Open Letter to Cuse Athletics - Let the Students Pack the Dome for FREE Friday Night!

[Scooch]

There's already an activity fee of $203 per semester as well as other fees.

Of course, but anything directly tied to sports attendance is going to bring out howls of protest from non-fans.

 

[rrlbees]

Of course, but anything directly tied to sports attendance is going to bring out howls of protest from non-fans.

None of the fees say what they are for. I'm sure someone would ask. But I'm sure there are fees or parts of fees that not all students get something out of.

 

[bnoro]

Here's another issue. If the team gets good enough, and every single student wants to attend a game, what do you do? Every student is now essentially guaranteed a ticket, as they are paying an activity fee. So do you remove tickets from the Dome inventory that are a set amount for a vastly cheaper student ticket, or do you end up cutting off the student section attendance.

It's an even bigger issue for basketball.

 

[RandygoCuse]

I agree that it's not fair to Student STHs to make games mid season. If it could (possibly?) make a difference, I think the school could decide which games would be free for students before the start of next season. Maybe STHs get to reserve tickets to those games, or maybe the seats are simply first come first serve.

 

[dollarbill44]

Everyone wants everything to be free as long as they're not the one paying for it. Oh Lord

It's the new American way.

 

[Orangeman13]

Syracuse should be ashamed of themselves for having the balls to charge students (who are ALREADY paying $60,000 in tuition) for tickets to a football game.

In the long run it will make us look better to the nation to pack the dome!

I wouldn't go either if I was already paying $60,000 and Syracuse wanted even ONE additional dollar to watch this football team.

Sometimes the truth hurts.

 

[Chip]

I don't think the people paying the 60K/year tuition are going to nitpick a $200-300 activity fee to raise it to $60,300.

That's not the right math. You look at how many students you realistically expect (in a good year). Multiply by $300, cost of Football/Hoops ticket. Divide by total # of students.

Fee wouldn't be $200-$300, it might be more like $50-$100.

Bury it somewhere.

 

[Doc5120]

Here's another issue. If the team gets good enough, and every single student wants to attend a game, what do you do? Every student is now essentially guaranteed a ticket, as they are paying an activity fee. So do you remove tickets from the Dome inventory that are a set amount for a vastly cheaper student ticket, or do you end up cutting off the student section attendance.

It's an even bigger issue for basketball.

The best option I can think of is to put a cap on the # of available student tickets. First 5,000?? get in for free. Others have to buy a ticket like the general public. This way the students that really want to be there in the first place are likely the ones getting the free tickets.

 

[dollarbill44]

Here's another issue. If the team gets good enough, and every single student wants to attend a game, what do you do? Every student is now essentially guaranteed a ticket, as they are paying an activity fee. So do you remove tickets from the Dome inventory that are a set amount for a vastly cheaper student ticket, or do you end up cutting off the student section attendance.

It's an even bigger issue for basketball.

you do what almost every other school does - limit the entry to x,xxx on a first-come, first-serve basis for free entry. For example, my son just started at U of Montana. The student section is limited to about 5,000/6,000 (whatever the number, it isn't important here). Every Monday morning the week of a home game, students can go to the ticket office and swipe their ID. They know instantly if they made the cut. If they do, they then swipe again at the gate. You can forego this by buying a student season ticket for $50 that gets you automatic entry for each game with a swipe of the student ID at the gate, plus he gets a ticket to the big rivalry game with Montana St. which is not included in the free ticket offer and a fee t-shirt.

So, SU could do the same thing. A full season ticket gets you into the better section and gets you a ticket to the biggest game on the schedule. Or, you can go the weekly swipe route for free, but take your chances.

 

[bnoro]

you do what almost every other school does - limit the entry to x,xxx on a first-come, first-serve basis for free entry. For example, my son just started at U of Montana. The student section is limited to about 5,000/6,000 (whatever the number, it isn't important here). Every Monday morning the week of a home game, students can go to the ticket office and swipe their ID. They know instantly if they made the cut. If they do, they then swipe again at the gate. You can forego this by buying a student season ticket for $50 that gets you automatic entry for each game with a swipe of the student ID at the gate, plus he gets a ticket to the big rivalry game with Montana St. which is not included in the free ticket offer and a fee t-shirt.

So, SU could do the same thing. A full season ticket gets you into the better section and gets you a ticket to the biggest game on the schedule. Or, you can go the weekly swipe route for free, but take your chances.

I like that idea a lot. Think that's probably the best way to do it if they wanted to offer them for "free".

 

[blizz]

You guys are such ridiculous fossils...limit entry to x number...have you even looked around the dome during a game? All that silver, thats lots of empty bleachers. But let's limit the number of students cause they're just clamoring to get in. The damn student section isnt even full, ever...but lets let less students in. Fantastic. Can we get a petition going on that? I'll sign it twice.

 

[rrlbees]

You guys are such ridiculous fossils...limit entry to x number...have you even looked around the dome during a game? All that silver, thats lots of empty bleachers. But let's limit the number of students cause they're just clamoring to get in. The damn student section isnt even full, ever...but lets let less students in. Fantastic. Can we get a petition going on that? I'll sign it twice.

Ever? It was over full Friday night so they let them sit in non student sections and they filled one of them up too.

 

[44PRIDE]

And if its about students showing up late, have the box office start releasing tickets starting 2 hrs before the game and close the booth at the end of the 1st qtr.

 

[Tobias Funke]

Syracuse should be ashamed of themselves for having the balls to charge students (who are ALREADY paying $60,000 in tuition) for tickets to a football game.

In the long run it will make us look better to the nation to pack the dome!

I wouldn't go either if I was already paying $60,000 and Syracuse wanted even ONE additional dollar to watch this football team.

Sometimes the truth hurts.

you pay to go to school, room and board etc. Sporting event tickets are just that tickets for the event, and thus should have little to do with the cost of the school, other than to be discounted. For those who have this opinion please make sure you share the same for the basketball games, free tickets for everyone.

Funny also how you all want to crowd to get better by giving the thickets away, but you will complain the second we underpend on something, and not remember that you begged for the revenue dollars to go down.

 

[dollarbill44]

You guys are such ridiculous fossils...limit entry to x number...have you even looked around the dome during a game? All that silver, thats lots of empty bleachers. But let's limit the number of students cause they're just clamoring to get in. The damn student section isnt even full, ever...but lets let less students in. Fantastic. Can we get a petition going on that? I'll sign it twice.

Where did I provide a number for SU that is less than what shows up now, thereby limiting student attendance? That part is your own conjecture, so don't rip me for it. As for reality, the ticket office needs to have a clear number of non-student tickets available for sale to the public. Sell-outs are actually possible, as are walk-up ticket sales that you don't want to lose out on because you have no idea at gametime whether you will get 4,000 students or 6,000. Why don't you put up your own idea rather than criticize systems that work at other schools.

You can sign my a$$ while you're at it.

 

[OttoMets]

Syracuse should be ashamed of themselves for having the balls to charge students (who are ALREADY paying $60,000 in tuition) for tickets to a football game.

In the long run it will make us look better to the nation to pack the dome!

I wouldn't go either if I was already paying $60,000 and Syracuse wanted even ONE additional dollar to watch this football team.

Sometimes the truth hurts.

If you're paying $60,000, I hope it's to learn how to craft a better argument than this strange series of non-sequiturs.

 

[Chris02M]

this free tickets for students after other students have already paid is a really touchy subject.I like all would like to see the student section full for every game like it was this past friday night. There are ways to make good with those who paid for seats already: (1) figure out how many students paid for tickets and reserve the front # of rows for those who paid and or make the free tickets start in section 307 until mid 1st quarter. (2) some tye of student credit towards food and soda/water(have to pay for beer/wine).
Students should be allowed a certain number of tickets free per game say 5-6 k

 

[NJCuse97]

Here's another issue. If the team gets good enough, and every single student wants to attend a game, what do you do? Every student is now essentially guaranteed a ticket, as they are paying an activity fee. So do you remove tickets from the Dome inventory that are a set amount for a vastly cheaper student ticket, or do you end up cutting off the student section attendance.

It's an even bigger issue for basketball.

That is the good side of the problem. How many tickets/seats do you have to hold for them in this line of thinking only to have them not show? There is about 16-18k students I think. If only 2K show, you're looking at 14-16k of empty seats guaranteed. How do you sell tickets that are a part of a student fee? Do you have to send a note prior to game time to randomly chosen students and let them know their seat was sold? As such, do you have to offer them a refund on their student fee?

I guess you'd have to put a max limit on seats available and call it out as a first come first served basis. There is a guarantee there will be an uproar still. I guess the only solution to that I can think of is for the fee to include a student tailgate/game viewing. On the quad or in the renovated Arch so it doesn't disturb other students not interested in the game (I have heard this is actually a common complaint). Maybe at that an interested student could get a voucher for a seat guarantee at the next home game? That's about as fair as I can think to make it.

 

[upperdeck]

if you make the kids swipe for seat early in the week you take some of the guess work out.. also if they swipe and dont show you will know that too and can limit how many times they get to do that without losing the priv.

 

[NJCuse97]

I think DollarBill has the right thought. I posted before reading his Montana post. I think some of my thoughts could be fun, but that Montana plan sounds thought out.

 

[TexanMark]

dollarbill. Your idea has been forwarded

 

[dollarbill44]

dollarbill. Your idea has been forwarded

I wish I could take credit for it, because I think it's a great plan, but that goes to U of Montana.
I was more than happy to pay for my son's season tix and I didn't feel cheated at all that a few thousand kids will get in free because he is guaranteed to get in and also got a ticket to the big rivalry game.

 

[RoatanCuse]

what do student tickets cost per game? $100

$100 x 2000 sold = 200K each kid buys 1 drink/food item for $5 each game so total revenue = $260K

SU gives away free tickets. first 2 games 5000 show up and then revert back to normal 2K. kids still buys one $5 item. revenue = 90K.

less than 200K in money is that big picture difference? its even less if kids buy $10 in drinks but it may be less?

I would do something different. everyone gets in free. $25 gets you in ahead of everyone else to each game. Like a reserved right to grab a seat. if there is no demand for that then dont do it.

$12.50 per game at Archbold when I attended. Early sixties.

 

[sufandu]

Here's another issue. If the team gets good enough, and every single student wants to attend a game, what do you do? Every student is now essentially guaranteed a ticket, as they are paying an activity fee. So do you remove tickets from the Dome inventory that are a set amount for a vastly cheaper student ticket, or do you end up cutting off the student section attendance.

It's an even bigger issue for basketball.

Tennessee only recently started charging for tickets. I think still sell out student season tickets, but regardless of free or not I think they have a lottery with upperclassmen getting some sort of preferential consideration. Obviously it's too late for that this year, but SU could that in the future withe free student tickets. As the team gets better and demand increases they could start charging again.

I'm not an alumnus but I think doing whatever is necessary to increase student attendance/involvement would benefit the atmosphere.

 

[TexanMark]

$12.50 per game at Archbold when I attended. Early sixties.

My ticket was $5 or 6 in 1969 for general admission.