The UW Athletic Board approved a $2 ticket price increase for men's hockey tickets and a budget proposal of $93.4 million for the 2011-'12 season Friday.
All other athletic ticket prices will remain the same, but the board said the $2 increase will bring in $446,000 each year.
The money will help pay for construction and debt services towards La Bahn Arena, which will host women's hockey games as well as provide the men's hockey team and Wisconsin swimming programs with practice facilities.
The board also passed a proposed budget of $93.4 million, a slight increase from the previous four years.
Board members agreed the budget is fiscally sound, and will allow the university's programs to remain competitive while staying financially stable.
Included in the budget is revenue sharing from the Big Ten Network, which designates $2.3 million for campus programming and priority seating gifts, earning $1.3 million from football and $400,000 from basketball.
According to one board member, Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill would hurt employees of the athletic department that do not have an official assigned position but work on a full time basis.
Although those employees earn minimum market profits, benefits such as health insurance are incentives to hold the positions. The proposed bill would take away those benefits, removing the employees main incentive to work for the athletic department, according to the board member.
""Some of our [employees] have been here long term,"" the board member said. ""They're good employees, they do great work, but they work for less than market pay.
""A lot of them are here specifically for the benefits.""
John Dettmann, director of strength and conditioning for the athletic department, also spoke at the meeting about a new nutritional program for athletes, saying it is important for nutritional information to be easily accessible to student athletes.
The department's new program breaks down costs and maps out grocery stores for athletes, making it easier to find certain foods. The program could spread to the general student body within the next two years and Dettmann said could also help recruit athletes.
