Tennessee faces fan revolt after massive ticket price hike
College sports is supposed to be for everyone. NIL has changed a lot of what fans have loved about the college sports world. But try telling that to Vols fans staring at a 300%+ ticket price hike for season tickets in basketball.
Tennessee’s athletic department is under fire after a longtime season ticket holder shared his story with the Knoxville News Sentinel. The 88-year-old fan, who’s held basketball season tickets since Thompson-Boling Arena was built, said his renewal cost jumped from $1,480 last season to $4,488 this year—an exact increase of 203.24%. He got them for being an initial donor for the building of the arena, a perk that was to last his lifetime.
The man, a loyal supporter for decades, said he expected a modest 16% bump that would have been big but affordable. Instead, he received a call in April that floored him: either pay thousands more or give up the seats he’s held since donating to help build the arena.
Last year, Tennessee introduced a “Vols Excellence Fund” fee to support NIL efforts, which fans tolerated. But this latest increase, without a championship return on investment, has triggered a backlash.
This is not solely directed at Tennessee. Obviously I make my living covering sports, but we’ve damaged the soul of college sports with so many loyal and diehard fans priced out of regularly attending games. No way as a kid could my family of 5 afforded to pay these prices. https://t.co/8DupN0aS74
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) July 31, 2025
A father-son duo says they will have to end their cherished tradition of watching the Vols at Food City Center after the price for their seats jumped nearly $3,000. https://t.co/WJ0u1q0y6x
— WBIR Channel 10 (@wbir) August 1, 2025
Danny White passes the point of no return. Tennessee Basketball hasn't even made a final four and is pushing out dedicated fans due to ticket prices being to high.
— SEC Filtered (@SECfiltered) August 1, 2025
Tennessee should do the right thing and make the guy pay what is normal pricing. 300% increase is insane! pic.twitter.com/wqtMuVIVFc
Social media erupted. National voices weighed in. Even Tennessee insiders questioned the optics: raising prices this steeply without softening the blow for long-standing fans threatens the loyalty that built SEC traditions in the first place. Imagine if you had season football tickets to Kentucky only to wake up and see a 200% increase to attend home games. But that is not even the worst part.
The real issue? College sports are inching toward a professional model—with professional prices—but without the same consumer protections. As fans get priced out, the question becomes louder: Is this still college sports… or just a different flavor of the pros? Will it be coming to Kentucky next?