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

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bleedsmaroonandgold said:
Its also hard to justify a 20% increase in cost over one year when we lose Iowa and Wisconsin on our schedule. The comparison people will make will be between last year and this year, so the question will be "is a Gopher ticket 20% more valuable in 2014 than it was in 2013?" Not many people outside of this board is going to say, "well, they haven't had an increase in five years, so I guess its reasoanble".
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This.
 

I gotta admit, I'm going to have to think about this. I've had season tickets since 1996. Every year it gets tougher and tougher to make them all. I have four kids between the ages of 1 and 9 so two of them are now playing sports on Saturday mornings. This last year we had to miss 2 games. Prior to this year I missed 2 games in 17 years. A couple other times we were scrambling from the ballfields to the stadium and were literally running to our seats to get there within a couple minutes of kickoff.

4 tickets x 20% = $220 increase. That's a really tough call for a single-income family of 6 that's having kids scheduling problems (and it's only going to get worse as the 2 younger ones grow up). This doesn't even mention that for some games I had 1 ticket that I couldn't use and it's EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to find someone to give it away to.
 

DarrenTheGreek said:
I gotta admit, I'm going to have to think about this. I've had season tickets since 1996. Every year it gets tougher and tougher to make them all. I have four kids between the ages of 1 and 9 so two of them are now playing sports on Saturday mornings. This last year we had to miss 2 games. Prior to this year I missed 2 games in 17 years. A couple other times we were scrambling from the ballfields to the stadium and were literally running to our seats to get there within a couple minutes of kickoff.

4 tickets x 20% = $220 increase. That's a really tough call for a single-income family of 6 that's having kids scheduling problems (and it's only going to get worse as the 2 younger ones grow up). This doesn't even mention that for some games I had 1 ticket that I couldn't use and it's EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to find someone to give it away to.
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Dpo doesn't care.
 


This is dumb, $250 bucks extra for four tickets isn't something that someone in their 20's can easily cough up. My buddy and I are very much on the fence with renewing.
 


I'm trying to think about this as supporting the pay raise for the coaches and keeping them here and keeping the staff stable. That's the way I'm going to justify it in my mind, anyway. Still sucks though.
 

Buying a season ticket is a commitment to Gopher football. To me, that is important if we want do our part to help elevate the program. But everyone has to evaluate their own situation and decide what is best for them.

I agree that a 20% bump gets the attention of ticket holders and deservedly so. Raising the prices 5% a year would have softened the blow and I blame Maturi for that. Nuff said.

But keeping the prices static for 4 years has also kept the tix more affordable during that span.

For dedicated season ticket holders like us, who live outstate and in other states, this really is a small increase to our overall cost to drive to the TC's every Saturday. We stay with the in-laws but I know many cough up the $$ for motel rooms and meals.

Go Gophers!
 

Bayfieldgopher said:
Buying a season ticket is a commitment to Gopher football. To me, that is important if we want do our part to help elevate the program. But everyone has to evaluate their own situation and decide what is best for them.

I agree that a 20% bump gets the attention of ticket holders and deservedly so. Raising the prices 5% a year would have softened the blow and I blame Maturi for that. Nuff said.

But keeping the prices static for 4 years has also kept the tix more affordable during that span.

For dedicated season ticket holders like us, who live outstate and in other states, this really is a small increase to our overall cost to drive to the TC's every Saturday. We stay with the in-laws but I know many cough up the $$ for motel rooms and meals.

Go Gophers!
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This.
 




I will pay the extra $165 for my account. Now, if the reason for the increase is that we have to keep pace, well, this should be the end of Kill's honeymoon. Unless money and results are not correlated, in which case we don't need the increase.
 

We decided to drop our tickets after 29 years. Love the Gophers but life has gotten real busy and we are lucky if we get to half of the games. Every game is always on the DVR. We give the tickets to young fans when we can't go. Try to get a new generation interested. Home side - 35 yard line - three rows down from the concession area/bathrooms. Nice location for old legs. Whoever ... moves into those seats will love them:)
 

Selfishly, I don't like ticket increases, especially when you have seven. But, I have friends with Nebraska season tickets and holy $hit it could be worse. Gopher tickets is still a decent value.............for now.
 

This bothers me in the sense that season ticket holders continue to get treated poorly. Sellouts continue to be few and far between. Season ticket holders continue to pay a lot for tickets that can be purchased for much less on the secondary market. It seems like a regularly full stadium should be the goal to achieve BEFORE raising prices. Without regular sellouts, you just keep preying on the same people for the $$$.

Just my thoughts. I hate having any negative thoughts toward the "U" or the football program and I don't plan to reduce the number of seats I purchase each year (4). Just not happy with the increase in season ticket prices prior to our small stadium actually selling out on a regular basis.
 



I guess the good news is with plenty of people dropping their tickets, moving up to better seats may be quite possible this year.
 

do the math - do the math - my tix went from $274 to $330 - that is a $55 increase - now lets just say we have 40,000 season ticket holders - 40,000 x $55 = $2.2 million - that number sounds familar doesn't it?
 

holereader said:
do the math - do the math - my tix went from $274 to $330 - that is a $55 increase - now lets just say we have 40,000 season ticket holders - 40,000 x $55 = $2.2 million - that number sounds familar doesn't it?
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So you are saying that as costs of the FB program rise that they will try and increase their revenue? I think we all knew that already.
 

holereader said:
do the math - do the math - my tix went from $274 to $330 - that is a $55 increase - now lets just say we have 40,000 season ticket holders - 40,000 x $55 = $2.2 million - that number sounds familar doesn't it?
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Do the math.:rolleyes:
 

badgergopher said:
Just got my ticket renewal email. 20% increase for chairback seats. First increase since 2009.

A couple thoughts for the AD,
- Raise ticket prices by a smaller amount every other year. 20% is too much of a hike in prices.
- Raise them in the year that you play Wisconsin, Iowa, & Nebraska. Too many people will drop their seats this year now.
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We play Iowa at home, 11/8.

Ohio State comes on the home schedule too. I don't know if there's ever a "perfect" time for ticket prices to be upped. I get what you're saying about doing it smaller, but then the reputation of "they're raising ticket prices AGAIN" gets made. It's hard to win either way.

We want to be able to compete with Wisconsin & Iowa. Unfortunately, our football stadium houses 20,000-30,000 less people per game. I guess I just accept this as what is necessary if we want the program to become what we all think it can be.
 

FireDaveLee said:
We play Iowa at home, 11/8.

Ohio State comes on the home schedule too. I don't know if there's ever a "perfect" time for ticket prices to be upped. I get what you're saying about doing it smaller, but then the reputation of "they're raising ticket prices AGAIN" gets made. It's hard to win either way.

We want to be able to compete with Wisconsin & Iowa. Unfortunately, our football stadium houses 20,000-30,000 less people per game. I guess I just accept this as what is necessary if we want the program to become what we all think it can be.
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Given that our stadium is that much smaller, we should be able to fill it. I think that is the argument that a lot of people are making is that we should boost revenue by selling the rest of the seats before we start raising the cost of the seats we've been filling.
 

bleedsmaroonandgold said:
Given that our stadium is that much smaller, we should be able to fill it. I think that is the argument that a lot of people are making is that we should boost revenue by selling the rest of the seats before we start raising the cost of the seats we've been filling.
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Possibly, but since they ignore all the responses about how financially that won't work, it seems like they're saying "I don't want a price increase."
 

bleedsmaroonandgold said:
Given that our stadium is that much smaller, we should be able to fill it. I think that is the argument that a lot of people are making is that we should boost revenue by selling the rest of the seats before we start raising the cost of the seats we've been filling.
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How much of that is being objective and how much of it is not wanting to pay more?
 

I think this whole thing is being blown waaaayyyy out of scope. I understand nobody likes prices of anything to go up, but as long as there's inflation it's going to happen.

Think about how cost of living goes up on average about 3% every year. If you calculate the compounding effects of inflation for every year since the last ticket price increase, the cost of each ticket should be up about 16% just to keep up. So really what we're looking at is more or less an extra increase of only 4%.

I wouldn't look at it as being screwed over (unless you'd like to blame the gov't for printing more and more money... not going there). Instead just chalk it up to a bit of sticker shock and make sure that doesn't happen again by prepping now for another price increase sometime in the next 4 or 5 years :)
 

station19 said:
How much of that is being objective and how much of it is not wanting to pay more?
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There is a lot of both going on. I don't think it is an unreasonable prediction that if we are seeing an increased season ticket price and a perception that people will be able to get single game tickets cheaper when the U discounts them after not being able to sellout, that people will choose to take their chances going after the single game tickets.

I feel like for most sports teams, fans who commit to buying a full season ticket package expect to get a lower price per game than people who buy single game tickets for a variety of reasons (mainly volume and committing to buying the less marquee matchups as well as the rivalry games). With all of the cheap tickets we sold last year to try to fill the stadium, that might not be the case with this team. If that becomes the norm, I think we will see more people bail on season tickets.
 

buddylee853 said:
I think this whole thing is being blown waaaayyyy out of scope. I understand nobody likes prices of anything to go up, but as long as there's inflation it's going to happen.

Think about how cost of living goes up on average about 3% every year. If you calculate the compounding effects of inflation for every year since the last ticket price increase, the cost of each ticket should be up about 16% just to keep up. So really what we're looking at is more or less an extra increase of only 4%.

I wouldn't look at it as being screwed over (unless you'd like to blame the gov't for printing more and more money... not going there). Instead just chalk it up to a bit of sticker shock and make sure that doesn't happen again by prepping now for another price increase sometime in the next 4 or 5 years :)
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If we use the actual CPI, including 2009, as the starting point, inflation would be responsible for a total increase of 8.2%.
 

Tickets are actually $335 and $355, not $310 and $330. The handling charge is $25 which also increased $5.
 

Unregistered User said:
If we use the actual CPI, including 2009, as the starting point, inflation would be responsible for a total increase of 8.2%.
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I look at long-term historical averages, especially regarding consumer products in such a category as college football tickets.

Either way, there's nothing we can do about the increases. Either you renew, or you let the next person(s) step in line who are willing to pay.
 

buddylee853 said:
I look at long-term historical averages, especially regarding consumer products in such a category as college football tickets.

Either way, there's nothing we can do about the increases. Either you renew, or you let the next person(s) step in line who are willing to pay.
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That's the problem. There is no next person to step in line. Unless you are referring to the single game promotion of a $10 ticket + free hot dog.
 

Rickman55 said:
Tickets are actually $335 and $355, not $310 and $330. The handling charge is $25 which also increased $5.
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I thought you were through with the Gophers after their loss @ Iowa, 2012?
 

HouseOfHagen said:
That's the problem. There is no next person to step in line. Unless you are referring to the single game promotion of a $10 ticket + free hot dog.
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You continue to put a quality product on the field and people will come. Maybe the athletic department just has that much faith in Kill and company. I'll guarantee you a $55 increase won't look like much if that team becomes a title contender (or dare I say a title winner?).

My two cents.
 


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