Arkansas is asking fans to pay more for concessions ahead of rising expenses for the athletic department.
Arkansas athletics will charge a 3 percent fee on all concessions at home games beginning with Saturday’s game against Ole Miss, athletic director Hunter Yurachek wrote in an email to donors. The fee will help offset the costs of additional scholarships required by the upcoming House v. NCAA settlement, expected to be finalized in April and take effect before the next academic year.
As part of the settlement, schools are expected to share more than $20 million in television revenue with athletes.
“We must continue to maximize additional revenue opportunities while also being dutiful stewards of the resources which we have been afforded,” Yurachek wrote.
In September, Tennessee athletics announced it would add a 10 percent “talent fee” to ticket prices next year.
According to Yuracheck, Arkansas is also reviewing its budget and operation in search of identifying $15 million annually in savings and increased revenue.
Arkansas will also “reset” all seating at Bud Walton Arena for basketball games for the first time since the arena opened in 1993. The athletic department did a similar reset for baseball games in 2022.
Arkansas found more revenue by adding Tyson and Walmart logos to its field, which the NCAA approved for the first time in June.
(Photo: Wesley Hitt / Getty Images)
