Final Count on New Season Ticket Sales

[dollarbill44]

Yeah. I don't think the problem is as big at other schools, especially state schools. You get more kids that have grown up loving their state treams and some will choose the school just to experience the sports. Then the out of state students get caught up in the excitement and become fans. Tennessee started making students pay about 10 years ago and it wasn't because students weren't showing when it was free. I knew one girl that graduated a semester late just to have one more season of football before she entered the real world.

Yeah, but the beauty of that system is that if the tickets go unclaimed, you still have a chance to sell them to the public, so you're not guaranteed to have an empty section.

 

[bnoro]

That might depend on how well they play Sep 14. Just a little.

It will depend on that game A LOT. The issue is a lot of folks that I know that live down here in NY/NJ are buying STs just for the Clemson game. So those folks are probably one and done regardless of result.

I've experienced oversaturation on the secondary market firsthand, and it took 2/3 years to re-train customers that the secondary market was more expensive than our ticket office. Even if the team is great this year, there's a chance that this strategy we've taken for the Clemson game will backfire.

 

[MSOrange]

I think showing up on time is an issue with almost every sporting event in the US due to security. I'm a crazy person who get to the airport 3 hours before my flight and prefers to arrive at sporting events an hour before they're supposed to start (especially at the Dome because I don't get to go often and love taking it all in); but most people aren't like that and security is something people forget about. Even for me, if I'm going to a game at MSG after work I'm usually at least a few minutes late because there's a massive security line.

Incentivizing various groups (clubs, Greek life) for attendance at games and arriving early might be good. Maybe all students in their seats 20 minutes before kickoff get a free tshirt/sandwich/gift card (can make it a sponsored promotion).

We would do very well travelling and going to games together I think. I'm the exact same way about getting there early.

 

[GoSU96]

I tend to agree with Bnoro. If we're strictly talking about aesthetics, the copious silver between the 20s on the away sideline for the entire game is a much worse look than empty seats around the tunnel.

I really wish SU would flip the field and have the TV cameras film the home sideline, it's always much more full than the away side.

And look, people can do what they want. If the students prefer to tailgate right up until kickoff and show up a few minutes late, it's far from the end of the world. When I was a season ticket holder in the 90s/00s there were many a game when my crew would show up right at kickoff, because we were having a good time in the parking lot. Especially for the noon kicks when tailgate time is compressed.

Key phrase. “People can do what they want”

All this handwringing about the studio audience

 

[TexanMark]

Yeah. I don't think the problem is as big at other schools, especially state schools. You get more kids that have grown up loving their state treams and some will choose the school just to experience the sports. Then the out of state students get caught up in the excitement and become fans. Tennessee started making students pay about 10 years ago and it wasn't because students weren't showing when it was free. I knew one girl that graduated a semester late just to have one more season of football before she entered the real world.

Did you marry her? If not, you screwed up...LOL

 

[sufandu]

Did you marry her? If not, you screwed up...LOL

Haha. I was already married.

 

[sufandu]

Yeah, but the beauty of that system is that if the tickets go unclaimed, you still have a chance to sell them to the public, so you're not guaranteed to have an empty section.

They never had a problem with unclaimed student tickets. The last I heard, they have a lottery for the privilege to buy student season tickets with priority going to upper classmen.

 

[TexanMark]

Haha. I was already married.

Move to Utah...

 

[storange]

Go back in time ONE year and where we were as far as atmosphere , hype and attendance. Now look at the origins of this thread. It’s all good, better then good, amazing.

 

[richmondcuse03]

Key phrase. “People can do what they want”

All this handwringing about the studio audience

Don’t worry. I bought prime seats on the away side this year. Will be filling some of that silver!

And based on seat map when I went back and checked several months later, a lot more people will be joining me over there.

 

[skurey]

Nobody is talking about the real issue.

How many times are we going to hear Old Town Road?

We need a new hit song as a country.

 

[JeffCuse]

Here’s kind of what I’m talking about: team is doing well and has a big game against a good NC State team. 5-2 vs. 5-1. Pretty big and lively crowd. Why are the sections on both sides of where the team runs out largely empty? It’s literally the first thing you see on the telecast. Looks terrible. And it was actually a good sized crowd as you can see a little later.

This was my point

 

[JeffCuse]

So you're telling me that the 3,000 in the student section (that will actually probably be there for all our games this year) is more important than the TV side of the Dome that routinely looks half empty until the end of the first quarter?

No way.

The biggest issue, perception-wise, that the program will have this year is the late arriving lower level fans outside of the Clemson game. Especially with the STs sold. Show rate is going to be a HUGE issue, and if the amount of seats on Stubhub means tickets are selling for $6 for every other game, ST retention will also be an issue if the team is worse than 8-4.

Just spread the 3,000 out is all I ask

 

[Scooch]

Just spread the 3,000 out is all I ask

I’m going to hazard a guess that student attendance will decline if they can’t sit with each other.

 

[JeffCuse]

I’m going to hazard a guess that student attendance will decline if they can’t sit with each other.

So you are saying that if the 3,000 seats are spread into 6 500 seat sections people will not come if they cannot sit with that 501st friend?

 

[SU68]

I've mentioned this a while back in some other thread, but when I was a student in the '60s, fraternities, sororities, and some dorm floors would sit together at Archbold Stadium and even hang a sheet with their affiliation on it. If this were to happen again, I feel that would increase student participation.

 

[Scooch]

So you are saying that if the 3,000 seats are spread into 6 500 seat sections people will not come if they cannot sit with that 501st friend?

I honestly don’t know what you’re trying to solve. Do you think there will be 3,000 locals packed around the tunnel 15 minutes before kickoff?

 

[WeeWoo]

Many of those concessions are run by non profits. The University charges them for expenses like the food, drinks, snacks, supplies etc that are used and any profit or loss is the non profits.

I know one of them is run by the Liverpool marching band and Boosters.

 

[JeffCuse]

I honestly don’t know what you’re trying to solve. Do you think there will be 3,000 locals packed around the tunnel 15 minutes before kickoff?

No but Id be fine with the same crowd density in that area as the Dome as a whole

 

[gmoney44]

Their sections are the ones that too often stand out as noticeably empty before the game - or occasionally noticeably full very early on(I imagine for Clemson that section will be packed before all the others). Those are the sections that often noticeably empty out at halftime when the game is going bad or if it’s simply time to go to the bars. Theyre the wildcard, IMO.

Perhaps Lambda Lambda Lambda could loan us some guys to make sure the students don’t leave early.

 

[NJCuse97]

Just spread the 3,000 out is all I ask

Then you don’t have a student section. Not directed at you necessarily (maybe more at Macky44 ) but everyone here seems to be talking about large state schools. We are a midsized private school. If those same students decided to pursue other college options, the school would either move or close. It doesn’t survive on state funding. Your tax dollars do not pay for its existence. Without those students, your “professional” team no longer exists. There is a reason the “business” caters to its most important “customers”.

 

[NJCuse97]

So you are saying that if the 3,000 seats are spread into 6 500 seat sections people will not come if they cannot sit with that 501st friend?

Yes

 

[JeffCuse]

Yes

I asked a tongue in question that was obviously ridiculous. We will agree to disagree I guess

 

[NJCuse97]

I asked a tongue in question that was obviously ridiculous. We will agree to disagree I guess

I guess. My answer was as silly as your question. A student section is a section for all the students, not a smattering of sections that make it even less enticing for students to go. I’d be happy to tell you how annoying it was as a student to be told by a “non-student” I was drunk because I was having fun, or “sit down I can’t see and I paid a lot of money for this seat” like my ticket cost wasn’t already on top of my tuition payment. If you don’t get it, I’m not sure you will. It’s fun to sit with likeminded people your age, sharing another college experience. It’s fun to create the chants that stick, the ones we all want. You want to eliminate all that potential for the look on TV when the team runs out.

 

[JeffCuse]

I guess. My answer was as silly as your question. A student section is a section for all the students, not a smattering of sections that make it even enticing for students to go. I’d be happy to tell you how annoying it was as a student to be told by a “non-student” I was drunk because I was having fun, or “sit down I can’t see and I paid a lot of money for this seat” like my ticket cost wasn’t already on top of my tuition payment. If you don’t get it, I’m not sure you will. It’s fun to sit with likeminded people your age, sharing another college experience. It’s fun to create the chants that stick, the ones we all want. You want to eliminate all that potential for the look on TV when the team runs out.

Then show up on time.

Seriously. I’d give students a deeep discount that expires 15 min before kickoff and then it goes to full price