FB ticket prices

[CyAg]

Several things are coming into play over the past few years
-Economy
-Re-indexing
-Raising ticket prices
-Raising again by eliminating the 7th game
-Discounting and packages.

The responsibility of the AD is to maximize long term and short term revenue and growth. There are competing economics curves (supply, desire, etc) that drive all of these price points.

These lines cross and I beleive with the economy and current state of the team, we are begiing to see diminishing returns, and event the discounting could slide the whole curve lower.

Never easy choices but there are some concerned fans out there questioning the costs. They when they see the discounting, they may question even more.

This can be a good discussion topic.

 

[Clonebydesign]

Lets not all jump off the deep end its just ticket discussion. Besides those of you that are paying a ton or anything at all, what about all the tickets that people "get" to use that they never had to pay for? If you only knew how many of those are out there. I'm only talking about adjusting the prices to better fill the stadium, make the revenue that you desperately need, and provide an atmosphere that will draw more back.

 

[erikbj]

If ISU won 8 or 9 games last year, this wouldn't be a discussion. They would sell 40K season tickets (b/c Iowa being at home). If ISU wins people will spend the money......if ISU wins 2 games again, it is going to get harder and harder to write that check for a lot of people.

 

[swarthmoreCY]

Lets not all jump off the deep end its just ticket discussion. Besides those of you that are paying a ton or anything at all, what about all the tickets that people "get" to use that they never had to pay for? If you only knew how many of those are out there. I'm only talking about adjusting the prices to better fill the stadium, make the revenue that you desperately need, and provide an atmosphere that will draw more back.

How many of those free tickets are long-term investments or fronted by donations from corporations?
Filling the stadium does not equate to making the revenue that ISU desperately needs.

 

[Clonebydesign]

Just for thought (not a comparison)............the Barnstormers average about 1/4 of what ISU averages in attendance and they aren’t even close to the same level of entity. They have way more home games also. Now don’t explode just think about it. What may we need to adjust to compete for the almighty dollar? I just close my eyes and hope someday we can average 85-90 attendance in JT. Ok check your pulse and breath.

 

[swarthmoreCY]

Just for thought (not a comparison)............the Barnstormers average about 1/4 of what ISU averages in attendance and they aren’t even close to the same level of entity. They have way more home games also. Now don’t explode just think about it. What may we need to adjust to compete for the almighty dollar? I just close my eyes and hope someday we can average 85-90 attendance in JT. Ok check your pulse and breath.

Umm...how are you not comparing?
Just for thought (I guess not a comparison?).......apples to oranges, and even then it does not support lowering ticket prices as good for the health of the ISU athletic department.
I would hope there are no fans of ISU at Barnstomer games that say they cannot afford to attend a single game on the hillside at JTS.

 

[BryceC]

These lines cross and I beleive with the economy and current state of the team, we are begiing to see diminishing returns, and event the discounting could slide the whole curve lower.

Never easy choices but there are some concerned fans out there questioning the costs. They when they see the discounting, they may question even more.

This is sort of where I'm at. As others have said you can find dirt cheap tickets online through stubhub or outside the stadium the day of the game. You buy the discounted packs to guarantee your seat to the biggest games each year (NU, UI) and then pick up the rest for a fraction of the cost. It really would not even be remotely difficult.

Listen, I like donating to ISU. I donate more than required for my seat level. But it is quite simply getting easier and easier to enjoy Cyclone football at an extreme discount over getting season tickets. I think having season tickets is nice because you have a guaranteed ticket in the same spot every week. At what point is it no longer worth it for that perk though? As you said Aggie, I think we're getting close to it.

 

[swarthmoreCY]

At what point is it no longer worth it for that perk though? As you said Aggie, I think we're getting close to it.

For me this point is when I no longer care if ISU is in a BCS conference.

 

[BryceC]

I'm sorry I haven't achieved your level of nobility. For some of us money is a concern. I am very happy there are fans like you though.

 

[Clonebydesign]

This thread needs to end. In the end we all love the Cyclones. Lets start a new thread and talk about HB, no one really does that. By the way this is the first time I have ever mentioned him since I joined…..feel good.

 

[CyAg]

This thread needs to end. In the end we all love the Cyclones. Lets start a new thread and talk about HB, no one really does that. By the way this is the first time I have ever mentioned him since I joined…..feel good.

If he does sign with us, I will be charging extra to sit in my parquet seats!!

However, I may offer late discounts to those who agree with me in my posts. But only if they donated.

 

[Frak]

This is sort of where I'm at. As others have said you can find dirt cheap tickets online through stubhub or outside the stadium the day of the game. You buy the discounted packs to guarantee your seat to the biggest games each year (NU, UI) and then pick up the rest for a fraction of the cost. It really would not even be remotely difficult.

Listen, I like donating to ISU. I donate more than required for my seat level. But it is quite simply getting easier and easier to enjoy Cyclone football at an extreme discount over getting season tickets. I think having season tickets is nice because you have a guaranteed ticket in the same spot every week. At what point is it no longer worth it for that perk though? As you said Aggie, I think we're getting close to it.

That's why there is no real reason to complain. If you really want to go to the games, there are ways to do it. Especially if you don't mind skipping the iowa game, you should be able to get the other 5 for $50-$75 total using scalpers, ebay or stubhub. Hell, the Cyclone Experience event where the kids meet the various athletes next month has $10 tickets to NDSU. That's a start right there.

IMO most of this is going to go away when the south endzone is done. Then there will only be two hillsides and JP can either slash prices and pack them or charge more because they become more valuable to families.

 

[CyAg]

The concerns are based on how are discounts being applied and what will it cause donors and season ticket holders to do in the future. If it helps, do not think if it as complaining, think of it as questioning.

 

[kingcy]

If ISU won 8 or 9 games last year, this wouldn't be a discussion. They would sell 40K season tickets (b/c Iowa being at home). If ISU wins people will spend the money......if ISU wins 2 games again, it is going to get harder and harder to write that check for a lot of people.

It never is an easy check to write. I am sure many didnt. These tickets are cheap compaired to other Big 12 schools and the donation is bargin. Look around at athletic budgets, Texas has one almost 4 times ours, Iowa's is twice ours. Unless the Big 12 goes to better revenue sharing of TV contracts, this isnt going to change no matter how many games this team wins. I can remember when Mac was winning and the stadium wasnt close to full. I can remember the athletic dept begging fans to go to the Colorado game, when the Big 12 north title was on the line. ISU FB has came a long ways since Mac took over. I can remember going to games under Walden and Macs first years when there were 8,000 people in the stands. Tailgating was fun then but nothing like it is now.

 

[CyBobby]

This is assuming that we would be selling out if the prices were lower. I don't think that's a valid assumption.

After being around for 50 years, I can guarantee you haselhu that you are "rite on"!!!

Good old Jamie Pollard could set ticket prices at 10 dollars per ticket and still would not sell the stadium out, if the team keeps losing....

Ever notice how Iowa State fans always moan and groan about prices and then moan and groan when the athletic dept does not have enough money to keep Mac's top assistants!!!!

STOP BEING CHEAP ....BUY MORE TICKETS....

 

[swarthmoreCY]

I'm sorry I haven't achieved your level of nobility. For some of us money is a concern. I am very happy there are fans like you though.

I was concerned someone would take it that way. I am just saying that for me ISU football is as close to a necessity good as a form of entertainment can be. I have no reason to doubt your dedication to ISU football. I do think there are some people that claim they are fans of ISU, but do not realize how important $ is to the success of the program. For example, when the Big 12 North title was on the line against MU in 2004, I was saddened by how few people went to the game.

 

[Bobber]

Whenever I have doubts about whether ISU can successfully compete in BCS athletics, it is after reading comments like those. Other schools have enough fans that will cry in their beer if they cannot attend a game, view the games as the foremost form of entertainment to bring their entire family to, and it does mean that much to them. Does ISU have enough of these fans? Instead I see ISU having a lot of fans not willing to prioritize ISU athletics in a similar manner, and some that feel vindicated by not supporting ISU athletics. I understand the product needs to get better. I guess you view fans as strictly consumers, and not owners.

Overall a great post other than this last paragraph.

Sure we have those type of fans. When you look at how many seats have been sold the last few year with an extremely poor product on the field, it absolutely tells me we have fans who have that kind of zeal. As a matter of fact they're taking some ownership in venting some frustration at what's being spent and what's being returned. People will only pour money down a rat hole so long...

I have no problems about the current ticket pricing policy. If you don't like it, you are not being forced to buy.

 

[Bobber]

lol
I was concerned someone would take it that way. I am just saying ISU football is as close to a necessity good as a form of entertainment can be.

+1

 

[swarthmoreCY]

Overall a great post other than this last paragraph.

Sure we have those type of fans. When you look at how many seats have been sold the last few year with an extremely poor product on the field, it absolutely tells me we have fans who have that kind of zeal. As a matter of fact they're taking some ownership in venting some frustration at what's being spent and what's being returned. People will only pour money down a rat hole so long...

I have no problems about the current ticket pricing policy. If you don't like it, you are not being forced to buy.

Yeah, I was being sensationalistic to make a point. My bad.
I believe we are low on our growth curve, and we need to spend money to make money. It will be a struggle and take time, but if we hang in there until we find our Hayden Fry, we can move up the ladder. If we can somewhat compete despite the lack of success in the past 30 years, think of what the potential is if PR is like a Hayden. We need to push forward and be as aggressive as we can in generating more revenue from the resources we have until we catch that lighting in a bottle and are able to expand our market-share.

 

[BryceC]

The concerns are based on how are discounts being applied and what will it cause donors and season ticket holders to do in the future. If it helps, do not think if it as complaining, think of it as questioning.

Agreed. I'm not complaining about ticket prices. I think we may be approaching our demand curve at these prices so I'm curious to see what will happen this year.

I've already bought and paid for my tickets. In all likelihood my wife will talk me into getting season tickets until I die. But I would have no problem shopping around if it were just me on my own.