As if the tickets and food weren’t costly enough at sporting events already, Gov. George E. Pataki’s proposed 2004 budget would increase ticket prices even more.

According to his budget, there will be a permanent 4 percent surcharge on tickets to most sporting events, including Syracuse University athletic events.

One of the proposal’s greatest criticisms was that the increased price was hard to notice within the budget proposal.

‘We had no notion of this,’ said Director of Athletics Jake Crouthamel. ‘My understanding is that this was hidden rather deep in the budget, so I’m not sure how many people knew it was there.’

‘This is a hidden tax in the budget,’ said Ilene Larrabee, assistant press secretary to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. ‘It was not something highlighted in the budget.’

Ken Brown, budget spokesman for Pataki, denied that the increase was in the same place as all other revenue proposals.

The surcharge was proposed in order to fund security in New York state, Brown said.

‘We wanted a modest change to ensure the separation of critical and public safety activities,’ said Brown. ‘The revenue will go toward public security, E911 and the state wireless network. This will ensure that funds are available.’

Brown said that the 4 percent surcharge was expected to generate $9.75 million from 2004 to 2005.

Students at SU are not happy that the ticket prices may rise.

‘I think if the state of New York wants to raise the ticket prices, then the professional teams need to give the fans some concessions by lowering their prices,’ said Eli Mekhlin, a sophomore chemistry major. ‘Because, unfortunately, the average fan is quickly being priced out of the arenas.’

Crouthamel doesn’t have a problem with Pataki’s effort to raise money.

‘If there is absolutely no other way to get the money, then my response would be that we all need to chip in and make things work,’ Crouthamel said.

Crouthamel, however, was not sure how effective this surcharge would be.

‘With college athletics, particularly in New York, without a big state university like Michigan, Penn State or Ohio State, they are headed in the wrong direction,’ Crouthamel said. ‘They’ll really only make money on the professional teams. It appears that [Syracuse University] got caught up in a trap.’

Only the sports that charge for tickets will be affected. Sports like volleyball, swimming, track and field, and softball will not be affected, Crouthamel said.

He said that there would be no choice but to raise prices on the tickets, including for students.

‘We already pay a 7 percent sales tax, but we are going to have to cover the increase somehow,’ Crouthamel said.

Larrabee fears that families will feel the effects of the surcharge the most.

‘This is an increased out-of-pocket [charge] for families who want to go to sporting events,’ Larrabee said.

SU sporting events will rise in price pending the approval of the budget, but some events that involve large groups will not be affected.

Brown said that some of the events that will be exempt from the surcharge are movies, theatres, racetracks, boxing and wrestling.

Published on January 29, 2004 at 12:00 pm