Basketball Powerhouse University of Kansas Unveils Transparent Ticketing Model

The Kansas Jayhawks have announced a Per-Seat-Donation ticketing model, going into effect before the 2025-2026 athletics season.

Mar 23, 2024; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Dajuan Harris Jr. (3) during a loss to the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena-Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas Jayhawks are moving towards transparency, introducing a "per-seat donation model" (PSD) for season tickets at Allen Fieldhouse and David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Announced by KU athletic director Travis Goff in a letter to the fans, this new model will be implemented starting in the 2025-26 school year, fundamentally changing how fans will purchase season tickets.

Under the PSD model, each seat will have a total cost, including the season ticket price and a required donation. The cost will vary depending on the seat location within the venue. This change aims to provide a clear, upfront understanding of ticket pricing, combining the donation with the ticket price to reflect the actual cost of attending games. As KU Athletics explained, this total per-seat donation amount will also contribute to a fan's Williams Education Fund priority ranking, impacting seating and parking selection, postseason ticket priority, and access to other donor benefits.

For the 2024-25 season, a new seating configuration will be introduced at Allen Fieldhouse, reducing capacity from 16,300 to 15,300. Season ticket holders who meet specific criteria—such as donating at the Hall of Fame level, having cumulative lifetime giving of at least $575,000, or ranking in the top 100 accounts—can keep their current seats. Others will participate in the Select-a-Seat process, choosing their seats online through a 3-D seating model.

The changes come during massive renovations at both venues. A $55 million construction project at Allen Fieldhouse, set to be completed by October 18, will introduce a new video board, improved lighting and audio, and enhanced food and beverage options. Meanwhile, Phase One of the Booth Memorial Stadium renovation is slated for completion in August 2025 as part of the broader Gateway District development.

Speaking with the Kansas City Star, Jason Booker, KU’s deputy athletic director for external affairs and revenue generation, discussed the initiative's goals. “I think the biggest thing is it is transparent. Transparency was the biggest thing for us so the people knew how much each seat was going to cost. Looking at the pricing modeling there are a lot of people who are going to pay less. There are some people that may pay more. At the end of the day this wasn’t about driving incremental revenue. This was about trying to be more transparent so the people knew when they donated where their tickets were going to be. The thought was we are not trying to increase or raise prices so to speak, it’s to be more transparent about what each seat’s value is.”

KU's move towards a per-seat donation model is a significant step in reshaping the ticketing landscape, aiming to make the process clearer and more straightforward for Jayhawks fans.