The Virginia Athletics Foundation is putting the squeeze on men’s basketball season-ticket holders, requiring a minimum donation of $1,750 to have a chance at getting a parking spot next season.
This dramatic, massive minimum donation hike came to our attention from an email received by long-time season-ticket holder Jim Murphy, who also volunteers as a parking attendant in the media lot at JPJ during the basketball season.
Per the email, sent to Murphy by the VAF on Tuesday, his “2023 Annual Fund gift of $290.52 is below the new 2024 Annual Fund minimum gift required” to renew his priority parking pass next season.
“Should you wish to maintain your priority parking permit for next season, we would welcome your ongoing support of the VAF Annual Fund at the $1,750 Coaches Club level or higher this year,” the VAF informed him in the email.
The significant donation increase requested of Murphy, according to the email, coincides with a reduction in the number of available parking spaces in the East and South parking lots in the stadium area resulting from the buildout of the new Football Operations Center, the Olympic Sports Complex and the Promenade, all part of the Virginia Athletics Master Plan.
“In an effort to minimize the loss of priority parking around JPJ Arena,” the email from the VAF related to Murphy, “the Virginia Athletics Foundation Board of Trustees voted to raise the minimum Annual Fund gift amount required to purchase a parking space.”
Nice wording there – “to minimize the loss of priority parking.”
It, rather, seems that the VAF is trying to minimize the loss of revenue from losing several hundred spaces to the new construction.
“Starting with the 2024-2025 season, all reserved parking lots — Garage, East, South, and West — will require a minimum VAF Annual Fund gift at the Coaches Club level ($1,750-$3,499),” the email continues. “VAF members at the Champions Club level ($25,000-$35,999) and above will remain eligible to purchase two parking spaces based on availability.”
Murphy, who has three men’s basketball season tickets, said he will not be able to afford the $1,400+ increase in the minimum donation required to be in the mix to maintain his parking space, which he points out would not even guarantee him the space – just a chance at getting one.
And he assumes he won’t be the only season-ticket holder of moderate means to be impacted.
“This will force more attendees to The Park, which is already packed, or to illegally park at Barracks Road Shopping Center, or elsewhere,” Murphy said.
Or, another option could emerge.
“Will this new policy cause a large reduction in season-ticket holders, similar to what happened to UVA Football?” Murphy observed.
He was referring there to the infamous “reseating” fiasco instituted by UVA Athletics of the 2008 football season, which priced many long-time football season-ticket holders out of their seats.
Attendance at UVA Football games has still not recovered from that one.
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Chris Graham
