daiy Nebraskan retains the right to edit or refect any material submitted. Submitted material becomes property of the Daiy Nebraskan and cannot be returned. Anonymous submissions w* not be published. Those who submit letters must identify themselves by name, year in school, major anchor group affiliation, if any. Submit material to: Daly Nebraskan, 20 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St Lincoln, NE 68588-0448 E-mai: lsttorsOdaiyneb.com Editorial Policy Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the Spring 2001 Daiy Nebraskan. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nebraska-Urtcoin, its employees, its student body or the University of Nebraska Board cf Regents. A column is solely the opinion of its author; a cartoon is solely the opinion of Its artist The Board of Regents acts as publisher of the Daiy Nebraskan; poi cy is set by the Daly Nebraskan EdHoriai Board. The UNL Publications Board, established by the regents, supervises the production of the paper. According to policy set by the regents, reeponsi bWy for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of its employees. it's im The carps' wow’rmKg irro tne Nrr/ w spre opquahty or. iitrei«6£iJ££, me conpipatps •/jrrH -me ofci-r PRiewps wiii. uhm •ms AswJeir^i^.' tug «/i_y wggRRSKAw wiu-rum even/ «i«Rg \igR5iotJ5 Op me swig fR0NT-Pfi6£ SriDPLy . OH PRloRltlJ-ftrioi^ iM, site’s} TUose pswtcs