In an announcement made Wednesday, Ponca City Public Schools announced that ticket prices for athletic events will be increased.

Tickets for all athletic events except varsity football will be $7 for adults and $5 for students, seniors 55 and over and military. Football tickets will be $10 cash at the gate or $8 online.

Fans can also purchase an all-sports pass that is good for all regular season events. The cost of the allsport pass is $50 for students and $100 for adults.

The price hike is necessary, according to PCPS, to cover increased costs for sports officiating, tournament fees, transportation, meals and lodging for student- athletes.

“PCPS has tried to keep costs down for ticket prices as long a possible, but prices for officials and mileage continue to increase,” the school district’s announcement states. “We know it is important to take care of our students, seniors and military veterans, so we have the all-sport passes that will save money. All-sport passes for the 2023-2024 season will be available online during July.”

The ticket prices are good for regular season events. The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) oversees ticket prices for postseason competitions.

Ponca City is contracted with GOFAN for its online ticket sales. All-Sport passes can also be purchased online through GOFAN. The app allows fans to easily buy and store digital tickets to events from a mobile phone. It is available for both iOS and Android devices.

Digital tickets can also be purchased at a designated gate with a credit card.

Additionally, reserved football seating will be increased from $50 to $60 per seat. Reserved seats include admission to the varsity home games.

The OSSAA voted in June to increase referee pay and round-trip mileage for officials. In addition to the substantial pay increase for officials, mileage rates will be raised from $.35 a mile to $.65 a mile.

Keeping officials has been a huge problem across Oklahoma, even in the postseason. Last year Oklahoma had 1,553 playoff basketball games from Class B to 6A. That meant over 4,000 slots needed to be filled because three officials are used at basketball games.

For more information, contact Rebecca Crosby, athletics secretary, at 580718-3890 or email higgir@pcps.us.