COLUMBIA—The cost of watching SouthCarolina football is going up—again.

The university's board of trustees approved an athletic department plan to charge from $25 to $395 for most season ticket holders to keep their seats. The school said Friday the "seat donations" should raise about $7.6 million that would go to the athletic department's continuing effort to upgrade aging facilities.

The fees won't take effect until the 2009 football season. Seat fees would not be increased for three seasons and then be open for review, said Bryan Risner, assistant AD for athletic development.

Athletic director Eric Hyman says the fees were necessary to keep South Carolina on pace with the top Southeastern Conference programs. In the fall of 2006, Hyman had detailed an ambitious facilities plan that cost nearly $195 million and was designed to dramatically remake the school's athletic complex.

The football seat fee was the latest hit to the wallets of rabid Gamecock fans, who typically buy up all available seats at Williams-Brice Stadium no matter how well or poorly the Gamecocks play.

In March, season tickets were increased $40 to $320. Members of the school's athletic booster group, the Gamecock Club, were also charged for parking spaces on the State Fairgrounds lot across from the stadium they had previously received for free, prices for cars ranging from $260 to $200.

Of the newest charge, Hyman said, "Quite frankly, I didn't want to introduce this ever."

South Carolina's athletic department and its budget of nearly $66 million for the 2008-09 year, though, ranked fifth out of six schools in the SEC Eastern Division.

For the Gamecocks to catch Florida, Georgia and Tennessee on the field, Hyman says they have to match up in what they can offer prospects of all sports.

The seat-fee plan involves only 48,500 of Williams-Brice, which has a listed capacity of 80,250.

Only 360 seats will have the $395 fee attached. The most inexpensive level for a full seven-game home season would call for buyers to pay $50. There are about 8,200 of those.

Risner said those fans who purchase a six-game ticket booklet their plans would not include tickets for a game with Georgia in one season, or Clemson in the next would receive a 50 percent discount on their fees, dropping it to $25 for the lowest tier.

South Carolina officials visited most SEC schools and others throughout the Southeast to get a handle on how they handled similar seating issues.

Clemson announced a "Seat Equity Plan" that asked nearly those fans who purchased nearly two of every five season tickets to increase pledges to booster group IPTAY to keep or improve their seats.

IPTAY donations increased by $5.6 million to more than $21 million this year and Tiger athletic officials did not have enough available seats to accomodate those who wanted upgrades.

Risner said Gamecock Club members won't be required to increase their giving levels as part of the plan, which South Carolina called "YES" for Yearly Equitable Seating.

"There's not another system that compares to this" plan, Risner said.

Hyman did not expect to increase season ticket prices for 2009.

Hyman expected some fans