Clemson Ticket Sales

[MikeSU02]

So you agree it's the donation structure we have for the program we have.

I would assume, and stress that I am assuming, that it's the full pricing structure (donations, base cost, etc).

I'm sure you have more insight into it, but can't we state that the attendance, at least in some part, is clearly impacted by the current pricing structure?

Personally, I don't think there is a bad seat in the house at the Dome, so when the cost is that different within one section, I don't think you can ever really convince me that it is worth the extra money to move four rows up (or whatever it is).

 

[rrlbees]

lol. Its not "Christian in my outlook". I pay the preferred price for the opportunity to guarantee THAT seat at THAT particular price. I make this contract knowing that THE MARKET may determine a different price down the road (hypothetically higher or lower than the price I paid per ticket). If I think that I can get that exact seat (where my peeps and relatives are) for cheaper on an individual basis for each game then I shouldn't sign the preferred contract. I want to pay a premium for the benefits that preferred premium provides.

After that contract has been signed by me, the school should definitely let the market dictate what the seats around me should go for.

It's not about market. Marketing has to be done to all fans, donors and non donors. It's running a business. I doubt many, if any, college businesses do what you propose.

Btw, they did do what you propose in a small way for Wagner. They offered free kids tickets for season ticket holders as close as possible to the holders seats. They have also on occasion given youth groups free tickets in donor areas.


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[JarHeadJim]

ote="690West, post: 748857, member: 133"]And 0-2 UCONN just sold out for Michigan. Granted the capacity is only 40k[/quote]
UConn!

 

[SUFan44]

It's not about market. Marketing has to be done to all fans, donors and non donors. It's running a business. I doubt many, if any, college businesses do what you propose.

Btw, they did do what you propose in a small way for Wagner. They offered free kids tickets for season ticket holders as close as possible to the holders seats. They have also on occasion given youth groups free tickets in donor areas.

What's the difference between changing the pricing structure based on availability, and giving away free tickets to youth groups and other groups (Fort Drum, etc.)? Both scenarios diminish the real value of your tickets, it's just done in a different way.

 

[rrlbees]

With this idea 1000%. Especially for a program in the state that Syracuse football is in.

How many wins will it take to get 40K fans consistently? And how will SU recruit kids good enough to win games consistently without 40K fans consistently?

For all the great things that are coming with the indoor practice facility and the influx of cash from the ACC, SU football needs fans in the Dome to sustain any type of success. 6 or 7 dates out of the entire year, they need to figure out a way to get 40,000 people into one building.

Ok, here's an idea. Instead of people always coming up with plans that only benefit the non donor, how about we make every seat the same price but we have no donations required? I'm down with that.


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[rrlbees]

What's the difference between changing the pricing structure based on availability, and giving away free tickets to youth groups and other groups (Fort Drum, etc.)? Both scenarios diminish the real value of your tickets, it's just done in a different way.

Most of the time, the freebies they give out are in non donor sections. High sidelines or end zone. There have been a couple of one offs I can think of.


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[gmoney44]

Thank you. I've already had a conflict because of kids sporting events (which trump any SU game football or basketball). Again, people without kids dont get it.

I don't have any kids yet and I get it. Perhaps you need to take a few deep breaths.

 

[sutomcat]

Some of the seats he is talking about are preferred seats with a certain donation level. You just can't flat price everything.

This is true, you have to protect the season ticket holders that are the backbone supporting the finances of your program.

This is been an issue for football since before Dr Gross got here. It is a tough one to deal with. Do you cut revenue by slashing prices for season ticket holders to get more people to buy good season tickets, so the silver goes away? Increased sales of ticket might offset the revenue loss but if you do this, it will be hard to jack the prices back to where they were later.

The other way to address this is improve the product substantially, increasing demand for tickets that way.

So far, not a lot of traction.

They have partly address this issue by substantially increasing the number of seats you can buy season tickets for without paying the ticketing licensing fee.

Further, for the seats still subject to the licensing fee, you get a lot better seat for B, C and D levels than you used to. Props to them for that.

But they are holding strong on the season ticket price for sideline seats and holding strong on the licensing fees too.

 

[FAL]

lol. Its not "Christian in my outlook". I pay the preferred price for the opportunity to guarantee THAT seat at THAT particular price. I make this contract knowing that THE MARKET may determine a different price down the road (hypothetically higher or lower than the price I paid per ticket). If I think that I can get that exact seat (where my peeps and relatives are) for cheaper on an individual basis for each game then I shouldn't sign the preferred contract. I want to pay a premium for the benefits that preferred premium provides.

After that contract has been signed by me, the school should definitely let the market dictate what the seats around me should go for.

I also pay a premium for sitting in a "preferred" section. I knew what I was getting into. I also wanted to demonstrate my commitment to the program: if I'm paying an exhorbitant price for seats, your damn well right that I will make an effort to park my fat butt in that seat for every game! So there is something more than market forces in play here. So that being said, to let some Johnny-come-lately get seats insultingly cheaper than what I paid is just that--an insult to me and denigrates my status as a fan. On the other hand, if they refund the difference I paid, then hey, no problemo! Figure the odds of that happening, though.

"If you wanna dance, ya gotta pay the band."

 

[SUFan44]

Ok, here's an idea. Instead of people always coming up with plans that only benefit the non donor, how about we make every seat the same price but we have no donations required? I'm down with that.

The supply/demand, economic-value ticketing structure is exactly what other schools are doing in the opposite way - dynamic ticketing at Michigan, Stanford and a number of schools is making their superior product even more valuable. And I'm shocked more schools haven't done it.

If you're an inferior product, you need to figure out a way to market yourself. You either come in at a lower price (which is the easiest solution and what a lot of us are suggesting with the declining price structure), or you have to somehow create a niche market for yourself.

Not exactly sure how a football team would do that - but as has been suggested, the "greatest show on turf" route was in the cards if Marrone/Hackett had stayed. Not sure anymore with McDonald, but the jury is out.

I am truly excited to come to the Clemson game. Have been looking forward to it since the schedule came out. But I am also posting on a Syracuse message board on a Wednesday morning. I clearly have a different level of fandom than the casual Syracuse observer.

How does this all change? What has been done in the past to try to remedy the situation? I really am not sure. But something needs to be tried/done and it needs to happen soon before all of the momentum of the ACC/practice facility drifts away.

 

[All4SU]

I can watch SU sports my whole life. I only get so many years to watch my kids play sports. I have season tickets now but did not in the years when my son played Pop Warner and I coached him.

I agree with this. Your own kids and their sport come first. When there are no conflicts, bring them to the games. That said, there are still enough people between Rochester and Utica, Watertown to Binghamton, to fill the Dome several times over. We just have to win. Got to build the interest back up.

 

[MikeSU02]

This is been an issue for football since before Dr Gross got here. It is a tough one to deal with. Do you cut revenue by slashing prices for season ticket holders to get more people to buy good season tickets, so the silver goes away? Increased sales of ticket might offset the revenue loss but if you do this, it will be hard to jack the prices back to where they were later.

Two comments to add:
[ ] You get zero revenue from people who don't show up. If someone is in the house, you have a chance for incremental revenue from in-venue purchases. Not only that, you have a chance to hook them for the future.

[ ] It's also tough to motivate the people that live in the area or relatively close on the I-90 and I-81 corridors after you have been pushing NYC so hard. I think there needs to be some mending of relationships with those people.

 

[orangeinjersey]

It's a slippery slope. When you ask one fan to ponie up an additional $250 - $1,000 for a seat then sell the seat right next to them for the ticket cost alone ($30-$50?) you risk losing some donors. Nor just because you'll piss them off but why would a person, mostly locals, donate for a seat when they can just buy them game by game for significantly less?

I have partial season tix for the Phillies. Have had them since graduation. I pay what the phillies ask me to pay. For the great run they had in the playoffs for the 00's I could sell those tix for more than twice what I paid when I couldn't go. These past two seasons, I'm lucky if I get 25% of what I paid.

As said earlier, you are paying for the seat, through good times and bad. Sure I could give them up and play it by ear game to game, but then i run the risk of not getting to sit where i want, or not getting tix period. Thats the gamble. I know this going in. The organization should do what it needs to do in order to get fans in the seats. The emptyness in the preferred sections is akin to the Legends suites when yankee stadium first opened. Not having those tickets sell looks terrible on tv and is just ignoring supply and demand.

I am sure, SU has done cost modeling to show what they gain or lose by changing the structure. You have to assume they know what they are doing anyway. :shrugs shoulders:

All I know is if we get a primetime national game, and have a paltry 30k turnout, with a sea of aluminum, it wont be a good look.

 

[690West]

So that being said, to let some Johnny-come-lately get seats insultingly cheaper than what I paid is just that--an insult to me and denigrates my status as a fan. "

Here's the rub: You view that person as a Johnny come lately fan. I view them as someone who took A RISK to buy their seat closer to gametime and due to market forces (in retail known as a "sale") they got their seats cheaper than mine. I applaud them and will high five with them all game the same as the blue hairs next to them who paid their grey poupon preferred price. And, remember, I'm one of the grey pouponers!!

Lol. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Nice first post. Akron area?

You an alum of 'cuse?

Cleveland here. Akron often for some work and my parents are there. Where are you in Akr? It's getting much better, downtown especially.

 

[FAL]

Here's the rub: You view that person as a Johnny come lately fan. I view them as someone who took A RISK to buy their seat closer to gametime and due to market forces (in retail known as a "sale") they got their seats cheaper than mine. I applaud them and will high five with them all game the same as the blue hairs next to them who paid their grey poupon preferred price. And, remember, I'm one of the grey pouponers!!

Lol. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

Agree to disagree. Gotta meet somewhere in the middle, though. Screw it, make all the seats the same price--first come, first served. Now that is REAL market forces at work!

PS: I'm probably considered to be in the grey poupon group, but I prefer good old French's yellow mustard and no dye instead!

 

[cusefan88]

3:30 kickoff would be good, 7 or 8 p.m. would be great and very promising. A noon kickoff is disastrous.

 

[CUSU]

Looking at where ticket sales are at now. (Prolly 38ish) what do you think we will get to on gameday?

I'm hoping we can get around 44 but I'm usually overly optimistic. Hopefully there is a big walk up for homecoming. Clemson fans have a good turnout and people buy more tickets once the time is announced.


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[Marsh01]

3:30 kickoff would be good, 7 or 8 p.m. would be great and very promising. A noon kickoff is disastrous.

if i had to guess its either 3:30 or 6:00

 

[rrlbees]

Here's the rub: You view that person as a Johnny come lately fan. I view them as someone who took A RISK to buy their seat closer to gametime and due to market forces (in retail known as a "sale") they got their seats cheaper than mine. I applaud them and will high five with them all game the same as the blue hairs next to them who paid their grey poupon preferred price. And, remember, I'm one of the grey pouponers!!

Lol. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

They took a risk and got a sale? They may not be a Johnny come lately, but I don't know what risk they took.


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[690West]

They took a risk and got a sale? They may not be a Johnny come lately, but I don't know what risk they took.

They took a risk that that seat would be gone or it would be priced at twice the price they could have locked in if they bought it early like me

If I go to buy a shirt I can pay the current price or take a risk and wait for it to go on sale. It's a risk because that shirt could sell out or get priced higher while I was waiting for a sale

 

[rrlbees]

They took a risk that that seat would be gone or it would be priced at twice the price they could have locked in if they bought it early like me

If I go to buy a shirt I can pay the current price or take a risk and wait for it to go on sale. It's a risk because that shirt could sell out or get priced higher while I was waiting for a sale

The price doesn't go up and down. And most last minute buyers aren't looking for "that" seat. They look for either best available or cheapest.


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[690West]

The price doesn't go up and down.

That's the problem. In a perfect world, they would.

 

[rrlbees]

That's the problem. In a perfect world, they would.

Thus they took no risk.


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[690West]

Thus they took no risk.

There's still risk about tickets being available at all or available where you'd like. Will people who wait until the day before our duke game this winter be taking a risk?