Shama: Season ticket sales down 18%, student season ticket sales down 23%

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GopherGod said:
I wish they would do a simple gesture like the Twins where season ticket holders get a minimal discount(10%) on concessions. It isn't a ton of savings for season ticket holders but at least shows you value them.
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If your donation is high enough you get a discount on stuff at the store.
 

OddStack said:
How about free shirts like back in the Dome days!!!!
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I am now in my 27th year as a season ticket holder. I renew simply because of my loyalty to the football program and I enjoy tailgating and going to the games. The price increase has stretched my budget but as long as I can afford to go I will continue to renew. Good move by Coyle to cap the donation level but much more needs to be done.

My group usually will tailgate before games (Fairgrounds Lot) but for the last 10 years or so I pick one home game and host a "Gopher Party" at my house. This year it is Iowa. Basically a tailgate party in my driveway with roughly 35-40 in attendance. We rent a bus to take us to TCF and then back to the house after the game.

This past June I received a call from my "personal" business consultant from the U. Nice guy and willing to help but obviously only within guidelines. I referenced my party and that I might be in the market to pick up a dozen or so tickets for people who are attending my party. I was told that $85.00 is the going rate. I brought up my 27 years as a loyal fan and this would be an opportunity to sell a dozen tickets to "Gopher" Fans at a discounted rate such as $70 or $75 per ticket... No Go. Yes I understand the U will get their money from Iowa fans but I don't like it.

I advised my rep that I have never expected much in return for my loyalty. Heck I can buy tickets for the game at Nebraska for $65 each but the U won't budge on their $85 ticket for Iowa. I told him that I along with most season ticket holders would like to be thrown a bone every once in a while. Now they offer free tickets for CSU to past holders but not once I have I received an offer this year for any free tickets... not even ISU. Ugh....
 

swingman said:
This is a good question. I did the rough math and the revenue should be up. The hikes were bigger than 18%.

The lower deck between the ten yard lines sold really well. Those have big donation levels.

The upper deck between the 20 yard lines also brought in some very nice premiums.

They sold all the open end zone seats for premium...used to be no donation.

The corners lower deck used to be no premium. They sold some seasons...but not all. They jacked the single game price for these.

They have a very good idea of supply and demand now. Hope they fine tune the prices moving forward. Create more pricing zones, like someone else mentioned.
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This is the best analysis in the thread. Ultimately most schools are going to maximize revenue over attendance. Since the price elasticity is relatively low, it make sense to raise the prices even if it means the supply exceeds demand.

If you sell 100 tickets at $100, but only 75 tickets at $150 it will look worse on TV, but better in your bank account.
 

justthefacts said:
This is the best analysis in the thread. Ultimately most schools are going to maximize revenue over attendance. Since the price elasticity is relatively low, it make sense to raise the prices even if it means the supply exceeds demand.

If you sell 100 tickets at $100, but only 75 tickets at $150 it will look worse on TV, but better in your bank account.
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It is a good analysis -- but because the stadium isn't sold out --- it doesn't make sense to raise prices in the manner they did. Whatever cost the school to lose 25 tickets in your scenario --- shouldn't happen -- if it wasn't going to happen anyways.

IMO the goal should be to sell as many tickets as possible -- and price the sections accordingly to maximize revenue. Every time you lose a SPORTS customer when you have seats sitting empty -- i am guessing you did something wrong.

In sports -- attendance and atmosphere is part of the package.
 

anticallihan said:
It is a good analysis -- but because the stadium isn't sold out --- it doesn't make sense to raise prices in the manner they did. Whatever cost the school to lose 25 tickets in your scenario --- shouldn't happen -- if it wasn't going to happen anyways.

IMO the goal should be to sell as many tickets as possible -- and price the sections accordingly to maximize revenue. Every time you lose a SPORTS customer when you have seats sitting empty -- i am guessing you did something wrong.

In sports -- attendance and atmosphere is part of the package.
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Not only that, once you lose a season ticket holder, it is very difficult to get them back. They often start by saying "I am going to buy single game tickets on the street for less and I'll save money." A year or two later its "I am going to the good games, pick best non-conf. and top 2-3 Big Ten games."...all the while they realize that watching at home, enjoying the fall weather, multitasking around the house during halftime, and even DVRing a few games isn't as bad as they expected. They don't "miss" attending as much as they thought and a few years after that they attend 1-2 games a year. I've seen this happen to quite a few friends who are die-hard Gopher fans in both basketball and football. The energy needed and acquisition costs for requiring a season ticket holder are much greater than those of keeping an existing one.

Winning doesn't always cure all, especially in a lagging environment like season tickets.

Go Gophers!!
 


Does anyone know if Scott Bakula is available to go back in time and take some of these ticket sales experts with him to change the past?
 

GOFUR said:
I am now in my 27th year as a season ticket holder. I renew simply because of my loyalty to the football program and I enjoy tailgating and going to the games. The price increase has stretched my budget but as long as I can afford to go I will continue to renew. Good move by Coyle to cap the donation level but much more needs to be done.

My group usually will tailgate before games (Fairgrounds Lot) but for the last 10 years or so I pick one home game and host a "Gopher Party" at my house. This year it is Iowa. Basically a tailgate party in my driveway with roughly 35-40 in attendance. We rent a bus to take us to TCF and then back to the house after the game.

This past June I received a call from my "personal" business consultant from the U. Nice guy and willing to help but obviously only within guidelines. I referenced my party and that I might be in the market to pick up a dozen or so tickets for people who are attending my party. I was told that $85.00 is the going rate. I brought up my 27 years as a loyal fan and this would be an opportunity to sell a dozen tickets to "Gopher" Fans at a discounted rate such as $70 or $75 per ticket... No Go. Yes I understand the U will get their money from Iowa fans but I don't like it.

I advised my rep that I have never expected much in return for my loyalty. Heck I can buy tickets for the game at Nebraska for $65 each but the U won't budge on their $85 ticket for Iowa. I told him that I along with most season ticket holders would like to be thrown a bone every once in a while. Now they offer free tickets for CSU to past holders but not once I have I received an offer this year for any free tickets... not even ISU. Ugh....
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I'm a season ticket holder now, but I did something similar for a few years at the dome. One game each year I would organize a group of 20-25 people, collecting the money and buying all the tickets myself. We'd tailgate, go to the game and have a great time. A few of us became season ticket holders. But even though they routinely played before 10,000-15,000 empty seats at the dome and had a "Group Sales" contact, we didn't get any help. I was never really sure what the "Group Sales" person's job was.
 


A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
Does anyone know if Scott Bakula is available to go back in time and take some of these ticket sales experts with him to change the past?
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No but I saw they are rebooting MacGyver, maybe he can work some magic...I'm sure the U has some extra wire and duct tape laying around. :)
 



BleedGopher said:
Not only that, once you lose a season ticket holder, it is very difficult to get them back. They often start by saying "I am going to buy single game tickets on the street for less and I'll save money." A year or two later its "I am going to the good games, pick best non-conf. and top 2-3 Big Ten games."...all the while they realize that watching at home, enjoying the fall weather, multitasking around the house during halftime, and even DVRing a few games isn't as bad as they expected. They don't "miss" attending as much as they thought and a few years after that they attend 1-2 games a year. I've seen this happen to quite a few friends who are die-hard Gopher fans in both basketball and football. The energy needed and acquisition costs for requiring a season ticket holder are much greater than those of keeping an existing one.

Winning doesn't always cure all, especially in a lagging environment like season tickets.

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

Yep...same principle as in business with customers. Revenue $$ from an existing customer are worth 3-5 times more than those from a newly acquired customer.
 



BleedGopher said:
Not only that, once you lose a season ticket holder, it is very difficult to get them back. They often start by saying "I am going to buy single game tickets on the street for less and I'll save money." A year or two later its "I am going to the good games, pick best non-conf. and top 2-3 Big Ten games."...all the while they realize that watching at home, enjoying the fall weather, multitasking around the house during halftime, and even DVRing a few games isn't as bad as they expected. They don't "miss" attending as much as they thought and a few years after that they attend 1-2 games a year. I've seen this happen to quite a few friends who are die-hard Gopher fans in both basketball and football. The energy needed and acquisition costs for requiring a season ticket holder are much greater than those of keeping an existing one.

Winning doesn't always cure all, especially in a lagging environment like season tickets.

Go Gophers!!
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This is great analysis Bleed. You are spot on about it being easier to keep a season ticket holder than to get a new one. The U sometimes seems to act like potential consumers are to blame for not buying the product, when in fact, anyone in sales knows that it is the seller's job to offer a product that is attractive enough to make people want it at the offered price/other perks.
 



I guess it all comes down to the seat donation and whether or not you value your donation as a gift or an up charge to watching Gopher football, this is completely an individual decision. I paid $600 per seat for licensing for $1200, I paid $330 per seat for $660 and a parking spot in Lot 37 for $20 each or $140 Total. My Total cost for games is $2,000. Here is the breakdown of what I have sold my seats for on StubHub:

Oregon St Parking $75 Tickets $130
Indiana St Parking $45 Tickets $60
Colorado St Parking $50 Tickets $110
Iowa Parking $160 Tickets $420
Rutgers Parking $100 Tickets $170
Purdue All Tickets yet to be sold
Northwestern WILL BE ATTENDING

Total Sales so far have been $1320 less the Stub Hub Fee of $132 and I have more than paid for my tickets and the parking pass is a big winner, will see if I can purchase another one next year. Will most likely sell Purdue tickets and parking pass for over $200, which will mean I have recouped over $1400 of my initial $2000 purchase and will still have a charitable tax deduction at the end of the year.

I wonder if any of you who have a relationship with anyone in the Gopher ticket office have ever asked them for anything special? I know they are not at liberty to reduce prices, especially for the Iowa game, but have you ever asked for any kind of special Gopher experience? I talk to the same Gopher Rep every year or if I need hockey or basketball tickets for our weekend in Minneapolis and he is always so helpful. Think out side the box and ask for a special tour of the stadium, pregame on the field passes or whatever else would make a once a year game day experience even better. I think you just have to ask for something that the U should be doing anyway. Like I said, short of reducing prices, I think the sales reps really do want to make sure you have a great fan experience.
 

HoustonTXGopher said:
I guess it all comes down to the seat donation and whether or not you value your donation as a gift or an up charge to watching Gopher football, this is completely an individual decision. I paid $600 per seat for licensing for $1200, I paid $330 per seat for $660 and a parking spot in Lot 37 for $20 each or $140 Total. My Total cost for games is $2,000. Here is the breakdown of what I have sold my seats for on StubHub:

Oregon St Parking $75 Tickets $130
Indiana St Parking $45 Tickets $60
Colorado St Parking $50 Tickets $110
Iowa Parking $160 Tickets $420
Rutgers Parking $100 Tickets $170
Purdue All Tickets yet to be sold
Northwestern WILL BE ATTENDING

Total Sales so far have been $1320 less the Stub Hub Fee of $132 and I have more than paid for my tickets and the parking pass is a big winner, will see if I can purchase another one next year. Will most likely sell Purdue tickets and parking pass for over $200, which will mean I have recouped over $1400 of my initial $2000 purchase and will still have a charitable tax deduction at the end of the year.

I wonder if any of you who have a relationship with anyone in the Gopher ticket office have ever asked them for anything special? I know they are not at liberty to reduce prices, especially for the Iowa game, but have you ever asked for any kind of special Gopher experience? I talk to the same Gopher Rep every year or if I need hockey or basketball tickets for our weekend in Minneapolis and he is always so helpful. Think out side the box and ask for a special tour of the stadium, pregame on the field passes or whatever else would make a once a year game day experience even better. I think you just have to ask for something that the U should be doing anyway. Like I said, short of reducing prices, I think the sales reps really do want to make sure you have a great fan experience.
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I asked them if there was some way I could propose to my (now) wife on the jumbotron (I did tell them we were both loyal season ticket holders), and they both refused and did not express any interest in working with me to find some other way to incorporate the Gophers and help make it special for us. I recognize that the only thing the U "owes" me is to give me admission to the games against the scheduled teams, but I feel like if I were a season ticket holder for any of the local pro teams, they would have either said "yes" or "we can't work it into our game day program, but would you be interested in...?"
 

HoustonTXGopher said:
Oregon St Parking $75 Tickets $130
Indiana St Parking $45 Tickets $60
Colorado St Parking $50 Tickets $110
Iowa Parking $160 Tickets $420
Rutgers Parking $100 Tickets $170
Purdue All Tickets yet to be sold
Northwestern WILL BE ATTENDING
Click to expand...

wow, I think I'm most impressed by the parking sales. couple of years ago I couldn't get jack for Oak St. Ramp, usually had to throw it in to make a sale for my seats in Sec 133. my best sales were for Nebraska games, always was an encouraging sign for sales of other games... then the Ohio St. game along on a cold November Saturday and the best I could do was $20. that was my dagger.

how come ppl paid so much for Lot 37? is that where the Leidner Island shirts are produced?
 


HoustonTXGopher said:
I guess it all comes down to the seat donation and whether or not you value your donation as a gift or an up charge to watching Gopher football, this is completely an individual decision. I paid $600 per seat for licensing for $1200, I paid $330 per seat for $660 and a parking spot in Lot 37 for $20 each or $140 Total. My Total cost for games is $2,000. Here is the breakdown of what I have sold my seats for on StubHub:

Oregon St Parking $75 Tickets $130
Indiana St Parking $45 Tickets $60
Colorado St Parking $50 Tickets $110
Iowa Parking $160 Tickets $420
Rutgers Parking $100 Tickets $170
Purdue All Tickets yet to be sold
Northwestern WILL BE ATTENDING

Total Sales so far have been $1320 less the Stub Hub Fee of $132 and I have more than paid for my tickets and the parking pass is a big winner, will see if I can purchase another one next year. Will most likely sell Purdue tickets and parking pass for over $200, which will mean I have recouped over $1400 of my initial $2000 purchase and will still have a charitable tax deduction at the end of the year.

I wonder if any of you who have a relationship with anyone in the Gopher ticket office have ever asked them for anything special? I know they are not at liberty to reduce prices, especially for the Iowa game, but have you ever asked for any kind of special Gopher experience? I talk to the same Gopher Rep every year or if I need hockey or basketball tickets for our weekend in Minneapolis and he is always so helpful. Think out side the box and ask for a special tour of the stadium, pregame on the field passes or whatever else would make a once a year game day experience even better. I think you just have to ask for something that the U should be doing anyway. Like I said, short of reducing prices, I think the sales reps really do want to make sure you have a great fan experience.
Click to expand...

Unless I'm missing something, you'll essentially pay $600 for two to attend one game, yes? I park for free less than a mile away and take the train for a round trip cost of just over $3. You can get two tix on stubhub in section 112 for about $250 right now. Is it worth the hassle of selling the tix?
 

HoustonTXGopher said:
I guess it all comes down to the seat donation and whether or not you value your donation as a gift or an up charge to watching Gopher football, this is completely an individual decision. I paid $600 per seat for licensing for $1200, I paid $330 per seat for $660 and a parking spot in Lot 37 for $20 each or $140 Total. My Total cost for games is $2,000. Here is the breakdown of what I have sold my seats for on StubHub:

Oregon St Parking $75 Tickets $130
Indiana St Parking $45 Tickets $60
Colorado St Parking $50 Tickets $110
Iowa Parking $160 Tickets $420
Rutgers Parking $100 Tickets $170
Purdue All Tickets yet to be sold
Northwestern WILL BE ATTENDING

Total Sales so far have been $1320 less the Stub Hub Fee of $132 and I have more than paid for my tickets and the parking pass is a big winner, will see if I can purchase another one next year. Will most likely sell Purdue tickets and parking pass for over $200, which will mean I have recouped over $1400 of my initial $2000 purchase and will still have a charitable tax deduction at the end of the year.

I wonder if any of you who have a relationship with anyone in the Gopher ticket office have ever asked them for anything special? I know they are not at liberty to reduce prices, especially for the Iowa game, but have you ever asked for any kind of special Gopher experience? I talk to the same Gopher Rep every year or if I need hockey or basketball tickets for our weekend in Minneapolis and he is always so helpful. Think out side the box and ask for a special tour of the stadium, pregame on the field passes or whatever else would make a once a year game day experience even better. I think you just have to ask for something that the U should be doing anyway. Like I said, short of reducing prices, I think the sales reps really do want to make sure you have a great fan experience.
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Will you report your income from ticket sales? [emoji1] That may cut into your profit margin!
 


PMWinSTP said:
Unless I'm missing something, you'll essentially pay $600 for two to attend one game, yes? I park for free less than a mile away and take the train for a round trip cost of just over $3. You can get two tix on stubhub in section 112 for about $250 right now. Is it worth the hassle of selling the tix?
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Again, I think it is a decision to give back to the U for me, and yes I know I could just write a check, but I like having season tickets and someday hope to get to a few games a year. I am certainly aware there are ways to get to the game cheaper and I totally understand if that works best for most people.
 

saintpauljeff said:
wow, I think I'm most impressed by the parking sales. couple of years ago I couldn't get jack for Oak St. Ramp, usually had to throw it in to make a sale for my seats in Sec 133. my best sales were for Nebraska games, always was an encouraging sign for sales of other games... then the Ohio St. game along on a cold November Saturday and the best I could do was $20. that was my dagger.

how come ppl paid so much for Lot 37? is that where the Leidner Island shirts are produced?
Click to expand...

Until this year I had always thrown my parking pass in as part of the ticket sales, boy was I dumb. I think because it is a good tailgate lot the pass must have some demand. It's all I can figure.
 

HoustonTXGopher said:
Again, I think it is a decision to give back to the U for me, and yes I know I could just write a check, but I like having season tickets and someday hope to get to a few games a year. I am certainly aware there are ways to get to the game cheaper and I totally understand if that works best for most people.
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I'm tracking with you, just curious and wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. I essentially do the same.
 

GOFUR said:
I am now in my 27th year as a season ticket holder. I renew simply because of my loyalty to the football program and I enjoy tailgating and going to the games. The price increase has stretched my budget but as long as I can afford to go I will continue to renew. Good move by Coyle to cap the donation level but much more needs to be done.

My group usually will tailgate before games (Fairgrounds Lot) but for the last 10 years or so I pick one home game and host a "Gopher Party" at my house. This year it is Iowa. Basically a tailgate party in my driveway with roughly 35-40 in attendance. We rent a bus to take us to TCF and then back to the house after the game.

This past June I received a call from my "personal" business consultant from the U. Nice guy and willing to help but obviously only within guidelines. I referenced my party and that I might be in the market to pick up a dozen or so tickets for people who are attending my party. I was told that $85.00 is the going rate. I brought up my 27 years as a loyal fan and this would be an opportunity to sell a dozen tickets to "Gopher" Fans at a discounted rate such as $70 or $75 per ticket... No Go. Yes I understand the U will get their money from Iowa fans but I don't like it.

I advised my rep that I have never expected much in return for my loyalty. Heck I can buy tickets for the game at Nebraska for $65 each but the U won't budge on their $85 ticket for Iowa. I told him that I along with most season ticket holders would like to be thrown a bone every once in a while. Now they offer free tickets for CSU to past holders but not once I have I received an offer this year for any free tickets... not even ISU. Ugh....
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Was this you talking with your advisor?

 



GopherGod said:
I wish they would do a simple gesture like the Twins where season ticket holders get a minimal discount(10%) on concessions. It isn't a ton of savings for season ticket holders but at least shows you value them.
Click to expand...
And the twins haven't raised prices for a while too.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk
 


LakerFan said:
Only for new poster's.
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LOL. I was actually being serious not because I want tickets but trying to gauge what the ticket office is doing to fill seats this Saturday. For example, I wish they'd give students free tickets to all the non-conference games and then sell them a B1G package. With nice weather predicted and given our 2-0 record, hopefully we have a decent turnout for both students and general seating.
 

MNGoldenGophers1 said:
LOL. I was actually being serious not because I want tickets but trying to gauge what the ticket office is doing to fill seats this Saturday. For example, I wish they'd give students free tickets to all the non-conference games and then sell them a B1G package. With nice weather predicted and given our 2-0 record, hopefully we have a decent turnout for both students and general seating.
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I need to watch your weather forecast. I keep seeing rain all day.
 

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