Notre Dame to offer season tickets for first time in 30 years

Thursday, September 28th 2006, 12:17 pm

By: News On 6

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) _ For the first time in more than 30 years, Notre Dame will make 5,000 season tickets available to football games starting next season, charging a fee to help pay for more than $40 million in repairs to Notre Dame Stadium.

The tickets will be offered first to alumni, donors and others affiliated with the university ahead of the general public, John Affleck-Graves, Notre Dame's executive vice president, said Thursday.

In addition to the cost of a season ticket, which is $413 this year, there will be an annual fee of $2,000 per ticket for sideline seats; $1,500 per ticket for seats in the corner of the stadium; and $1,250 per ticket for end zone seats.

The revenue generated through the ticket plan will be used to assist in paying for repairs and ongoing maintenance to the 76-year-old stadium. Extensive repair is needed to the concrete seating bowl because of freeze-thaw damage over the years.

University officials decided against adding luxury boxes to the stadium, and Affleck-Graves said Notre Dame is committed to maintaining its ``historic look and feel.''

He said none of the new season tickets will be drawn from tickets now available in the general alumni lottery. The season tickets will come from season tickets that have been returned over the past several years, along with a reduction in tickets available to university personnel and others affiliated with the university.

A waiting list for the potential future sale of season tickets will be established after all of the current allotment has been sold.

The university also announced Thursday that it is revising how it distributes tickets to make more tickets available to alumni through its annual lottery.