ATHENS — Georgia raised the price of its season tickets from $32 to $40 per game after going 10-2 and finishing No. 2 in The Associated Press rankings.

The athletic association board approved the increase at its regular quarterly meeting Thursday.

Georgia said its $32-a-game price ranked ninth in the Southeastern Conference, though that doesn’t take into account the hefty donations that fans must make just to be eligible to purchase season tickets.

The increase, Georgia’s first since 2002, will bump the Bulldogs up to sixth in the SEC. Any single-game tickets that become available would cost $45 in most cases, while visiting schools will be charged a price consistent with what Georgia fans must pay to attend away games.

The board also approved $750,000 to begin planning for an expansion of 21-year-old Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall, which houses the football program and most of the major athletic offices.

The initial phase of the project calls for larger weight and training rooms, additional meeting room space and the creation of a team walkthrough facility.

"I’m very appreciative of the athletic board’s support of the Butts-Mehre expansion proposal," football coach Mark Richt said in a statement. "The things included in the proposal are very important to the continued development of our football program."

In other action, the board gave its approval to look into acquiring land for new equestrian team facilities.