Big Ten Tournament Tickets

[SelectionSunday]

FYI, will be made available to season-ticket holders via email on Dec. 12, that according to the Gopher ticket office. Am assuming the best seats will be $325 like they were last year.

Hard to believe that two years from now we're probably looking at a 5-day conference tournament, ala the Big East the last couple years. I highly doubt the B1G will exclude any of its 14/16 teams from its other gigantic event (Football Championship Game the other one).

 

[GopherJack]

Question--having never been there, does the Big Ten Tournament sell out?

 

[Holy Man]

Question--having never been there, does the Big Ten Tournament sell out?

Yes and no. They make a very heavy push to sell all of the seats in strips for the whole tournament, and I suspect most of them are sold that way. Always a few single session tickets available near the end, but with the quality of the B1G this year, I would not take that to the bank, either. If you wait that long, you could be in real nosebleeds.

That having beed said, at least in Indy, tickets were readily available on the street for most sessions. Biggest premium, if any, would be for the semi finals on Saturday, and the Friday evening quarter session. The general rule has been that if Illinois, IU or Purdue does well in the tournament, the street value of tickets rises. It is raw capitalism at work and it is a fascinating system at play. Scalpers are getting a little more sophisticated and probably "fixing" the market some at least in advance of the sessions, but once tip-off, all bets are off.

I am risk averse, so I buy them in advance and it is usually an adventure. They seem a little bit more organized this year, although a little late for my taste. They made it clear what the pecking order is this year, and that there is risk of being put up in very high seats (yuk!), whereas in the past, all seemed pretty haphazard and the system was communicated after you got hosed in seat assignments. Big donors are first, Gopher points are second, and all others third in order of preference.

 

[SelectionSunday]

They made it clear what the pecking order is this year, and that there is risk of being put up in very high seats (yuk!).

Holy Man, are you thinking we could get stuck with crappy seats like two years ago? That was the only year I was displeased with the seats we received (and the fact they didn't let some of us regulars know we were headed to the nosebleeds).

 

[Holy Man]

Holy Man, are you thinking we could get stuck with crappy seats like two years ago? That was the only year I was displeased with the seats we received (and the fact they didn't let some of us regulars know we were headed to the nosebleeds).

The email that I got a few weeks back was clear that upper deck was a possibility, and if that happened, we would be refunded the difference. If I recall, the sections they have us in are 105-106, 206-208 and 306-308 or something in that range. Basically right behind the basket/corner in a pie. The 300 sections are considered upper deck and are a mile and a half away in United. I would expect the risk for upper deck to be higher just because of higher demand. This year, they are covering their bases by telling us upper deck/cheaper seats are a possibility. They did not do that two or three years ago causing an uprising among many of us. It really comes down to how many tickets the big donors take. Allotment will be distributed in Janaury, and we should know then where we are. I am having people with a lot more donation and Gopher points order for me, so I am hoping for lower deck, but no guarantees. I have always gone in a big group (8-12) and we are resigned to not being able to all sit together this time.

With the conference better, the Gophers better, and being in Chicago (much easier travel), the variables are adjusted and not in our favor, but who knows.

 

[SelectionSunday]

Thanks. I could live with the 200s, I suppose, but if we get the 300s after all these years of ordering, may have to figure out a Plan B starting in 2014.

In reality though, I'm not real worried. Gopher fans, including the high rollers, have never traveled well to the BTT. I don't expect that to change this year, even with our good start (we've had those before) and an exceedingly strong B1G. My gut says we'll get our usual seats in the 100s.

 

[dex8425]

I got tickets for free both of the last two years, from fans of teams that lose early and they want to get out of town. I went to school 40 mins away though so it wasn't a big deal for me to drive down there without a definite plan. But I'm sure you will always be able to get tickets for cheap, just by going up to people and asking them for their tickets. Don't buy from scalpers, because they know what they're going. Get those naive west lafayette folks

 

[Ope3]

United

The email that I got a few weeks back was clear that upper deck was a possibility, and if that happened, we would be refunded the difference. If I recall, the sections they have us in are 105-106, 206-208 and 306-308 or something in that range. Basically right behind the basket/corner in a pie. The 300 sections are considered upper deck and are a mile and a half away in United. I would expect the risk for upper deck to be higher just because of higher demand. This year, they are covering their bases by telling us upper deck/cheaper seats are a possibility. They did not do that two or three years ago causing an uprising among many of us. It really comes down to how many tickets the big donors take. Allotment will be distributed in Janaury, and we should know then where we are. I am having people with a lot more donation and Gopher points order for me, so I am hoping for lower deck, but no guarantees. I have always gone in a big group (8-12) and we are resigned to not being able to all sit together this time.

With the conference better, the Gophers better, and being in Chicago (much easier travel), the variables are adjusted and not in our favor, but who knows.

An additional variable is that this is the first time "the pie" will be split into 12 pieces at the United Center. The Huskers did not bring a big following last year to Indy, but Chicago may be different. It will only get worse starting in 2015 as the pie will then be sliced 14 ways (at least) or as many as 16.

The 200 level at the UC is not all bad, there is access to lounges with TVs showing other games and the concession/bathroom lines are much smaller.

 

[Holy Man]

An additional variable is that this is the first time "the pie" will be split into 12 pieces at the United Center. The Huskers did not bring a big following last year to Indy, but Chicago may be different. It will only get worse starting in 2015 as the pie will then be sliced 14 ways (at least) or as many as 16.

The 200 level at the UC is not all bad, there is access to lounges with TVs showing other games and the concession/bathroom lines are much smaller.

I am anticipating 200's as well. It looked ie our sections on the 100 level were relatively small. I can live with 200's. 300's, as Selection says, will require another plan that may include my living room and the remote control.

 

[SelectionSunday]

Ordered tickets a little while ago. For what it's worth the person (didn't sound like a student) said he'd be very surprised if they had to put any Gopher season-ticket holders in Sections 306 or 308 (the nose-bleed $240 seats). That was good to hear. 206 and 208 at the UC are fine, but am still hoping for 105 or 106.