Student Attendance Question

[anomander]

Would it ever be possible to do what the SEC does, and include student season tickets with their tuition? Seems like it would be smart to include an extra $100 on the $50k+ tuition. Students would hardly notice the difference, and it would give them incentive to attend games. I'm not sure why we, or any other school for that matter, doesn't already do this?

Other then the SEC does anyone know of any other conferences that do this?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

If you "force" 15,000 students to buy season tickets, you'll have to set aside 15,000 seats for them each game.

Which means you'll have 12,000 no-shows. And SU can't resell those tickets to adults.

 

[anomander]

If you "force" 15,000 students to buy season tickets, you'll have to set aside 15,000 seats for them each game.

Which means you'll have 12,000 no-shows. And SU can't resell those tickets to adults.

Yea that makes sense.

Anyone have any idea what student tickets go for?

 

[Full_Rebar]

I don't think it works that way. I think a lot of schools charge an Athletics fee, which gives you access to tickets, but those tickets are still limited in some capacity.

 

[Chip]

If you "force" 15,000 students to buy season tickets, you'll have to set aside 15,000 seats for them each game.

Which means you'll have 12,000 no-shows. And SU can't resell those tickets to adults.

I'm curious how the schools even manage it. No school gets 100% student attendance. Some of those SEC schools would have to set aside half their stadium.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Yea that makes sense.

Anyone have any idea what student tickets go for?

Football is $99 (includes a free student ticket to the Notre Dame game)
Basketball is $199
Combo is $219.

A better idea is to raise everyone's tuition by $200, do away with "student tickets", and offer the students free admission to football and basketball games on a "first come first served" basis. Set aside a limited amount (4,000-5,000) of seats for each game.

 

[upperdeck]

Would it ever be possible to do what the SEC does, and include student season tickets with their tuition? Seems like it would be smart to include an extra $100 on the $50k+ tuition. Students would hardly notice the difference, and it would give them incentive to attend games. I'm not sure why we, or any other school for that matter, doesn't already do this?

Other then the SEC does anyone know of any other conferences that do this?

what does this accomplish? the net gain of $500K vs the complaints of non fball parents and fans.

One option is lower the price for getting seats to like $50 but it means you get in first and best selection. everyone else gets in free. but you really need to work on attendance not creating more income.. I dont know if all free does it either since no reason to come to games that might not be good.

offer something for coming to games if you buy the season package.. if you come to all the games you get a chance for a free car.. a simple cheap promotion.. and better yet you dont qualify for the drawing if you arent there in the first and 4th quarter. if you get 500 extra kids to pay the $100 you pay for 1/4 of a car

 

[CU44SE]

what does this accomplish? the net gain of $500K vs the complaints of non fball parents and fans.

One option is lower the price for getting seats to like $50 but it means you get in first and best selection. everyone else gets in free. but you really need to work on attendance not creating more income.. I dont know if all free does it either since no reason to come to games that might not be good.

offer something for coming to games if you buy the season package.. if you come to all the games you get a chance for a free car.. a simple cheap promotion.. and better yet you dont qualify for the drawing if you arent there in the first and 4th quarter. if you get 500 extra kids to pay the $100 you pay for 1/4 of a car

Here is the thing, most kids aren't going to pay 100 dollars or 200 dollars for season tickets. They are going to save their money and go to the bars and drinking with their spare money. 100 or 200 dollars is a ton of money for a poor college kid to spend on tickets. Some have jobs, some don't. If you put this in their athletics budget towards there tuition most of the kids will never see this money anyways, it will all be in loans and paid for so they will just go along with it. Not only that, but if you charge everyone in the school the same, you are only charging each kid about 50 dollars maybe even less to make the same if not more money then what you would make if you only got the 100 or 200 from each student who bought season tickets. Plus, you could hide it by putting it towards intramural sports, student gyms, as well as towards the athletic teams. This would not only make money, but more kids would show up if the tickets were "perceived" to be free because these kids don't see that money anyways. Its just part of their yearly expenses, to be paid back later.

Below is an article about UB which has a yearly athletic fee of 500$ and goes towards inturmurals, gyms, athletic programs (part of which is for tickets). Every athletic event is free to attend for undergrads. Its just a part of the tuition, not much you can argue against. It says about 128 different colleges do this, it wouldn't be unrealistic for a private school like Syracuse to do this; Syracuse could very easily be number 129. I wonder if DRBartle could tell us if this is even plausible at SU or if its ever been brought up as an idea. I think its an excellent idea to gain student participation.

UB website- http://studentaccounts.buffalo.edu/tuition/compfee/athletics.php

 

[donniesyracuse]

What problem are we trying to solve? Student attendance seems reasonable to me at this point.

 

[CU44SE]

What problem are we trying to solve? Student attendance seems reasonable to me at this point.

Have you seen the football student section recently? Its two-fold, possibly even three-fold. Its another way to bring in revenue (which all universities love, especially our athletic department which is currently overspending), a way of bringing more students to the games (which directly leads to a bigger home field advantage because they are by far the rowdiest and loudest, except for third down when they are jingling their keys), and lastly you wouldn't prevent any kids from the experience of the game which will bring the school together and make it a bonding process (bringing the student body closer together, which could breed more pride and tradition. Things were always looking for is to change the culture, this could be a step in the right direction). Some kids are undoubtedly priced out of the games, these kids hypothetically could be the biggest SU supporters in the world but just can't afford to go to every game by paying out of pocket. Plus, your naturally going to get the kids that want to come because their friends are coming and in the past wouldn't have went because of the price but with it being "free"(not actually, but the process of just showing your id for a ticket in the present) will finally get these kids to the dome.

 

[donniesyracuse]

Have you seen the football student section recently?

Yes, my seats have a perfect view of the student section. Student attendance is correlated with overall attendance. The students show up for the big games just like the masses. The student section was overflowing for Clemson. I would focus effort on overall attendance.

 

[Full_Rebar]

Finding a way to get an extra 2-3k college students (not even limited to SU) would go a long way towards improving the atmosphere in the Dome. Would be curious to see the numbers of students who have season tickets for hoops vs those that have for football, or how many students attended Clemson (fb) vs Duke (hoops)...

 

[donniesyracuse]

I work for a college that is constantly trying to create or shape student culture. These efforts often fail. Students will determine when football games are the cool thing to do. This will most likely happen when the team is winning. My perception is that if a student wants to go to a game, it's easy for him or her to go. If the college was doing something that created road blocks to student attendance, then I would be concerned, but I don't believe this to be the case.

 

[CU44SE]

I work for a college that is constantly trying to create or shape student culture. These efforts often fail. Students will determine when football games are the cool thing to do. This will most likely happen when the team is winning. My perception is that if a student wants to go to a game, it's easy for him or her to go. If the college was doing something that created road blocks to student attendance, then I would be concerned, but I don't believe this to be the case.

Although I do not go to Syracuse, I have been up there a lot and the bars get packed during SU games. Which sounds like the best option if your a student and your going to watch the game?

Go to the bar for free and drink for 30$ (probably more) and watch the game. Total- 30$

Go to the dome for free and drink for roughly the same price as the bar, while watching the game and living in the experience. Total- 30$

Go to the dome for 20 dollars (per ticket), drink for 30$ and watch the game. Total- 50 dollars

Buy season tickets for 100 dollars, drink 30$ and watch the game. Total per game roughly 47$ ($16.66 per game)

If it was the same price, attendance would assuredly increase. College kids like to drink and have a good time. The game experience > bar experience. If they are the same price, kids will assuredly pick the game, where they can also drink.

 

[donniesyracuse]

I am not convinced that it's the cost keeping students away.

 

[CU44SE]

I am not convinced that it's the cost keeping students away.

Well, I guess we will agree to disagree then. Not saying its going to make 10,000 students come to every single game, but it would definitely bring a few hundred more kids out and liven up the atmosphere. You can never have too many students at a game. Being in college, I know for a fact that money is the number one obstacle to anything we want to do. Most of us don't have time for jobs or are only working 4-5 hrs a week. Money is not readily available for us, this would be one less obstacle for students to attend the games. In my opinion, that is something Syracuse has always struggled with; decreasing the amount of obstacles in peoples way. Even if it didn't increase the student support by that much, as I expressed earlier, it would be another revenue stream, and we all know Universities can never find enough ways to suck money out of you. Its really a win win for the University and athletic department.

 

[donniesyracuse]

I find that my "poor" students come up with money for things that are on the top of their priority lists (e.g., iPhones, Nikes, spring break, going out, video games). When football games become a priority, they will come.

 

[Bayside44]

Although I do not go to Syracuse, I have been up there a lot and the bars get packed during SU games. Which sounds like the best option if your a student and your going to watch the game?

Go to the bar for free and drink for 30$ (probably more) and watch the game. Total- 30$

Go to the dome for free and drink for roughly the same price as the bar, while watching the game and living in the experience. Total- 30$

Go to the dome for 20 dollars (per ticket), drink for 30$ and watch the game. Total- 50 dollars

Buy season tickets for 100 dollars, drink 30$ and watch the game. Total per game roughly 47$ ($16.66 per game)

If it was the same price, attendance would assuredly increase. College kids like to drink and have a good time. The game experience > bar experience. If they are the same price, kids will assuredly pick the game, where they can also drink.

Most of the kids cannot legally be served at the Dome. My guess is the Dome is tougher to buy than some college bar. Some of those home games can last 4 hours, it can get brutally long.

 

[Chris02M]

for me its not the students coming to the games its the 3/4 student section emptying at halftime that's the problem

 

[donniesyracuse]

Most colleges don't serve anyone

 

[CU44SE]

I find that my "poor" students come up with money for things that are on the top of their priority lists (e.g., iPhones, Nikes, spring break, going out, video games). When football games become a priority, they will come.

We will clearly never agree on this, so I promise to stop posting after this. But in this scenario, they would never have to FIND the money to pay for these tickets, Its FREE (I use this term because they only swipe their card for entrance). Money is a barrier for college students, yes they sometimes find the money for the things you mention but in this case they don't have to find the money. You still haven't provided one reason why this would be a bad idea? Other schools do it, 128 other schools in fact so it wouldn't be an issue. It would just be another expense of college, which there are many.

On another note, kids buy iPhones because its the new technology that lasts them 1-2 yrs and they want the best. They want to show it off to there friends (its terrible, but true).

Spring break- Most fun I'v ever had in my life. Its the experience, a week of hanging out with friends and partying.

Going out- College guys will go anywhere to mingle with girls, and if you pre game properly your only spending 20 dollars a night and lets be honest, every guy going out, okay most guys are looking to get lucky.

Video games last several months and give you something to do in the down time with your friends when your not studying. Everyone in the dorms and off campus housing are playing video games, its how you connect with other people now. We hold madden tournaments or the such all the time. Make drinking games out of them (may sound like it but I swear I'm not an alcoholic)

There are reasons kids find money for this stuff and not a weekly football game, and yes you are right that if the team is good then more students will come, but again there is no reason to keep barriers in place to keep kids from coming and no matter what you say about kids finding money when they want, paying 20 dollars a week is a major barrier (even if it is only 6 weeks, but then you get into basketball season). But even if the teams are good, kids aren't going to pay 20$ for the less then ideal mathchups.

To your "most colleges don't serve", your right. But that is also another perk for SU, they do serve. Obviously they would never use that as a selling point, but it would be foolish to think kids don't think or know about that.

 

[Stern]

What problem are we trying to solve? Student attendance seems reasonable to me at this point.

Student attendance for football sucks. Fix is easy and free though..move HALF the student section to the 3rd deck, so they are right on top of each other so to speak if you are looking at it from a distance, and who cares if they show up or not. Problem solved. There will always be enough students to fill the now reduced lower deck student area and if they (the students) don't show up in force who cares its their part of the upper deck that is empty Problem Solved!

I could care less if the students come or not, but at least make it look better on TV by selling those seats in the lower bowl to people who WANT to be at the game and who will STAY for the game.

 

[donniesyracuse]

I am just not convinced that the current system is broken.

 

[CU44SE]

I am just not convinced that the current system is broken.

I know I said I wouldn't, but I'm going to. It may not be broken, but its also not perfect either. Lets try to do something different then Syracuse sports or even Syracuse in general usually does on a continual basis, and lets try to be innovative rather than reactive. Major companies don't sit around and wait for things to pass them by, they make changes to make the experience better. Syracuse is always behind the 8 ball, wouldn't hurt to change the way they did things every once in a while.

 

[memcorsu]

I grew up in TN and know Southern football well having played and been to many college games from JC, CUSA, SEC, etc... What makes the game is the tailgating. SU is not tailgating friendly. SU has not tried to embrace the culture. I know that there is a good group here from what I have read. Even at a Memphis State University (don't go for UofM) students would flock to the games because they could tailgate. Tailgating also becomes a cultural thing; great food, fun, games, families, etc... SU needs to open the campus up which would add to the game day flavor. The grove would be awesome for tailgating. I have not attended a Fine Lot tailgate, but I am sure like the others I have been to y'all are sitting around hanging out well before and after the game strengthening y'alls friendships. SU needs to make the game day experience an event and the students will start showing along with the most important thing, WIN.

The Grove.

Memphis

Auburn

Southern Miss