SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego County District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond wrote a letter to the San Diego State University Athletics Department urging them to lower ticket prices at Snapdragon Stadium, specifically for SDSU football games.
*Watch the video above as FOX 5/KUSI’s Jaime Chambers reports on the low attendance at Aztec games.
San Diego County released Desmond’s letter to the public Wednesday, which expressed concern over the rising cost of attending Aztec football games and the increase in empty seats at Snapdragon Stadium despite the team’s 7-1 overall record, in addition to being a perfect 4-0 at home.
In the letter, Desmond, an SDSU alumnus, writes that the high cost of attending the football games has become a growing concern among San Diego residents.
“We all know that San Diego is already one of the most expensive places to live in America,” Desmond wrote in the letter. “When something as special as cheering on our hometown team becomes unaffordable, it’s a sign that we’ve drifted away from the community spirit that public institutions like SDSU should represent.”
Available tickets for the next home game on Nov. 15 against Boise State range from $62 to $264 per person through Ticketmaster.
Desmond writes that families should be able to attend the games at prices that are fair and accessible, rather than prohibitive. He also welcomes the opportunity to work with the Athletics Department to explore ways to make the games more accessible.
“Whether through family-friendly ticket packages, local community nights, or discounts through my office that encourage attendance and engagement,” Desmond wrote.
Desmond’s letter comes in the wake of a smaller-than-expected turnout for SDSU’s most recent home game on Saturday, during which the Aztecs defeated Wyoming State 24-7. For that game, 24,324 tickets were reportedly distributed; however, the actual attendance was 17,109.
