Ole Miss announces changes in fan experiences in preparation of oncoming revenue sharing

Earlier this week there were plenty of reports and talk across social media and message boards about Ole Miss athletics making sweeping changes to game day experiences such as The Grove and football parking and ticketing.

On Friday those reports and chatter were met with an official announcement from Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter, confirming some of what was talked about through the week. Though there were some changes to the numbers in play.

In adapting to the oncoming wave all college athletics programs will be dealing with in the pending revenue sharing Ole Miss announced those changes though they are not as severe as initially reported.

Pending approval of the House vs. NCAA settlement, Ole Miss and other institutions are preparing to share approximately $20-22 million with student athletes beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. Additionally, there will be a large number of new scholarships as part of an overall increased investment.

Ole Miss announced, what it described as “forward-thinking steps” that included the recent announcement of new NIL leadership plus budget reductions across the entire athletics department and assessing existing resources for student-athletes.

“Ole Miss Athletics is in the midst of one of the most successful periods in our university’s history, and it is imperative that we make sound economic decisions in order to continue our momentum,” Carter said in a statement released. “The financial commitment to student-athletes is growing dramatically, and we are thinking strategically within our budget to help address these new expenses.

“Ultimately, in order to maintain the level of talent that our teams have achieved, we must increase our department’s revenue. Our staff is working tirelessly to explore new and exciting opportunities, including concerts, premium seating and other exclusive experiences. On gamedays, our goal is to minimize the financial impact on the Ole Miss family as much as possible, but there will be new expenses that we want to make fans aware of entering the fall.”

Changes to Ole Miss football tailgating

The same experience fans have come to know over the generations in The Grove and Circle are not changing. Though the new measures being implemented are to benefit from its value.

No changes are coming to how fans secure a tailgate setup when fans rush The Grove on Friday nights to claim their spots. But those who use a tent vendor service will see some financial changes. Vendor will have to pay a fee per game per 10×10 tent to the athletics department for each of their setups. The vendor’s fee is $150 per 10×10 tent in single-game setups and $100 per tent in full season setups. Rates do not change for conference home games.

Registered student organizations will still be able to access the Grove on Friday’s ahead of the rush by fans later that evening for the free land grab.

“We understand how important it is to preserve the unique character and traditions of The Grove, and the end-user experience should not change for the fans with this new structure,” Carter said. “By continuing our relationships with local tent vendors, we hope to launch a profitable tailgating program as seamlessly as possible. Despite the additional charge, we are encouraging vendors to keep moderate prices for their customers while continuing to offer unique amenities.”

Changes to football ticketing and parking

For the upcoming football season per-game tickets will remain the same price as in 2024, but with Ole Miss playing its first eight-game home schedule in program history there is an increase of $25 for season tickets, making up for the extra game added.

The change to parking is donations are required. Each permit will have a required annual donation based on parking lot location. Parking annual donations are mandatory for each permit, and must be renewed the following year in order to retain the same permit. 

Parking location selected this season will be locked in for the next five years. Parking permits will be re-selected every five years, and fans will have the opportunity to relocate or upgrade their permit location each year. Parking donations are 90 percent tax deductible, and members receive one blue point per $100 given for parking.

“Ole Miss is blessed with the most passionate fans in the nation, and none of our success happens without their loyal support,” Carter said. “This is an unprecedented time in our industry, and every athletics department in the country is implementing changes such as these in order to stay competitive. We understand the challenges it creates for our fans, and they are not decisions that we enter into lightly.”