When is a price reduction not a price reduction?

The ASU athletic department performed some "fuzzy math" yesterday. In announcing season ticket prices for 2010, the press release claimed that one of the highlights was "No price increases over 2009". Sounds good, except that the 2009 schedule included seven home games but the 2010 schedule features just six, so on a per-game basis some tickets have actually increased in price. For example, tickets in Section 5 increased from $71 per game in 2009 to $83 per game in 2010.

A lot of people failed to notice this "minor" detail. In fact, in today's Republic Jeff Metcalfe wrote that "ASU is not increasing ticket prices", a claim that even the ASU athletic department did not make!

Credit to posts by Sole Diavolo and Devil Diver Down for bringing this to my attention. To be fair, some posters don't think ASU did anything wrong by ignoring the per-game increases in their press release.

An interested party posted some additional details, reproduced here:

Changes

Visiting band moving back from Sec 1 & 2 to Sec 24
Visitor section moved to Sec 230 & 231 from Upper of 215-220

Upper Level Changes

Upper rows of Sec 201-211 are now $99 from $179 to $199
Per game 09= 25.57-28.42 to 10=16.50
Bottom Rows of Sec 201-204, 208-211 & 237-243 now $199 from $260 to $525
Per game 09=37.14-75.00 to 10=33.16
Bottom Rows of Sec 222-226 are now $99 from $149
Per game 09=21.28 to 10=16.50
Bottom Rows of Sec 205-207 now $499 from $525
Per game 09=75.00 to 10=83.16

Lower Level Changes

Sec 1-3, 11-26 & 37-41 are now $199 from $250-$350
Per game 09=35.71-50.00 to 10=33.16
Sec 4, 10 & 27-28 are now $399 from $450
Per game 09=64.28 to 10=66.50
Sec 5, 9 & 29-31 are now $499 from $500
Per game 09=71.42 to 10=83.16
Sec 5a-9a are now $799 from $850-$900
Per game 09=121.42-128.57 to 10=133.16

Loge Changes

Sec 105-107 are now $1746 from $1800
Per game 09=257.14 to 10=291.51
Sec 112-122, 128-131, 137-140 & 145-154 are now $799 from $850
Per game 09=121.42 to 10=133.16
Sec 101-140, 108-111, 129-132 & 136-139 are now $1249 from $1400
Per game 09=200.00 to 10=208.16
Sec 123-127 & 141-144 are now $499 from $850
Per game 09=121.42 to 10=83.16

It looks to me like the best bargains now are lower row seats in sections 204 or 208, which are now $33 per game. These sections are in the upper deck at the 20 yard line on the west side. If you can get in the first 5-8 rows, the view is magnificent from these sections.

Click here for the new seat map (PDF).

Updated: this follow-up post by an ASU representative contains some additional detail, but still feels like a spin job. The revised ticket plan is good - no need to spin it!