Shama: Ticket Price Increase Coming for U Football? UPDATED 3/7: Prices Increased

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Shama:

It doesn’t require an advanced degree in marketing to foresee a likely increase in 2014 Gophers football ticket prices.

A Gophers spokesman didn’t confirm an increase will soon be announced but said, “We haven’t raised ticket prices since TCF (Bank Stadium) opened in 2009. But I don’t know right now if we’re going to be raising them this year.”

That’s five seasons with not even inflationary increases on ticket prices, and obviously operating costs are rising including for coaches’ salaries. Head football coach Jerry Kill’s new contract boosts his annual pay by $900,000 and the athletic department is committed to keeping the compensation for assistant coaches competitive with the better paying programs in the Big Ten Conference.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Go Gophers!!
 

I feel like timing is everything with stuff like this. For example, when they did the seat licenses for bball, it wasn't after a hot year where there was a lot of demand, and season ticket sales dropped.

This would probably be better off done after next season, when we have a strong home schedule again, and hopefully we'll be coming off a stronger year too.
 

They can't hardly sell out a game but they might increase ticket prices? So basically they will increase the price to the season ticket holders only to have more "buy 4 tickets for $20 and get a free hot dog" special to the general public. Genius.
 

HouseOfHagen said:
They can't hardly sell out a game but they might increase ticket prices? So basically they will increase the price to the season ticket holders only to have more "buy 4 tickets for $20 and get a free hot dog" special to the general public. Genius.
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I don't think raising ticket prices a few bucks will stop anybody from going to a game if that's what they want to do. If I will pay $50 for a ticket I don't think $52 would be the point where I say "forget it". Extra $2 or $3 a ticket would bring in around another $750K.
 

"Kill needs a new contract and a big raise!" "Kill's assistants need a big raise!" "We need new football facilities!" "We need a new basketball arena!"

"They're going to raise tickets prices? G-dam it!"
 


koppco1 said:
I don't think raising ticket prices a few bucks will stop anybody from going to a game if that's what they want to do. If I will pay $50 for a ticket I don't think $52 would be the point where I say "forget it". Extra $2 or $3 a ticket would bring in around another $750K.
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I doubt if we'll be getting off that easy.
 

I am asking that the bazillion dollars the Vikings are handing out be used to defer the increase in my season tickets.
 

CWCWCW said:
I am asking that the bazillion dollars the Vikings are handing out be used to defer the increase in my season tickets.
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The Vikings aren't handing out(or spending) anything.
 

koppco1 said:
I don't think raising ticket prices a few bucks will stop anybody from going to a game if that's what they want to do. If I will pay $50 for a ticket I don't think $52 would be the point where I say "forget it". Extra $2 or $3 a ticket would bring in around another $750K.
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It could very well make some season ticket holders think twice about renewing, like myself and my 6 tickets. I will still go to the games but at a fraction of the cost.
 




HouseOfHagen said:
It could very well make some season ticket holders think twice about renewing, like myself and my 6 tickets. I will still go to the games but at a fraction of the cost.
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How do you propose the U (50,085 stadium capacity) keeps up with Michigan (109,901) and Ohio State (102,329)....strike that....Iowa (70,585) and Wisconsin (80,321)....hold on, forget that....Indiana ( 52,929) and Northwestern (47,130) without additional revenue? I'll hang up and listen.
 

HouseOfHagen said:
They can't hardly sell out a game but they might increase ticket prices? So basically they will increase the price to the season ticket holders only to have more "buy 4 tickets for $20 and get a free hot dog" special to the general public. Genius.
Click to expand...

This -- they have money on the table without raising prices. Sell out first. A smart guy once said, "Price to the market, not to maximize revenue". Otherwise people are going to watch on their HDTV. A full stadium will equal more wins, and if that costs them some money in the short term --- long term win.
 

Maximus said:
How do you propose the U (50,085 stadium capacity) keeps up with Michigan (109,901) and Ohio State (102,329)....strike that....Iowa (70,585) and Wisconsin (80,321)....hold on, forget that....Indiana ( 52,929) and Northwestern (47,130) without additional revenue? I'll hang up and listen.
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The thing is that our new Norwood would need to raise the price of tickets by a hell of a lot to try to keep up with Michigan and the Ohio State. Do you want him to jack up the price of season tickets to a hundred bucks a pop? Maybe he should do that, but, I don't think it would fly...
 



Maybe our new Norwood will: " G-dam it...raise ticket prices..." but tell him not to even think about it until the Coach figures out a way to beat the stinking badgers in football. This badger nonsense has gone ENTIRELY too far. This crap HAS to end!

Do that, and I don't care if their raise the price of my season tickets by 50%!
 



anticallihan said:
This -- they have money on the table without raising prices. Sell out first. A smart guy once said, "Price to the market, not to maximize revenue". Otherwise people are going to watch on their HDTV. A full stadium will equal more wins, and if that costs them some money in the short term --- long term win.
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This ^^^^. Plus, it gets butts in seats, and a better home field advantage.
 

Maximus said:
How do you propose the U (50,085 stadium capacity) keeps up with Michigan (109,901) and Ohio State (102,329)....strike that....Iowa (70,585) and Wisconsin (80,321)....hold on, forget that....Indiana ( 52,929) and Northwestern (47,130) without additional revenue? I'll hang up and listen.
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The additional revenue will come with increased demand/team success. Demand must increase before increasing ticket prices.

Edit: In 2012, Minnesota's football revenue was just shy of $33 million as compared to Indiana at $25 million. Northwestern's figures aren't publicized but I have a hard time believing they are as high as ours. So we can throw those two teams out of your question. Now look at ticket demand for the four other teams mentioned as compared to Minnesota and tell me how raising ticket prices is the answer to "keeping up" with the other schools. It's all about ticket demand at this point and that should be Minnesota's focus. Raising ticket prices hurts demand.
 

Iceland12 said:
"Kill needs a new contract and a big raise!" "Kill's assistants need a big raise!" "We need new football facilities!" "We need a new basketball arena!"

"They're going to raise tickets prices? G-dam it!"
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hahahahaha
 

HouseOfHagen said:
It could very well make some season ticket holders think twice about renewing, like myself and my 6 tickets. I will still go to the games but at a fraction of the cost.
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Honestly I think you will be the exception. Last time they raised prices I think it was $25 per ticket. I think the high majority of fans would accept that without much question. Especially if they do it before a year with a good schedule. I think the difference in revenue would offset the small percentage of fans that would drop.

One could argue whether they SHOULD do anything which may result in fewer fans in the seats. That's a completely different question.

Note - I'm not suggesting I know anything about the economics of your situation. Every year every fan makes a choice to get tickets or not based on their finances. Whether prices go up down or stay the same you need to make the best decision for you. But the fact is it's been 5 years since the last price increase. It seems like we as fans can't expect them to stay the same price forever.
 

Lakeville Goldy said:
But the fact is it's been 5 years since the last price increase. It seems like we as fans can't expect them to stay the same price forever.
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Actually, many fans are delusional idiots who expect the price to remain the same or even drop. These same idiots can't grasp simple things like inflation and complain when things like air travel gets more expensive. Another random example is many people can't understand that the gas tax is charged on a per gallon basis (in MN and most states) and a sudden increase does not change how much one pays per gallon in gas tax. So even if the root cause is a refinery problem and the price of gas spikes, many idiots think they're paying more in taxes per gallon. I could go on and on but my point is that there will always be those who unrealistically whine about ticket fees going up without understanding some simple economic principles. Unless we start going 0-12 every year, plan on paying more for having a winner. Get over it and...

Go Gophers!
 

Right now, the tickets are $275. That's less than $25 a month, a little over $5 a week.

Double it for two ST, and that's 2-1/2 Starbucks a week. Three gallons of gas a week. About 1-1/2 lunches out a week.

If they bump up $25 a piece (I highly doubt it will be that high), that's less than a dollar a week for a pair.

Now if you have six, it's a lot of dough already--but are you dumping tickets for a $150 a year ($3 a week)?
 

highwayman said:
Right now, the tickets are $275. That's less than $25 a month, a little over $5 a week.

Double it for two ST, and that's 2-1/2 Starbucks a week. Three gallons of gas a week. About 1-1/2 lunches out a week.

If they bump up $25 a piece (I highly doubt it will be that high), that's less than a dollar a week for a pair.

Now if you have six, it's a lot of dough already--but are you dumping tickets for a $150 a year ($3 a week)?
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Over the past few years, I figure I could attend all home games for $200 or less per ticket due to low scalping price, ticket promotions, etc. So your $150/year would be closer to $600/year. And the one or two nonconference games that I cannot attend wouldn't cost me $30 to simply throw away (as nobody will take them let alone buy them). I've already been on the fence to drop the seats and go this route. Increasing the price may push me over the edge.
 

HouseOfHagen said:
Increasing the price may push me over the edge.
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Not trying to be flip, but go. If you are attending 5-6 games a year and resent overpaying for tickets, and you clearly do, season tickets aren’t for you. You are correct that you could attend all of the games you want to attend at a much lower cost than season tickets. It’s true of almost any team anywhere. Someday, if the Gophers ever get to a point where they are actually selling out their games with full price tickets, there might be market values for tickets that exceed the cost, but by then you will have saved so much money that you won’t care.

And you could always take some of that savings and donate it to the U.
 

HouseOfHagen said:
Over the past few years, I figure I could attend all home games for $200 or less per ticket due to low scalping price, ticket promotions, etc. So your $150/year would be closer to $600/year. And the one or two nonconference games that I cannot attend wouldn't cost me $30 to simply throw away (as nobody will take them let alone buy them). I've already been on the fence to drop the seats and go this route. Increasing the price may push me over the edge.
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This makes no sense. You are way off dude. I guess that's fine if you want to sit in a different seat each time, not get to know your sections mates, and generally not have a good time. If you can't go to a game or use your season ticket, what is your issue? You willingly bought a ST. Any STholder that complains about scalping and promotions is a...fool. I don't give a sh!t what they charge other ticket buyers because I willingly buy my tickets so that I know where I'm sitting, and with whom, and I want the games to be sold out. It's not necessarily the current regime's fault the games don't sell out. More power to them for trying.

I'm with 2DG. Your last statement is just...whatever. I hate these BS "ticketpromotionscalperparkingrevenuepriceincrease" threads. DUMP YOUR TICKETS. Join the "thousands and thousands" of people that buy from scalpers or buy promotional tickets. Join the "thousands" of ST that don't go to NC games--for whatever dumb reason.

I go to tailgate, watch the game from my same seat, interact with my sections mates, and generally have a really, really, really good time. I love every game, and I don't give a sh!t who we are playing.

I don't sit in the corner of the parking lot with a towel over my head pondering how much more my incredibly reasonable, low priced season tickets will cost me next season.

Yeah, that was a rant.
 

^ I'm with Hwy on this one. I'm amused at those who complain about ticket prices going up. Although they may b!tch about their monthly cable, internet, and cell phone bills, they seldom drop these services or even go and change them to a cheaper provider. If you really want to watch live football and pay next to nothing to do so, go to D-3 games. Sure, you'll be bored out of your skull but you'll get exactly what you paid for.
 

I'm curious what would compel someone to come on here and announce that they're going to drop their season tickets due to cost. Do you think any of us care? Why would we? Keep your tickets, dump your tickets, who gives a sh1t? It's not exactly breaking news that it's a lot cheaper to buy tickets on a per-game basis. Those of us who buy season tickets sure as hell ain't in it for the cost savings. If you're willing to pony up $275 per seat, but suddenly $275 + x (wherein x is negligible) is "too much"...you're just making excuses.
 

MNGoldenGophers1 said:
Actually, many fans are delusional idiots who expect the price to remain the same or even drop. These same idiots can't grasp simple things like inflation and complain when things like air travel gets more expensive. Another random example is many people can't understand that the gas tax is charged on a per gallon basis (in MN and most states) and a sudden increase does not change how much one pays per gallon in gas tax. So even if the root cause is a refinery problem and the price of gas spikes, many idiots think they're paying more in taxes per gallon. I could go on and on but my point is that there will always be those who unrealistically whine about ticket fees going up without understanding some simple economic principles. Unless we start going 0-12 every year, plan on paying more for having a winner. Get over it and... Go Gophers!
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For someone that doesn't appear to understand supply and demand, you sure like to call others idiots. Inflation and increase in expenses for the athletic department means absolutely nothing if the price drives away the ticket buyers.
 

^ Unless we start going 0-12 every year, plan on paying more for having a winner.
 

In talking with Gophersports about purchasing season tickets for next year, I asked about a potential price increase.

A rep told me that it looks like bench seats will start at $310 and chair backs will be $330 next year. Nothing would be official until after upgrades are processed.

I understand that operating costs increase every year. But if you can't fill all the seats consistently, I don't think raising prices is always the answer. Granted, I am always in favor of affordable sporting events. No one should be prevented from attending games because they can't afford the tickets (e.g., the NFL).
 

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