UH men’s basketball exceeds projections

Season-ticket revenue reached a seven-year high, allowing University of Hawaii men’s basketball to surpass overall revenue projections for the 2016-17 season.

The Rainbow Warriors took in $1,018,781 in overall ticket revenue — $754,064 of it in season-ticket sales — for their rebuilding (14-16) season. That was $68,781 above budget projections, according to UH figures.

But a sharp drop in sales of individual game tickets and one fewer home game meant revenues trailed the Big West championship season of 2015-16 by $109,172 overall and an average of $2,777 per game.

“I think that was somewhat expected,” athletic director David Matlin said, considering the offseason roster turnover.

The two-year revenue total, $2,146,753, was the most since the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, which marked the final year of Riley Wallace’s reign as head coach and the debut of his successor, Bob Nash.

“I look at it as two solid years — that’s very positive,” Matlin said. “The fact that the (season-ticket) base continues to go up is, I think, a great trend,” Matlin said.

Season-ticket sales for 2016-17 were the most since 2009-10, but UH sold just 14,703 individual game tickets ($264,716).

The figures do not include the three-day Diamond Head Classic in December, for which UH does not receive ticket revenue. The tournament is owned by ESPN Events, which pays UH a flat $50,000 fee, brings in opponents and provides network exposure.