The University of Hawai'i is projecting a 7 to 10 percent drop in football season ticket sales for this season, based upon current trends.

UH said it sold 27,699 season tickets last year, a 15-year high.

Renewals are currently running at 79 percent, according to a UH spokesman. Those represent accounts that have, so far, been paid in full.

"I'm not surprised (at the drop)," UH athletic director Jim Donovan said yesterday. "We're down a little bit and that is kind of what I expected."

Donovan said: "I know things are tough (in the local economy) right now. Most businesses in Hawai'i are down between 10 and 30 percent so, for us, to be where we are we may be better than many are."

Football season ticket sales provide the largest source of income for the athletic department, which operated the last fiscal year on a $29.5 million budget. It is expected to close the current fiscal year with a $2.5 million to $3 million deficit.

At this point last season, Donovan said UH renewals were running at 86 percent. But while 5,400 of 6,300 season ticket accounts had renewed at this time last year, Donovan said UH has more accounts this year, and 5,660 of 7,100 have so far renewed.

In 2007, the 6,300 accounts combined to purchase 22,990 tickets.

Donovan said efforts at boosting the current figures are continuing with UH coaches and players calling season ticket holders who have yet to renew. He said UH is preparing additional advertising campaigns aimed at bringing in new customers.

A UH spokesman said 139 accounts have made deposits for priority new season ticket orders in the upper sideline and end zone sections. The non-refundable $50 deposit (per account, not ticket) program ends July 1, though other new sales will begin July 6.

The cost for the seven-game UH home schedule remains the same as last season with adult prices to the general public beginning at $70 (for senior citizens) and $75 (all other adults) in selected locations.

Some areas require premium seat contributions above the face value of the tickets. Slightly more than half of Aloha Stadium's 50,000 seats, approximately 28,500, require premium seat contributions.

Season ticket holders also qualify for a significant discount on the price of road pay-per-view games. Last year, the price was $99, a 65 percent discount. Pay-per-view prices for 2009 are expected to be announced by the beginning of July.

UH Student and Manoa Maniacs season tickets go on sale in August.

Tickets are available online at http://www.hawaiiathletics.com, by phone (944-2697) or in person at the UH box office.

UH is billing this as its 100th anniversary season. The school first played the sport in 1909. UH did not field a team from 1912-14, 1942-45 and in 1961.