K Fund donor sues UK Athletics alleging breach of contract over season tickets
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — The University of Kentucky Athletics Department is at the center of a lawsuit over season tickets.
According to those who filed suit, UK has reneged their deal with one of their K-Fund donors.
The K Fund is described as the fundraising arm of the university athletics department.
“We’re simply asking to enforce the contract that UK entered into,” added Joe Childers who is representing John Meyers.
According to the lawsuit, Childers and Baxter PLLC filed a lawsuit on behalf of their client, Meyers.
The suit alleges a ‘breach of contract’ between Meyers and UK Athletics.
Adding that Meyers says he had four lower level season tickets to the UK Men’s Basketball Games at Rupp Arena, and additionally agreed to pay UK Athletics over $200,000 over time, to secure two season tickets on the floor behind the visitor’s bench.
After paying $340,000, the lawsuit alleges UK told Meyers he no longer has access to the seats he bargained for, and must enter a ticket selection process behind 340 fellow donors, even though he has at least four years remaining on his contract.
According to the complaint, now that the value, and demand, of those seats has been substantiated, UK seeks to strip Meyers of the tickets and resale them to the highest bidder.
“It’s all about greed. It’s UK wants to to resell all of the best seats in Rupp Arena to their to the whoever will pay the most money. And so they’re throwing their their longtime, faithful fans under the bus in order to do that and to get more money for the UK Athletics Program. This was a valid contract, we’ve alleged that it’s a valid contract that was memorialized in writing, and we’ve asked the judge in Franklin Circuit court entered injunction against UK to prohibit them from taking these two seats away,” said Childers.
Meantime, UK claims that Rupp Arena and the Lexington Center Corporation recently decided to replace seating in the first five rows of both lower-level sidelines.
The reason, the the aging infrastructure of the risers, which are being reconfigured, to ensure there will be 16 fewer seats.
UK says the note sent to those K Fund donors will not be losing their seats rather some of the seats will no longer be available in the same location.
UK adding that the adjustments to structural seating changes is not new.
It was done with the renovation of Kroger Field and also has happened in recent years before at Rupp with previous renovation work.
UK also says the purchase of season tickets is not a property right, but rather a privilege that is assigned annually by UK Athletics.
