Rupp Arena season ticket prices increasing for Kentucky fans. Here’s how much.
The cost of a Kentucky men’s basketball season ticket is increasing by an average of 3% for the 2025-26 season, UK announced Tuesday.
The increase in ticket cost, which will translate to $4-$7 more per game for most fans, according to UK’s news release, is accompanied by an increase in the required K Fund donation per seat of $50 to $100.
For the first time, all season tickets will require a K Fund donation for purchase. There were previously four areas of Rupp Arena where season tickets did not come with a K Fund donation. Those seats will now require a K Fund donation of $50 to $100 per seat.
The 2024-25 home schedule includes games against North Carolina, Indiana, Florida, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Texas. The Wildcats will also host Purdue and Georgetown in Rupp Arena for preseason exhibitions.
UK kept men’s basketball season ticket prices stable from 2019 to 2023, but did increase prices for 87% of season ticket holders last season, Mark Pope’s first year as coach. The latest increase comes as athletic departments are searching for new forms of revenue to account for the $20.5 million schools could begin distributing to athletes on July 1 after the approval of the NCAA’s House legal settlement.
Ticket price increases have been common across college sports in the wake of the House settlement. For instance, Tennessee announced a new 10% talent fee on all 2025 football season tickets to help fund its revenue sharing pool.
Earlier this month, UK announced it was phasing out discounts for season ticket packages currently offered to university faculty and staff. UK football season ticket prices also increased between $5.36 and $12.50 per game for 2025 with one fewer home game on the schedule.
In June, UK’s Board of Trustees approved two internal loans to the athletic department worth up to $141 million total to account for a forecasted financial shortfall the next two fiscal years as well as five facility projects. The athletic department will begin repaying those loans, with interest, in fiscal year 2028. There were no basketball facility upgrades included in the projects announced last month, but UK has hinted there will be news on that front in advance of the September Board of Trustees meeting.
“UK will remain committed to providing a variety of ticket options and maintaining a great home court advantage, while adjusting to market forces and the revenue growth required for the program to strive toward championships,” the school wrote in the news release announcing the ticket price increase.
Fans who renew basketball season tickets by Aug. 1 are eligible for a variety of incentives, including five bonus K Fund priority points and two complimentary football tickets to one of the three nonconference home games. The school will select 20 winners from the early renewals to receive two tickets to Big Blue Madness.
Anyone interested in purchasing basketball season tickets for the first time can sign up for the season ticket lottery.
