The fee, along with other revenue-raising measures, reflects the current environment of college sports — and is only likely to become more standard.
On May 22, Minnesota State Director of Athletics Kevin Buisman published a letter to Mavericks men’s hockey season ticket holders. In it, he detailed a number of ways that the team would be increasing costs for fans next season and other modifications the team will be making in order to raise more revenue — most of which is for their NIL budget.
“These steps reflect a balanced approach: making the necessary investments to sustain championship-level success while enhancing the value and experience for those who make Maverick Hockey possible-our supporters,” Buisman wrote. “This is an important moment for our program. With your continued partnership, we are confident in our ability to navigate this evolving landscape, strengthen Maverick Hockey and build for the future.”
First, Buisman announced that ticket prices would be increasing across the board – from $425 to $450 for season tickets, $1350 to $1450 for varsity-level Blue Line Club (the booster club) and from $2700 to $2900 for the Maverick-level Blue Line Club. Those increases aren’t unreasonable in this era of increasingly inflated ticket prices.
Two elements in particular caught my eye: the new sponsor patch for next season and the $2 “Competitive Excellence Fund” fee added to each single-game ticket. For the patch, Buisman did not state which company or entity it would be, just that there would be one. That is only possible because the NCAA enacted a new rule allowing schools to add two patches on jerseys and one on equipment. Maine is another school considering such an addition, and more are likely to follow. The jersey sponsor will provide an additional revenue stream for the Mavericks.
So, too, will the $2 dollar fee. Minnesota State is far from the only team to enact such a policy. Tennessee was the first team to do it, adding a 10% “talent fee” to ticket prices across all sports, but other teams have followed suit over the years. As best as I can tell, the Mavericks seem to be the first college hockey program to add a fee specifically for NIL. Ohio State’s $2 “Athletic Preservation Fee,” which appears to have been added in 2023, is put towards building maintenance.
“These changes are critical in helping us recruit and retain top talent in an increasingly competitive environment and we look forward to working with our corporate partners to successfully implement these new initiatives,” Buisman wrote.
That isn’t to say that other schools haven’t increased prices in response to NIL. Undoubtedly, they have. It’s just that, for most of them, those fees are disguised as something else, like increased concessions prices or increased ticket fees. Minnesota State is merely being honest with its fans about the changing nature of college hockey. Fees like this will very likely become more normalized in the next few years as teams cope with the rising costs of roster building.