Utah Jazz: Travel expenses hurting Jazz, other local teams

Air travel on a budget can be a tricky proposition for even the most frugal and conscientious travelers. And for local professional sports franchises and college teams, rising airfares and fees have become a cause for concern.

The state's largest pro sports organization, the Larry H. Miller Sports and Entertainment Group, which controls the Utah Jazz and Salt Lake Bees, has found that rising travel expenses have heavily affected the team's finances.

Jazz and Bees President Randy Rigby said that travel costs for the Jazz, who fly by charter jet, have increased by at least 10 to 15 percent in the past year. The minor-league Bees, who just wrapped up their PCL season, travel on commercial flights, and because of increasing airfares and extra luggage charges that many airlines have imposed in recent months, travel costs for the baseball team increased 20 to 25 percent, Rigby said.

The National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball have union agreements that leave team financial managers with few options to alleviate higher travel costs, Rigby said. The NBA agreement stipulates that players must stay in top hotels, and they usually travel on charter flights.

Finding ways to cut travel costs is difficult, so for now, his organization just has to "suck it up" and look for additional ways to generate revenue, he said.

Faced with soaring fuel costs, U.S. airlines have increased domestic fares between large metro cities by an average of about 16 percent since Jan. 2, while fares between small cities are up roughly 37 percent year-to-date, according to Rick Seaney, head of airfare research site FareCompare.com. The fare hikes have come with a litany of new charges — for luggage, drinks, pillows and other amenities — announced by some airlines earlier this year.

Smaller pro franchises and college teams in Utah are dealing with travel-budget challenges similar to the Jazz, but the smaller organizations don't have the same financial resources at their disposal as the NBA team.

"The tightening of the economy has made us look to stretch a little harder," said Utah Blaze president Jason Jones. "We have to be a little bit more prudent to make sure there is a justifiable return on investment when it comes to expenses."

Because of league rules, his franchise doesn't have the luxury of making cuts on player travel or player housing. As a result, his organization is trying to keep costs down wherever possible in terms of day-to-day operations, he said.

For Major League Soccer team Real Salt Lake, travel costs have risen about 15 percent in the past year, said team spokesman Trey Fitz-Gerald. Additional baggage fees have been the biggest drain on the team's budget, he said.