In a "down" economy, it is a challenge to stand out as the best way for a family to spend discretionary income. But that's the task we face at the Washington State University Athletic Ticket Office in 2009.

WSU is hardly alone in this effort. Ticket sales for concerts, athletic events, fairs and festivals are all feeling the pinch as fans have less to spend on leisure, and more concerns about their financial bottom line. Those same market forces have impacted WSU's Athletic Department budget as well. It is truly more critical than ever that Cougs show themselves as "supporters," and more than just "fans."

You have the power to lift WSU from among the merely average programs nationally to become an elite athletic school. For instance, if 100 percent of the fans who affiliate themselves with the Cougs contributed financially to the level of their means, WSU would never want for the resources to be successful.

Every ticket purchase and every donation matters. There is no such thing as a contribution too small. Whether your schedule allows for a season ticket purchase or not; whether you are located in the Northwest or not, there is ALWAYS an avenue to show your support of the Cougs.

The best ways to support the department in an immediate way are through a football season ticket purchase, a donation to the student-athlete scholarship fund, or both. Football season tickets purchased in donation-required sections are a "double bonus," in that they assist our season ticket revenues AND the Priority Seating Requirement goes directly to support of student-athlete scholarships. Several "prime" locations have opened up this year in sections that have been sold out for years. This is an opportunity to take advantage of in 2009, locking in great seats in perpetuity.

Season tickets are just $200 for sideline seats, which is down from last season's $280 sideline season ticket, and Priority Seating Requirements in all donation-required sections remain unchanged for the third consecutive season. If personal finances have become a burden, Value Sections were added this year on the sidelines, with season tickets just $125 in Sections 11-12 and 21-23. Within those Value Sections, a Value Plan, consisting of four season tickets can be purchased for $425. Value Plans are different from Family Plans, in that the tickets are not restricted to youths, anyone can use the four tickets in a Value Plan. All football season tickets can be purchased online HERE, or at 800-Go-Cougs during business hours (9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., M-F).

The annual Seattle football game was originally positioned as a way to engage our west side alums by bringing a "home" game right into their backyard. To maintain the viability of this game, it is critically important that our west side alums support this event with ticket purchases. This year's game features WSU against Hawaii on Sept. 12. Tickets range from $7-$55, and can be purchased by clicking HERE or at 800-Go-Cougs during business hours.

If the trend continues, our 2009 WSU Football season ticket base will be less than one-third of the average of the other nine schools in the Pac-10. We simply MUST close that gap to stay competitive. The football team's responsibility to put a competitive program on the field goes hand-in-hand with every Coug's responsibility to support these efforts in word AND deed.

To those of you who have made an annual contribution to the athletic scholarship fund, or purchased season tickets this year, I thank you for that generous support, and encourage you to continue raising the bar. If you have not yet made that commitment to support the Cougs this year, there is still time and we would love to count you among the folks who are helping us reach our goal of 100 percent annual support from Cougar Nation!

Dan Meyer
Director of Ticket Sales
Washington State University