Ticket prices going up for Baldwin athletic events

By GUY BUSBY
Posted 7/5/19

BAY MINETTE – Admission prices for Baldwin County public school athletic events will increase by $1 this year, following action by the Board of Education.

The board voted at its June regular …

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Ticket prices going up for Baldwin athletic events

Posted

BAY MINETTE – Admission prices for Baldwin County public school athletic events will increase by $1 this year, following action by the Board of Education.

The board voted at its June regular meeting to raise ticket prices. The hike is due to increases in higher officiating fees being charged by the Alabama High School Athletic Association, Marty McRae, assistant superintendent for secondary education, said.

Current admission prices are $6 for adults to attend varsity baseball, basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball and wrestling events. Football admission is $7. Student prices are $3 for most games and $4 for football. Those prices will all increase when the new school year begins in August.

“It’s really just a dollar increase across the board,” McRae said.

Student prices will be charged for all students between kindergarten and high school age.

The new prices would be in line with most fees charged for tickets at AHSAA events, he said.

He said ticket prices in Baldwin County have not increased since 2013.

McRae said the salaries for referees and other game officials will be going up. Baseball officials now receive $60 a game. That will increase to $80 per match for each of the three officials at each game. Football officials will receive $100 each, up from $75, while basketball pay will go up from $55 to $75.

Track and volleyball officiating fees will increase by 50 percent.

McRae said salaries are set by the state association and must be paid by local school systems.

He said without the increase, the system will lose money on many events.

“In basketball, about 90 people have to be in the stands just to pay the officials and we often don’t have that,” he said.

Officiating at most basketball games would cost $375 to $515 for the junior varsity game and two varsity games played in an evening.

Board Member JaNay Dawson said admission fees often do not cover costs at athletic events.

“Track is very expensive compared to the number of people who show up,” she said.