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May 14, 2012 Jawin' with Jeff

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Videographer: Amanda Baker

Jeff talks about Illini baseball.

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The bottom line is 60,670. That's how many tickets Illinois has to sell for each of its seven home football games in 2012. The number isn't likely to change for a few seasons.

In 2011, Illinois averaged 49,548 fans for eight home games, 82 percent of capacity. The average was good for 42nd nationally and eighth in the Big Ten, behind Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Michigan State and Iowa.

Season ticket renewals are at 87 percent, ahead of the 2011 rate of 82 percent.

Last week, Illinois began selling 1,600 $99 season tickets, many of the seats in Section 109. In the past, that section had been reserved for visiting fans, but they have been moved to a different part of the stadium.

With the additional seats, the horseshoe-priced section is back to 12,000. The section lost tickets when extensions at the top of the south end had to be removed in 2011 for safety reasons.

While the horseshoe seats don't sell like they did when first offered (they all were gone the opening day), Illinois assistant athletic director Jason Heggemeyer expected the phones to keep busy. As of Friday afternoon, there were still $99 tickets available.

"We've made a commitment to making it affordable," Heggemeyer said.

Only one school in the Big Ten has a cheaper-priced season ticket. Purdue sells 7,000 seats for $98. It is the first year for the $98 seats, which Purdue ticket officials think will be gone in a hurry.

Illinois continues to push season tickets in the main grandstands. A year ago, the school sold 35,000 season tickets overall. Heggemeyer hopes to see a bump in the number for 2012.

Four years ago, the school was at 46,000 season tickets.

"We want to sell as many as we can," Heggemeyer said.

The home schedule doesn't include any of the Big Ten fan bases known for heavy traveling. No Michigan. No Ohio State. No Wisconsin.

But Heggemeyer has seen a change in attendance patterns since the economy took a drop. He doesn't count on 10,000 fans coming with the Buckeyes or Wolverines. The schools will fill their ticket allotment of 3,000, but that's about it.

"Away-game travel is declining," Heggemeyer said. "The Penn State fans aren't coming like they used to come. Those aren't things you can count on any more."

The actual selling of the tickets is now easier for Illinois. Bar codes are going on the tickets this year, which makes it possible for fans to print the tickets at home. The Big Ten will use the system for the title game at Indianapolis.

Heggemeyer said the school is looking at the secondary ticket market in the future. There are different ways for fans to turn back tickets they won't use, allowing the school to resell them.

Sell, sell, sell
Here are the prices and key dates for football ticket sales in the Big Ten:

ILLINOIS
Season tickets: $230 sideline; $99 horseshoe
Single-game tickets: Nonconference: $25 or $40; Conference: $50 or
$60
Single-game sale date: July 17

INDIANA
Season tickets: $230, $30 young alumni (people who have graduated within the last three years)
Single-game tickets: Nonconference: $40. Conference: Michigan State/Iowa/Wisconsin $50, Ohio State
$60.
Single-game sale: May 7.

IOWA
Season tickets: $388 public, $318 faculty/staff, $175 students
Single-game tickets: Central Michigan $55, Northern Iowa $60, Minnesota/Penn State/Purdue $65, Iowa State/Nebraska $70
Single-game sale: July date TBA

MICHIGAN
Season tickets: $390
Single-game tickets: Air Force/Massachusetts/Illinois/Northwestern/Iowa $75. Michigan State $95.
Single-game sale: July date TBA

MICHIGAN STATE
Season tickets: $308 public, $164 students
Single-game tickets: Boise State/Notre Dame/Ohio State/Iowa/Nebraska $80; Eastern Michigan/Northwestern $50.
Single-game sale: Aug. 15

MINNESOTA
Season tickets: $275 public, $220 faculty/staff, $199 young alumni
Single-game tickets: New Hampshire/Western Michigan $30, Syracuse $40. Conference $50.
Single-game sale: Mid-July

NEBRASKA
Season tickets: $392 public, $371 faculty/staff, $161 students
Single-game tickets: Nonconference: Arkansas State/Idaho State $55, Southern Miss $65. Conference: $75  
Single-game sale: None

NORTHWESTERN
Season tickets: $262 sideline, $196 corner, $152 end zone, $134 young alumni
Single-game tickets: Nonconference: $40, end zone $20; Premium marquee (Nebraska) $70, $60 and $50; Iowa/Illinois $60, end zone $40  
Single-game sale: Nonconference and conference: Aug. 13

OHIO STATE
Season tickets: $560
Single-game tickets: $70
Single-game sale: None

PENN STATE
Season tickets: $385 public,
$218
Single-game tickets: $70
Single-game sale: July date TBA

PURDUE
Season tickets: $357 prime (must be John Purdue Club member), $273 sideline, $175 north end zone, $98 south end zone
Single-game tickets: Nonconference: $60 prime, $40 sideline, $25 north end zone, $20 south end zone
Conference: $60 prime, $50 sideline, $35 north end zone, $25 south end zone
Single-game sale: July 15

WISCONSIN
Season tickets: $294
Single-game tickets: $65 for Minnesota, Michigan State, Ohio State, $55 for Illinois and $45 for Northern Iowa, Utah State and UTEP
Single-game sale: July 16 (nonconference), Aug. 6 (conference)