Kansas University has a $400,000 shortfall in football revenue, and the deficit can be blamed mostly on one game.

KU did not draw the crowd it had anticipated for the Kansas State game on Nov. 2.

âÂÂKansas State turned back 1,500 tickets,â Susan Wachter, the KU athletic departmentâÂÂs chief financial officer, told the KUAC board at its regular November meeting on Friday. âÂÂAnd the attendance didnâÂÂt reach our projection.âÂÂ

Wachter said a paid crowd of 43,400 was projected Ãi¿½” about 7,000 shy of a sellout Ãi¿½” but the actual paid attendance was in the 35,000 range. After the game, KU officials announced an estimated attendance of 43,000.

So the 8,400 fewer tickets sold and the corresponding loss of concession money came to about $400,000. KU had designated K-State its premium game of 2002 and placed a $45 ticket price Ãi¿½” the highest in school history Ãi¿½” on each seat.

Kansas State fans werenâÂÂt buying. Usually, Wachter said, K-State requests more than 5,000 tickets. This year, the number was about 3,500.

âÂÂI donâÂÂt know how much of an impact (the $45 ticket) had,â Wachter said. âÂÂBut Kansas State had eight home games this season, and that could have had something to do with it.âÂÂ

When Kansas State last played at Kansas in 2000, the Wildcats had seven home games and the KU-KSU ticket price was $40. KU estimated the crowd that day at 48,500 Ãi¿½” 5,500 more than this year.

Another reason for the smaller crowd this year may have been the weather. The kickoff temperature was 37 degrees with a cold, light rain falling sporadically.

Wachter said revenue estimates for the other home football games were closer to projections, expect for the Bowling Green game on Sept. 21 that produced about $44,000 more than expected.

Wachter has projected a paid crowd of 28,000 for todayâÂÂs season finale against Oklahoma State and, she said, âÂÂI think weâÂÂll come close on that.âÂÂ

Athletic department officials have recommended the KUAC board not raise football ticket prices for the 2003 season. However, one member of the boardâÂÂs finance committee has suggested boosting the price for the popular family zone package.

The finance committee will make a formal recommendation on 2003 football ticket prices at its next meeting in January.

Incidentally, football generated less TV revenue than expected with only one game Ãi¿½” the opener at Iowa State Ãi¿½” selected as a part of the Big 12 Conference TV package. Last year, three KU games were televised.

Wachter said the drop in TV football revenue would be offset by additional anticipated TV revenue for menâÂÂs basketball.