Tickets

[BGorDeath]

My entire issue with the price change is that I will still be receiving the same lame product on the field and same lame gameday experience I have received for the past 10 years (a winning season here and there does not make up for the lame gameday experience). If I were to going to be viewing a team that did not lose to a Div. II team, maybe it wouldn't be a problem, but it is. If I were to receive better gameday amenities, maybe it wouldn't be a problem, but it is. Lousy service, lousy food, lousy PA system and no traditions allowed.

Is it better to have 5000 in the stands at $20 per ticket or 10,000 at $10? The main reason for the seating change was to make the Doyt look fuller for ESPN games. I'm sorry, but I don't see this happening when the only Tuesday night game is with Kent State.

I was one of 5 people on the east side during the Eastern Michigan -40 degrees game. I'm a fan, but can't stomach it for the price anymore. More power to the people who want to pay more for this product. I'm finding better things to do. Oh, and I never heard from the AD.

[Class of 61]

I understand your frustration TO A POINT.. but still think you need to double check what you say they’re charging you. I’d have to pull out my stuff to verify, but I don’t think our prices went up, other than perhaps the extra game at home this year.

This has been brought up many times before, but I’d still like to know we could draw crowds in the 18-20 K range years go, but have had time getting 15k even on a nice day.

[MarkL]

It's a conundrum. Yes our tickets are cheaper than the rest of the conference. At least that seems to be my experience from traveling. Yes we have a history of good attendance when the team is performing well. And yes, when the team is not performing well, we don't sell tickets. See 2006 and 2010. Last year I was at homecoming and that was the worst attended homecoming I have ever seen.
I support raising prices some. Lord knows we need the revenue. So long as the game day experience improves. Invest in better game day experience, perhaps we see better results.
And next time the food service contract is up, I am totally game with booking a bunch of food trucks. I've heard the idea around here and I love it.

[Class of 61]

BG or death,
OK, I had to through some of my financial records on something totally unrelated... but I came upon the ticket order form, which says , Premium Chairback tickets are $80 PLUS requires a $25 per seat donation to FC Scholarship Fund. So, 2 seats = $160 plus $50 donation plus $10 handling fee ( my personal opinion =rip-off). So that’s your $220.
Last years tickets for those seats was the same $80 per, for only 5 games so I can’t see how you got 4 tickets for less a year ago.
My point on BG prices... NOT COUNTING the donation.. ticket price per game is $13.33: if you add the “donation “, it comes to $35 per game.
Still doesn’t explain why AD hasn’t gotten back to you nor does it justify lack of response.

[Schadenfreude]

If I were to going to be viewing a team that did not lose to a Div. II team,

You mean FCS. Bowling Green has not played a Division II school since 1978, just as Division I was being split into subdivisions.

(In that game, Bowling Green beat Grand Valley State 49-3.)

Is it better to have 5000 in the stands at $20 per ticket or 10,000 at $10?

I doubt the drop off in attendance would be that stark. BGSU wouldn't raise ticket prices if there was nothing to be gained.

[Tony4BG]

Yeah. Was it same seats as last season or different ones? Maybe you had a Falcon Four pack. Pretty sure our Premium Chairbacks are same price as last year.

[Flipper]

If I were to going to be viewing a team that did not lose to a Div. II team,

You mean FCS. Bowling Green has not played a Division II school since 1978, just as Division I was being split into subdivisions.

(In that game, Bowling Green beat Grand Valley State 49-3.)

Is it better to have 5000 in the stands at $20 per ticket or 10,000 at $10?

I doubt there the drop off in attendance would be that stark. BGSU wouldn't raise ticket prices if there was nothing to be gained.

I'm not convinced they have that good of a grasp on things...

[Falconfreak90]

Mine were the same price, too...

[hammb]

Take BGSU Season football tickets for what they are: a donation to the University/Athletic Department for a set value with the "perk" of getting to watch the games from the same seat every week. That's all they are. That's likely all they'll ever be.

The "market value" of BGSU football tickets is near zero. In terms of supply and demand they've been vastly overpriced forever, and will continue to be. On any given Saturday you can likely walk around the tailgate lot and find somebody begging you to take the tickets off their hands. If not, just go to your local Huntington bank and ask for free tickets and they'll hand you 20-30 if you want them.

Flip said it best...the pricing of the tickets is merely trying to find the sweet spot of charging the highest they can without losing the donation from those compelled to pay it. If you aren't looking to donate to the University and just want to watch the games, I'd recommend just showing up and talking to people. I know when I had season tickets I had a helluva time finding people to take them off my hands, I'm sure there are plenty of similar stories out there.

[hammb]

I

This has been brought up many times before, but I’d still like to know we could draw crowds in the 18-20 K range years go, but have had time getting 15k even on a nice day.

This one is easy. CFB (and really all sports) revenue has been more closely tied to TV than attendance for years. You can now sit at home and watch pretty much any worthwhile college football game every week. As a kid there were weeks where we weren't even guaranteed to get the OSU game on TV in Ohio. Nowadays if you try you could probably catch every game from any "upper echelon" program in any market nationally.

Almost every single week there is at least one compelling top flight college football matchup on national television. You're no longer competing with casual fans who would rather stay at home to watch the OSU game, you're also competing with casual college football fans that would rather stay at home to watch the Oregon-Clemson game, or whatever.

BG football's attendance success "back in the day" was likely tied to drawing in College football fans who saw it as an opportunity to watch some football live in an era where they might only have ND or one other game available to watch on TV at home. Now that anybody with cable has their choice of 30-50 games in any given week its unlikely that most of those fans are going to choose watching the BG game live. Declining attendance is an issue all over college football. It's just more stark at the programs such as ours where even our alumni base doesn't have a strong attachment to the program.

[Schadenfreude]

Declining attendance is an issue all over college football.

This is important to keep in mind.

[Flipper]

To add to what hammb said...HDTV and big assed screens make it possible to sit at home and have a far superior viewing experience in the comfort of your own home with your friends, food and beer.

[BGorDeath]

To add to what hammb said...HDTV and big assed screens make it possible to sit at home and have a far superior viewing experience in the comfort of your own home with your friends, food and beer.

And all the freaking Tootsie Rolls I want.

[moneymaker02]

I'm sorry I'm kind of just in a little shock and aw at how cheap season tickets are even with the price increase. Brand new program for UNCC here in Charlotte is over 4k for season tickets and people here think that is cheap. Its all in the eye of the beholder.