MADISON, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin announced Tuesday that 85 percent of its season ticket holders renewed their seats for the upcoming six-game home schedule, far beyond expectations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program has had a renewal rate of 93 percent or better since the late 1990s and recorded 94.5 percent last season.
“Our culture that we have throughout our athletic department runs through our fans,” said Barry Alvarez, the UW director of athletics, told UWBadgers.com. “There's a trust and a loyalty and a belief.”
UW moved its renewal deadline from April 20 to May 11 and gave ticket holders three payment options. One was a three-part payment plan, with three equal payments on June 1, July 1 and August 1 after a $30 deposit. Another option was to pay the $30 last month and pay in full July 10.
The final allowed holders to skip the 2020 season due to financial constraints or reservations due to health concerns. If they wanted to hang onto their tickets, they could pay a $50 deposit and reserve them for 2021. According to UW, approximately 500 people took advantage of that offer. If those numbers were included in the renewal rate it would be nearly 88 percent.
“Helping our fans find a way to make things work has been our priority,” Alvarez said.
All single-game ticket requests, as well as the neutral site game against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field in early October, has been put on hold “until more clarity is provided regarding the 2020 football season."
Alvarez said the department continues to work on plans for several different scenarios in regards to the fall sports schedule, staying true to the principal that has guided them throughout the process.
“Our people are very sensitive to our fans," he said. "There's been an empathy about what people are
going through and we try to be as accommodating as possible."
If Camp Randall does not host games in 2020, tickets will be refunded in full. Payments will be prorated if a partial season is played.
The Badgers are scheduled to open the 2020 season Sept. 4 against Indiana. They are also planning to host Southern Illinois, Appalachian State, Minnesota, Illinois and Nebraska.
