I plan to retire in the vicinity of Charlottesville in 2031. I know I may be getting ahead of myself, but I am interested in becoming a long-term season ticket holder (I see everything is sold out through '26-'27).
When should I get on the wait list? If I get awarded season tickets before I move, can I defer while maintaining my place on the list?
Is there a “giving amount” required to get on the list and maintain myself on it?
What are Priority Points and how are they earned?
I’m interested in lower level seating. I’m confused about what the total annual price will be. I see one chart where the price is $620 (for one ticket?). I saw another chart that listed a cost of some range of like $3000-4000 (for 2 tickets and parking). Then there is the Priority Point thing.
I wish there was simply one all-inclusive price to make things easy. I’d appreciate it if somebody set me straight so I can start planning. Thanks!
When should I get on the wait list? If I get awarded season tickets before I move, can I defer while maintaining my place on the list?
You just need to get on the wait list the year before you want them… they are not sold out years ahead. I know there is a wait list now, but I’m pretty sure as long as you have enough Priority Points (donation dollars which can be multiplied by different factors) you’ll be off the waitlist the next season.
They are the giving levels… there are multipliers for early giving, scheduled giving, where you put donate your money, UVa giving day, etc. Also you get additional points for consecutive years giving.
I’m interested in lower level seating. I’m confused about what the total annual price will be. I see one chart where the price is $620 (for one ticket?). I saw another chart that listed a cost of something like $3000-4000 (for 2 tickets and parking). Then there is the Priority Point thing.
Look up above for what you’d have to qualify for to get the lower level seats… also currently the parking garage is being renovated, so no one is being offered new parking spots this year, nor last year. I’m not sure when there will be a new wait list for parking…
BTW… there is really not a bad seat in JPJ… I’ve been offered upgrades to my seats the past few years, but really the seats that I have are pretty good and not that expensive. You may have to start out a little higher than you want and slowly migrate down as the years go by through upgrade windows.
I do believe if your goal is lowel level season tickets you will have to pay attention to what happens after the 26-27 season. My understanding is the vast majority of those tickets were sold under a 20 year license when JPJ opened. Who knows exactly what will happen when those licenses expire?
I think your best bet is to talk to the VAF folks. I know nothing about the “wait” list, but I do know that most of the initial donors who paid big time to get a couple of seats will see that agreement run out in a couple of years. I would expect a big turnover at that time.
I paid $25K for my lower level seat (they are on the side a few seats behind the end line, and, very good seats). I pay $3500 required to VAF for the honor buying season tickets each year. Then I pay for the tickets themselves and the parking pass. Not really sure what that cost is.
I have no idea what kind of “deal” I will be offered to keep my seats. I am sure it will involve a large bundle up front. At 81 years of age now, I expect to decline.
It does, thanks. I saw a lot of that information but couldn’t put it all together. It appears to me that the more Priority Points I have, the better seat (in each group) and parking spot I’d get (I won’t be parking up there for another 8 years).
So my costs would be an amount I pay for Priority Points (which I can start start paying for right now since they will “appreciate”) plus a Giving Amount which I will pay each season for the area I’m interested in ($3500-4999 for 2 Premium seats and parking), plus the actual Season Ticket cost of $620 (per seat). None of this is tax deductible since I am getting something in exchange.
And I can wait to list until I see what happens after the 20-yr licenses expire, no rush.
Well, that was the deal. Don’t know what they do if someone chooses not to get season tickets one year. I suppose they just put it in the collection of seats to sell each game. I guess they could offer it as a season pass but just for that season.
"I hope this email finds you well. It’s my understanding you may be interested in MBB lower-level season tickets. Happy to help! As you may be aware, JPJ Arena has been sold out for a while. We are working from a waitlist status for both the upper and lower levels. There are 2 components to lower-level seats which are identified as lower bowl and first 4 rows of the upper deck. There is a required one-time Capital Gift ranging from $25K minimum to $250K+ payable over 3-5 years, as well as annual gifts based on the number of tickets (2 tickets-$3500 donation, 4-$5000, 6-$15K, etc).
All currently allocated seats requiring a capital component are on a seat lease through the 2026-2027 season. We are in the process of identifying what the next seat lease will entail. It will likely be a per seat model with lease terms of 5 years or 10 years. We are happy to add you to the waitlist which we will begin to review shortly. Please let us know how you would like to proceed and if you have any additional questions and/or concerns."
I think the priority points are different than the capital gift.
You can confirm with a tax advisor, but I think anything you give over a giving level cutoff is deductible, because you aren’t really getting anything in return for that extra bit. I also think anything you donate during years when you aren’t buying tickets would be deductible. (Please confirm with someone else and not just a random Internet poster!)
I know I’m an old fart, but just to give you all something to consider, my first season ticket in U Hall was $25. Admittedly, you could buy a new Volvo for $3,500, gas was 38 cents a gallon, and draft beer was 50 cents, but still…
Throw in that $25k to $250k and now you are talking real money!
It will be interesting what the new lease terms are. Things rarely get cheaper, especially if they are already selling out. It may all be too rich for my non-blue blood.
Yikes that’s crazy stuff … I feel blessed to be able to go to most Hoo games in NC the last 12 years outside of Cameron Indoor. Did get to ref a few games at Duke before I hung up the whistle though…. Love Wake and NC State games and even can get the Hoos at UNC most times for under $100… last year got free tickets and parking (10th row FT line). And of course the Acc tournament in Greensboro and the madness early rounds in Raleigh, Greensboro and Charlotte …
I’d recommend going ahead and getting into the seats to start earning priority points. Besides money donated, consecutive years is a quick way to build up points.
Also even if you can’t go to the games, the tickets do tend to turn a profit so a lot of times makes financial sense too.
I have seats in the nosebleeds at midcourt and it’s a GREAT experience. I wouldn’t pay that kind of money to upgrade. Being up high at jpj is not a big deal especially if you aren’t behind the basket. When Kyle guy shot 3s from the wing I knew it was going in halfway to the hoop.
Thanks for the ideas. It would makes sense to start off non-premium and upgrade if my retirement finances allow. I may prefer the upper level anyway.
Besides, locking into a 10-yr lease with an unknown succeeding CTB is a fairly risky investment.
Can someone give me an idea of how much I should annually donate now for priority points, with another 5 years before I put myself on the waiting list?
Over the years I’ve sat all over JPJ. Honestly, my favorite seats are around mid court, upper level, first row or two. You can see the whole court better than in the lowers, but feel much closer to the action than the higher you go up.
You’re also way closer to concessions and the restrooms, and don’t get caught in as much exit traffic when the game ends.
If I read correctly, it’s $100, but given waitlist, not sure what the real cut-off is to be able to get tickets. You can usually ask the VAF folks and they are helpful.
They also sent me this for upper-level season tickets: Please note, there is a $25 per seat donation to Virginia Athletic Foundation required for the Upper End Zone and $50 per seat donation for the Upper Sideline.
