Seat Premiums

[mplsbadger]

I've mentioned before that UW seats on the 50 yard line carry a $250 / seat donation requirement. The same seats at TCF require a $500 / seat donation.

 

[Sparlimb]

I'll tell you this. Two years into TCF, I can't believe how happy I am to not have paid the blood money for those seats. I thought long and hard about it, but in the end it wasn't worth it. Being there is great, but the team has been so awful, I can't imagine paying another $1000 to see these games. Plus what many paid for parking. Do you realize that if you are not tailgating, you can park for free anywhere in the fairgrounds and take the bus from the tailgating lot? I've done that several times now. There is no reason to pay for parking unless you are tailgating...

 

[Gold Vision]

I think there is still a market for those seats, I don't think they'll have to change a thing.

Without alcohol, the club and suite seats will be the tough sell.

 

[Goldmember]

If they are smart, they will do the seat selection process all over again. That way, they can justify keeping the premiums high.

IMO, they should go through the process every year anyway. If nothing else, it reinforces the ticket-buyers sense of recognition for their loyalty as they notice their number drop every year and their selection time come earlier in the summer. Also, as part of that game, it offers a very visible incentive for occasionally making a donation to athletics.

 

[DarrenTheGreek]

I've mentioned before that UW seats on the 50 yard line carry a $250 / seat donation requirement. The same seats at TCF require a $500 / seat donation.

This is somewhat misleading as UW requires a $1000 1-time minimum donation just for the right to buy ANY season tickets.

 

[TAW]

If the Athletic Department were smart, they would institute some sort of "loyalty discount" for the next five years or so or, even better, based on a rolling ten years including the Dome. That would reward the die-hards and give other season ticket holders another reason to renew.

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

At first I was ticked that we just missed out on the chairback seats, but in retrospect, I wouldn't change a thing. We've got about the best bleacher seats we could want, our group is mostly bigger guys and we still have ample room even when the row is full. There's no chance I would ever pay for premium seats, but I would really like to see the U do something about filling up the parking lots around the stadium.

 

[Rosemountian]

They should lower the prices of everything (especially the close tailgating lots). The U of M has to get the environment to the point where the game is an event before they have a bunch of high prices. Right now some of the tailgating lots up close are partially empty. It would be better for profits in the long-run to lower prices, fill everything up, and then raise prices once the demand goes up. Filling the parking lots is the number 1 key to creating a great Big Ten football environment (well, aside from winning games).

 

[Ski U Master]

Once I buy some regular season tickets I will try to get some in the top row of the second deck, cheap as heck and still great views.

 

[DLguy]

Once I buy some regular season tickets I will try to get some in the top row of the second deck, cheap as heck and still great views.

FYI, all season tickets are the same price. There is no discounted areas. The only different is donations for some chairbacks.

 

[theTurning]

Once I buy some regular season tickets I will try to get some in the top row of the second deck, cheap as heck and still great views.

good luck.

 

[Hates Monikers]

They should lower the prices of everything (especially the close tailgating lots). The U of M has to get the environment to the point where the game is an event before they have a bunch of high prices. Right now some of the tailgating lots up close are partially empty. It would be better for profits in the long-run to lower prices, fill everything up, and then raise prices once the demand goes up. Filling the parking lots is the number 1 key to creating a great Big Ten football environment (well, aside from winning games).

This has been my complaint since the stadium opened. I have thought we need to make it fun for people to attend games before we go for the money grab, because what happens when the day arrives that product on the field isn't enough to attract fans?

Well, the day has arrived. And it's too expensive for most people to come just for fun.

 

[wait!what?]

This is somewhat misleading as UW requires a $1000 1-time minimum donation just for the right to buy ANY season tickets.

yep, someone left out the PSLs. nice try OP.

 

[Schnauzer]

Gotta make the tailgate lots affordable. Probably have to discount the donations required for the mid field seats too. I agree with doing the selection process for seats over again - if for no other reason but to counter the inept ticket office. I have had 5 seats since the move to TCF. My "usual" 4 plus I added one. In year one it was understandable I couldn't move the seats together so one was in section 114 while my regular seats were in section 133. I put in a change request last year to move the one nearer to my 4. I also requested to move my 4 closer to the center of the field, and specified I would be interested in getting either request satisfied, if not both. They said they couldn't do it! They couldn't do EITHER request. I was supposed to believe there wasn't a single open seat anywhere closer to me than the other side of the stadium. I made a phone call after my request was ejected and the first person I talked to said, "sure, we can move that seat to the row in front of you!" That didn't exactly grow my confidence in the organization of the ticket office. To make matters worse, my bro-in-law then orders up season tickets FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER to any Gopher sport, and was offered four seats in the exact section I was told I couldn't move to! WTF? Unless someone like Harbaugh or Leach is hired, I think we can all expect a big migration of season ticket holders out of the stadium after this year. At the very least, they need to reshuffle and award those of us that are sticking around to suffer through what appears to be a very big rebuilding project.

 

[DarrenTheGreek]

To make matters worse, my bro-in-law then orders up season tickets FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER to any Gopher sport, and was offered four seats in the exact section I was told I couldn't move to! WTF?

Had the same thing happen. I have 2 seats in 212 and 2 seats elsewhere. I tried to upgrade my 2 seats elsewhere to be ANYWHERE within 212 and was told the request couldn't be completed. The next month I received an email from the ticket office asking if I wanted to buy any additional season tickets and listed 212 as one of the sections available. I called immediately and asked why they are advertising seats available in 212 when I was told nothing was open. The gal on the phone took another look and said "Nope, nothing is available in 212" Great communication.

 

[TAW]

This is somewhat misleading as UW requires a $1000 1-time minimum donation just for the right to buy ANY season tickets.

That may be true for new season ticket holders, but was not the case in the past. My seats, admittedly not in the best location, require no donation or seat license. (The seats 10 feet away from me require $50/seat as a seat license. We find that humorous.)

 

[tikited]

Make the game free. Have a donation box set-up at the entrances. Serve booze everwhere in the stadium. That might get us a sellout next year.

 

[mplsbadger]

yep, someone left out the PSLs. nice try OP.

Most of the Badger fans never paid this. They were drawing $70,000 within a couple years of the '93 Rose Bowl and have high renewal rates. This fee wasn't instituted until much later.

It is true however that a new season ticket holder has to make a big committment, and that even applies to end zone seats. My post was more focused on what is the right price to fight attrittion, so I think the comparison is still useful.

 

[at the bar]

With this season's record the U better not raise ticket prices even $1. There will be enough season tickets dropped regardless of prices next year. Any price increase will cause even more to leave.

 

[RodentRampage]

On the other hand, radical price cuts could come back to haunt the U when the program gets better. If the price is too high, people will not get tickets unless the team is doing extremely well. If the price is too low, not only do you lose revenue, but people will buy tickets and not bother to use them. I don't think that we should set the price at a level aimed at filling the stadium even during the worst of seasons, because of the team is this bad, there will be a lot of no-shows no matter how low the ticket price is. At Wall Drug, they have 5 cent coffee. Now, you can get free coffee anywhere, but 5 cent coffee is special.

 

[GoAUpher]

If the Athletic Department were smart, they would institute some sort of "loyalty discount" for the next five years or so or, even better, based on a rolling ten years including the Dome. That would reward the die-hards and give other season ticket holders another reason to renew.

This is a good idea that is right along the lines of what GL proposed in her blog post.

This is somewhat misleading as UW requires a $1000 1-time minimum donation just for the right to buy ANY season tickets.

While true that this is only for new ticket buyers, those buyers aren't getting seats with only the minimum donation. You have to be willing to go above the 1K mark to get a shot at seats. Oh, and the donation isn't refunded if you don't get them.