Houston and Booking through SU questions...

[texascpa]

What part of town are you in texascpa?

Katy

 

[STEVEHOLT]

Is Houston the kind of city I can wander the streets in a half stupor looking for action, or would that be a bad idea? I'm not a SU donor, but I think my uncle may be able to get tickets and I dont believe he is an SU fan,

well, that depends on what part of town you are in and what action you are looking for

if you are in the 5th ward, you will get action alright...not the kind that you would likely want.
if you are in rice village, and are walking around in a stupor, theyll probably take you to a homeless shelter
if you are in river oaks, theyll take you to jail
basic us urban city...really depends on what part of the city you are at.
if you are around the stadium, frankly nobody will care

 

[Orangello]

well, that depends on what part of town you are in and what action you are looking for

if you are in the 5th ward, you will get action alright...not the kind that you would likely want.
if you are in rice village, and are walking around in a stupor, theyll probably take you to a homeless shelter
if you are in river oaks, theyll take you to jail
basic us urban city...really depends on what part of the city you are at.
if you are around the stadium, frankly nobody will care

and if you get on a bus by mistake and wind up in Beaumont, may God have mercy on your soul

 

[STEVEHOLT]

captain..if you end up in houston, you have to come over to my house for some tea and crumpets

 

[suttree]

suttree Where will the fans be watching on Sunday in Austin?

Wish I knew, but there are two reasons why that's not my thing. First, I'm a highly-domesticated creature at this point in life, raising twin eight-year-old daughters who love watching games with their dad but aren't really candidates for hitting the local pub. Second, I am a mere townie fan who simply grew up from birth to h.s. graduation on the west side of Syracuse, so I have no access to the type of information that alumni networks would be distributing. If you receive newsletters from the school, you might check in with those folks. The official page for alumni clubs (http://www.syr.edu/alumni/whereyoulive/clubs/) only seems to list groups for Fort Worth and Houston.

I think we've got a couple of other Austin residents on this board. TexanMark is the most dialed-in dude I know of in the Lone Star State, but he called San Antonio his home base for a long time, so I don't know if he'll have any insights on this front. Mark? Anyone else?

GO ORANGE

 

[TexanMark]

suinaustin and suttree if Cuse wins I'll be extremely happy but also calling myself a moron. My wife and I are going over to Florida next weekend. Since she isn't a huge Cuse fan...cancelling the trip isn't an option. I agreed to this when the Cuse was losing to everyone in February and figured if they were still playing BB in late March it was going to be at MSG.

I would just throw a post out there for a watch party in Austin...I think there are about 10 folks who read this read with Austin Area connections. Probably best to pick a sports bar.

 

[suinaustin]

suinaustin and suttree if Cuse wins I'll be extremely happy but also calling myself a moron. My wife and I are going over to Florida next weekend. Since she isn't a huge Cuse fan...cancelling the trip isn't an option. I agreed to this when the Cuse was losing to everyone in February and figured if they were still playing BB is was going to be at MSG.

I would just throw a post out there for a watch party in Austin...I think there are about 10 folks who read this read with Austin Area connections. Probably best to pick a sports bar.

Thanks suttree and TexanMark for the input. I have a few fans here in the Bastrop area that may hook up. Will be Houston for sure if by the grace of God we make it. GO ORANGE!!

 

[TexanMark]

Another travel option: If you have some flexibility and want to see more interesting places than Houston. Look at flying into New Orleans, Austin or San Antonio and renting a car. ATown and SA are not bad drives but New Orleans is a hike.

If you are driving around Houston and Austin there are toll roads. Some of them require a TXTag now...no cash paying option. The locals can help you there.

One last bit of advice: If you buy through Primesports (NCAA Tix broker) and Cuse loses on Saturday...put your chmapionship game tix up for sale that night if possible at Primesports. I did that and pretty much made most of my original cost back. What helped in ATL was UM and UL both were in driving distance for many of their fans. You will have that is OU advances but not as many BB fans follow OU as UL or UM.

Trust me it isn't worth watching the Natty Game without Cuse...go out have fun. Saturday's environment is awesome with 4 fan bases.

 

[Consigliere]

Prepare to be boned. I don't know why SU has to sell a tix/hotel package only and go through a travel agent.

Did the same thing for Atlanta. I travel for work and have almost 2M Hilton points so certainly don't want to pay for a hotel. I was able to get Atlanta tickets but my seats were well back from the court even though I'm a director level donor.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I've been to a half dozen final fours including ours in 1996 and 2003. Few notes off the top of my head that will hopefully help:

PACKAGES

- I went with the SU packages in 2003 and 1996 for two main reasons - transportation and tickets. In 2003 it was impossible to book a commercial flight from Syracuse to New Orleans on short notice and in 1996 game tickets for Meadowlands were tough to come by. Purchasing the package took care of those needs.

- Pricing is ridiculous. Well north of $1K per person as someone said. I may have paid $1,600 back in '03? '96 was criminal what they charged for the hotel (Grand Hyatt) and the fact that they made you take a minimum # of nights.

- They will have 3-4 levels of hotels per team. Top one is the team hotel and the bottom one will be a Hampton Inn type of place. Both times we went on the package we jammed 4-5 people in the room (including some who did not purchase the package but had traveled and obtained game tix on their own) to help split cost. They will not tell you which hotel you are in when you call as they won't know - all depends on how many packages they sell and what level donor/season ticketholder you are.

- So package contains air, hotel and game tix which, while overpriced, are what you get the package for. All the other crap - souvenir, airport transport, luggage tag, pep rally, etc is just BS tacked on to make it appear you are getting some sort of value out of it all.

- One note about '03. They ran charter flights back and forth between SYR & NO the Friday before and Tuesday after. Tuesday morning, after being out on Bourbon St until 5 AM, we were notified that out flight was leaving at 7 AM and to be on bus by 6 AM. It was a cluster . Bus dropped us off right on tarmac and people just got on the plane grabbed seats first come first served.

GAME TICKETS
With Final Fours taking place in the huge domes now game tickets are not an issue. Purchasing a package gets you into the team sections which, much like the hotels, have multiple levels ranging from courtside to upper level. You'll be assigned seats based on donor level, if you are a season ticketholder, etc.

If you want to buy on your own there are plenty of options - I would recommend just buying the Saturday semi-final ticket if you can as the Monday tickets can be had for $25 if we get that far. With blue blood teams like Kentucky, Louisville, Duke, etc out of the mix this year shouldn't be an issue. UNC will attract a lot of people though from all over. Stub Hub is a good option as they will have a customer service center setup in Houston to handle tickets.

FLIGHT
Booking anything out of Syracuse on short notice is expensive and impossible and this is where the package helps. If you are from out of town especially NY metro area though you will likely be able to get a better deal booking your own flight to Houston and back.

HOTEL
Booking on your own last minute will likely be impossible to get anything near the action (I am not familiar with Houston), if you don't mind staying 30-45 minutes outside town can typically get a room on your own.


My take...

If money isn't an overriding factor grab the package and go that way you don't need to worry about anything. If you are looking to be economical then do it on your own - book a nearby hotel, obtain game tickets and handle your own transportation - it is all doable.

This is terrific. Thanks for taking the time to write out such a detailed response.

The only reason for doing the package was to end up at the team hotel. If I don't know where we'll end up, then I'll just go on my own like I've done for all the others.

I'm NYC-based so driving up to Syracuse for a charter flight is not appealing and I'm picky about making sure that my son's view is of the game is not blocked by people standing up so I would probably end up stubhubbing it for tickets anyway...

Last question: I either saw, or read, that SU always stays at Marriotts. If we cannot be at team hotel, I figure I'll book somethign close to team hotel. Problem is that there are tons of Marriotts in Houston.

My best guess is the JW Marriott Downtown but is there anyway to find out for sure?

 

[Zippy1808]

This is terrific. Thanks for taking the time to write out such a detailed response.

The only reason for doing the package was to end up at the team hotel. If I don't know where we'll end up, then I'll just go on my own like I've done for all the others.

I'm NYC-based so driving up to Syracuse for a charter flight is not appealing and I'm picky about making sure that my son's view is of the game is not blocked by people standing up so I would probably end up stubhubbing it for tickets anyway...

Last question: I either saw, or read, that SU always stays at Marriotts. If we cannot be at team hotel, I figure I'll book somethign close to team hotel. Problem is that there are tons of Marriotts in Houston.

My best guess is the JW Marriott Downtown but is there anyway to find out for sure?

do teams actually get to pick their hotels for something like the Final Four or does the NCAA just assign?

 

[HtownOrange]

HTown is a great place but you will need a car for most activities. It's worth it.

Mark's advice regarding NOLA, Austin and/or San Antonio are also great options. NOLA speaks for itself, San Antonio has history and the Riverwalk. Austin is wierd...and proud of it, would you expect less from a capital city?

For family minded folks, bring the kids. Seriously, the Johnson Space Center, Schlitterbahn (water park in Galveston), museums, parks (my personal favorite is the Brazos Bends State Park where you can see alligators in the wild. We have had to walk around Gators on the path, seen them sunning themselves, etc.)

I cannot recommend bars and clubs, I am family oriented. Mark, TexasCPA and others have provided good advice. Select your activities and tailor your trip accordingly.

Hoping to see many of you in town next weekend!

 

[TexanMark]

This is terrific. Thanks for taking the time to write out such a detailed response.

The only reason for doing the package was to end up at the team hotel. If I don't know where we'll end up, then I'll just go on my own like I've done for all the others.

I'm NYC-based so driving up to Syracuse for a charter flight is not appealing and I'm picky about making sure that my son's view is of the game is not blocked by people standing up so I would probably end up stubhubbing it for tickets anyway...

Last question: I either saw, or read, that SU always stays at Marriotts. If we cannot be at team hotel, I figure I'll book somethign close to team hotel. Problem is that there are tons of Marriotts in Houston.

My best guess is the JW Marriott Downtown but is there anyway to find out for sure?

Look at Marriotts around the Galleria Area...that would be my guess.

Also, don't stubhub...go through the NCAA sponsored Primesport
Link below has some Primesport discounts...if Cuse loses on Saturday...reselling is a snap for Monday's tickets. Trust me if you're a Cuse fan Monday night will be a downer to watch live and you are better off taking your kid somewhere fun on Monday and watching the game at a restaurant Monday night near your hotel.

http://www.promocodes.com/mcpc2/pri...YP8H-EfGxYqKWeo7rxirtJEhrVsWqA2xbgaAuZi8P8HAQ

 

[HoustonCuse]

For family minded folks, bring the kids. Seriously, the Johnson Space Center, Schlitterbahn (water park in Galveston), museums, parks (my personal favorite is the Brazos Bends State Park where you can see alligators in the wild. We have had to walk around Gators on the path, seen them sunning themselves, etc.)

Funny you say that, took my daughter there a couple weeks ago to look through the telescopes at George Observatory. We are walking through the swampy area on the path after dark (kind of a wooden walkway over a marsh) and using your iPhone flashlight, you could see gators in the marsh within 3 feet of you on the sides of the walkway. My 6 year old loved it, my wife couldn't have gotten out of there faster if she had a jet pack!

 

[rrlbees]

do teams actually get to pick their hotels for something like the Final Four or does the NCAA just assign?

I think the NCAA assigns then based on see maybe? The hotels are long selected. Marriot may be SUs hotel of choice but I'm not sure how that applies in the NCAAs. They were in a Hyatt one time.

 

[cuse522]

For those of us who don't need a hotel and won't be doing the package, from what I've heard in the past, Final Four tickets are relatively easy to come by due to the size of the stadiums? Is that true? Also, is it better to buy for both games and sell if we lose, or scoop up tix to the title game from the teams that lose in the Final Four? It seems like a lot of desperate sellers would be hitting the StubHub, etc, markets.

[Legal Disclaimer to the Sports Gods: This post is in no way a jinx. In no way is cuse522 assuming Syracuse will win today, he is simply preparing for all possible outcomes.]

 

[rrlbees]

Look at Marriotts around the Galleria Area...that would be my guess. Also, don't stubhub...go through the NCAA sponsored Primesport Link below has some Primesport discounts...if Cuse loses on Saturday...reselling is a snap for Monday's tickets. Trust me if you're a Cuse fan Monday night will be a downer to watch live and you are better off taking your kid somewhere fun on Monday and watching the game at a restaurant Monday night near your hotel. http://www.promocodes.com/mcpc2/pri...YP8H-EfGxYqKWeo7rxirtJEhrVsWqA2xbgaAuZi8P8HAQ

I wouldn't touch primesports just on the morals of the whole thing. NCAA sponsored scalping. Try as a fan to scalp at the games. Arrested with money and tickets confiscated.

 

[Zippy1808]

I think the NCAA assigns then based on see maybe? The hotels are long selected. Marriot may be SUs hotel of choice but I'm not sure how that applies in the NCAAs. They were in a Hyatt one time.

That's what I figured. The NCAA certainly has the blocks reserved for teams/boosters/package sales. Top seed probably gets preference if all are not considered equal. Otherwise you could imagine a Wild West scenario where things are booked and Villanova ends up staying in Beaumont!

 

[TexanMark]

For those of us who don't need a hotel and won't be doing the package, from what I've heard in the past, Final Four tickets are relatively easy to come by due to the size of the stadiums? Is that true? Also, is it better to buy for both games and sell if we lose, or scoop up tix to the title game from the teams that lose in the Final Four? It seems like a lot of desperate sellers would be hitting the StubHub, etc, markets.

[Legal Disclaimer to the Sports Gods: This post is in no way a jinx. In no way is cuse522 assuming Syracuse will win today, he is simply preparing for all possible outcomes.]

Generally better to buy the whole strip...yo can always resell the ticket.
NOTE: ON STREET SCALPERS ARE NOT REAL NUMEROUS ANYMORE. PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING IS DONE ONLINE NOW. I saw that in ATL in 2013...very few guys on the street selling. Just buy you tix online and sell Monday's if you have to.

 

[TexanMark]

I wouldn't touch primesports just on the morals of the whole thing. NCAA sponsored scalping. Try as a fan to scalp at the games. Arrested with money and tickets confiscated.

Well have fun...

 

[HoustonCuse]

I think the NCAA assigns then based on see maybe? The hotels are long selected. Marriot may be SUs hotel of choice but I'm not sure how that applies in the NCAAs. They were in a Hyatt one time.

Based on seed? Damn...

 

[HoustonCuse]

Here's what the rooms look like:

Sporting News quoted as saying "It's too good for Syracuse. It's like they weren't punished at all."

 

[rrlbees]

Well have fun...

Fun at what?

 

[TexanMark]

Fun at what?

Fun at getting your tix through SU.

 

[rrlbees]

Fun at getting your tix through SU.

I probably wouldn't if there is a crazy hotel price. But if I go, I've never worried about tix or hotel. I'm resourceful. I've gone on trips without tix and ended up with better than most. But supporting primesports is not something I'd consider. Why pay a kickback to the NCAA?