District ticket prices skyrocket
Ticket prices for District 6 playoffs have increased to $8 this year.
February 25, 2022
This playoff season District 6 has made some major changes on the prices of tickets and how fans can buy tickets. All tickets must be bought online this year and the tickets to get into a basketball game have soared to $8 per person with a $1.58 service fee. One session for District 6 wrestling last weekend was $10.
Another change for the 2022 playoff season has been making all basketball tickets sold only online. There are many potential problems with this, among them that a high number of Bellwood-Antis basketball fans are between ages 55-70 and not tech savvy. Another potential drawback is some people don’t like to enter there debit card information online because of hackers.
B-A girls coach Jim Swaney, whose team plays United Saturday in the 2A quarterfinals, isn’t a fan of the increased prices.
“Say you have two basketball games this week and you have four family members to get into the game, you’re at $80 already and most likely you’ll go out to dinner after, so your around $120,” said Swaney, whose team plays in the 2A playoffs on Saturday. “That is literally more than your monthly car insurance.”
For District 6 wrestling, there were four total sessions last week.
B-A athletic director Mr. Charlie Burch said the rising ticket prices are there to help the District keep up with increased costs.
“PIAA & District 6 are impacted by the cost of everything that is increasing around us,” he said. “I do feel that $8 is a bit steep, but I do understand the demands to keep the district funding afloat.”
Al fans attending District events have to pay that price and there are no student tickets. At B-A, student tickets for home games cost $3.
“It would be nice to see a separate price for student tickets at least a couple dollars lower,” Burch said.
The BluePrint placed a call to District 6 chairman William Marshall on February 23 but did not hear back prior to publishing this story. However, he explained some of the District’s reasoning to the Altoona Mirror in a story written by Michael Boytim.
Coach Swaney said the high prices made him think about the way things used to be.
“Everyone was just happy to be able to show up to a playoff game and not have to worry about the prices,” he said.
Virginia Kensinger • Feb 26, 2022 at 11:01 am
I think the ticket prices are too high. This day and age we are trying to keep our heads above water finically. Then we choose which one can go tonight and who can go to the next game especially if you have several children. Then District 5 tickets are only 6 dollars I don’t understand why one district can sell for one price and another price is higher. It is all PIAA. Sr live on a fixed income and guess what we support and enjoy the games more than anyone but at $10 a ticket and having to get them on line we are unable to keep up. So one more thing we are not concerned. I think $10 for students ticket is absolutely ridiculous their parents pay enough through other activities and taxes these children should pay $1 or $2.