No single game tickets means not ever!!
- Thread starter CyAg
- Start date
Folks...the tickets will be sold one way or another. There isn't an AD in the country that will turn away money. They're just not being sold now.
This game will be on TV and Pollard won't be embarrassed by his stadium with thousands of empty seats being broadcast throughout the state - and possibly the nation if it's picked up (doubtful for this year).
This game will be on TV and Pollard won't be embarrassed by his stadium with thousands of empty seats being broadcast throughout the state - and possibly the nation if it's picked up (doubtful for this year).
I was told by a coworker who is part of the evil-empire, that Minnesota did something similar last season. If you wanted a ticket to the Iowa/Minn game, you had to buy it in some sort of mini-pack.
It's really not a bad idea, I just wish they'd be upfront about it if that's the case.
It's really not a bad idea, I just wish they'd be upfront about it if that's the case.
I can understand this - yet in Marketing - you sometimes withhold information in order to get your customer to choose the route you want them to. The AD's office wants us to buy season tickets first and foremost.
And if they offer the Iowa game in packs - there is no deceit. They stated no single game tickets would be sold and you could only guarantee an Iowa ticket via the season ticket route.
If so, I'm afraid to say he should be fired.
Say this ploy manages to scrape up another 5K season ticket holder. Hell, say 10K (I still think it's going down to under 30K, but whatever). That still leaves us with 15-20K empty seats. That's anywhere in the neighborhood of three-quarters to a million and a quarter left empty - on a guarantee sellout. And when you're screaming about budget, you don't walk away from a sure thing.
I agree with the above. He'll hold the game ransom for awhile, then package it up with Kent State. Maybe even a three gamer with KSU or CU. And that's fine by me.
Say this ploy manages to scrape up another 5K season ticket holder. Hell, say 10K (I still think it's going down to under 30K, but whatever). That still leaves us with 15-20K empty seats. That's anywhere in the neighborhood of three-quarters to a million and a quarter left empty - on a guarantee sellout. And when you're screaming about budget, you don't walk away from a sure thing.
I agree with the above. He'll hold the game ransom for awhile, then package it up with Kent State. Maybe even a three gamer with KSU or CU. And that's fine by me.
Why should he be fired, for having thousands of empty seats?
Book it folks - it won't happen. It would be the most ridiculous thing that ever happened and Jamie Pollard is no dummy.
Book it folks - it won't happen. It would be the most ridiculous thing that ever happened and Jamie Pollard is no dummy.
Actually, it sounds like the definition of deceit to me.
1. the act or practice of deceiving; concealment or distortion of the truth for the purpose of misleading; duplicity; fraud; cheating: Once she exposed their deceit, no one ever trusted them again.
We have no idea if the AD's office has plans of game packs - we're just speculating at this point.
I will repeat, based on what was sent to me, they will not sell single seats. I also do not see them doing three game packs or something lik ethat for them.
Below is the exact response, judge for yourself. (released with prior permission)
Jamie Pollard:
"I can assure you that we are not going to sell single game tickets later. That was an absolute when we decided to try this idea. We recognize that we could have empty seats. That is simply a risk worth taking. We had 36,000 single game ticket requests two years ago from donors. We filled 18,000 of them which would wipe out any opportunity to increase season tickets if we did that this year.
Below is the exact response, judge for yourself. (released with prior permission)
Jamie Pollard:
"I can assure you that we are not going to sell single game tickets later. That was an absolute when we decided to try this idea. We recognize that we could have empty seats. That is simply a risk worth taking. We had 36,000 single game ticket requests two years ago from donors. We filled 18,000 of them which would wipe out any opportunity to increase season tickets if we did that this year.
As we stated in our letter, the only single game tickets will be the tickets we have to contractually provide Iowa and the tickets we need for our own tent parties. The rest will either be sold as a season ticket or will go empty."
Do the numbers people:
30,000 season tickets
5,000-8,000 to Iowa to be sold through their ticket office
5,000 for corporate and tents (average of 100/tent)
Now we are talking a very different number risk.
Do the numbers people:
30,000 season tickets
5,000-8,000 to Iowa to be sold through their ticket office
5,000 for corporate and tents (average of 100/tent)
Now we are talking a very different number risk.
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Umm, yes exactly why he should be fired. I'm not sure of the language in his contract or any type of goals he might have set as part of his performance. But preventing fans from attending a game and leaving upwards and excess of a million dollars of revenue on the table doesn't sit well in my book
Not sure what you mean by your second line? That he wouldn't be fired or he wouldn't let the seats remain empty?
Not sure what you mean by your second line? That he wouldn't be fired or he wouldn't let the seats remain empty?
Bryce, I couldn't agree more with you. If this is indeed true, this is the worst move Pollard made and it will definitely leave a lot of Cyclone fans extremely upset.
Consider my case, for instance. Spent 4 years at ISU, I am from Europe (soccer is the main sport there), but really bought into the Cyclone spirit and had season tickets for football and basketball the 4 years I spent in Ames. Now I'm in Michigan and obviously won't be buying season tickets simply because it is impossible for me to go to every game. But if I plan to drive 700 miles to Ames to support ISU, at this point I either have no tickets and go to Welch Avenue or have to spend a lot of money just to go to a single game.
Pollard has to keep in mind that we donate to ISU just like anybody else and just because we don't live in Iowa, it doesn't make us lesser Cyclone fans.
I sure hope this is not true.
BTW, what was the deal with the billboard thing you describe??
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Heres the way I see it breaking down. There is a real push now until the end of Feb. deadline to get as many season ticket holders as possible. These people are rewarded with getting the seating priority in addition to the other incentives. After the dust settles on this wave, they will look at the remaining seats and will lower the price on some of them and may offer a package situation as well. These seats will be very tempting for ISU fans and Iowa fans alike and will result in probably close to a full house for the Iowa game and better sales for all other home games. They are doing whatever it takes to maximize ticket revenue and this does not always mean sellouts. I am also of the opinion like many others that Pollard will not go back on his word, as mentioned above there have been several times where we didn't think he could be serious and he was correct in what he said.
I hope you aren't serious...but I have a feeling you are. :no6xn:
JP should have fired because he is trying to increase season ticket sales??? Care to explain that one to me?
In any scenario, why would you fill out single game ticket requests before you fullfilled season ticket orders? That's just bad business. Then again, look who was at the helm two years ago....
If you have 55K single ticket requests, why would you fill one of them before you let past a season ticket deadline. Hell, wait til kickoff of game 1 before you fill the singles requests - I don't care.
But the idea of intentionally leaving any sizeable number of seats empty is beyond ludicrous. And only adds to the beef about raising tickets and parking and other costs. You want current ticket holder to foot a 33% increase, yet leave a million dollar payday unrealized?
And by your numbers I'm guessing Iowa's alotment is 5K (55K - 18K - 5K- 5K = 27K, that sounds about right for two years ago doesn't it?)
And that's the point I've been making...we're not allowed to buy any single game tickets until they have a better idea on season ticket sales.
Yet again, Pollard is making waves and getting media attention for ISU. A marketing maven, this man.
Will be interesting to see how this all plays out. G'night all...
He can try all he wants. I'm all for that. But once it doesn't work - and it won't to any large degree IMO - to just leave money on the table - I can't justify that at all and I don't believe anybody else can.
Worse yet - this has become the VERY DEFINITION of money grab, strong arming, whatever you care to call it. It used to be about "the kids", then "the fans", now it's quickly becoming "how much money you have in your wallet and we'll conside letting you in?"
Damn straight I'm serious. And FWIW, this is the first thing I've criticized JP at all on.
Worse yet - this has become the VERY DEFINITION of money grab, strong arming, whatever you care to call it. It used to be about "the kids", then "the fans", now it's quickly becoming "how much money you have in your wallet and we'll conside letting you in?"
Damn straight I'm serious. And FWIW, this is the first thing I've criticized JP at all on.
Ok, thanks for clarifying.
I agree, they won't stay empty. He's trying something. I don't really care for the "how" of it, but it's hard to really flip about it. But at the end of the day, those seats need to be sold.
I'll even back off a little and say that if there are in excess of 5K-10K left (very likely I think) and he releases them in a package and stands fast on that, I can live with that proposition. It's still a little strong armed, but not to quite the same extent.
I agree, they won't stay empty. He's trying something. I don't really care for the "how" of it, but it's hard to really flip about it. But at the end of the day, those seats need to be sold.
I'll even back off a little and say that if there are in excess of 5K-10K left (very likely I think) and he releases them in a package and stands fast on that, I can live with that proposition. It's still a little strong armed, but not to quite the same extent.
My goodness. JP isn't preventing anybody from attending anything. You can attend; you just have to pay.
JP is doing what all good athletic administrators do and that's bring revenue to the department. One poster projected that we'd only need to sell 22,000 season tickets at the new prices to equal what 30,000 did last year. I suspect the same numbers would work for the Iowa game. He can leave seats open(while not a popular option.) and probably still make more money.
I like JP, and I think he's got great vision. I doubt he's going to change much to appease the few disgruntled fans who don't understand how these changes help the athletic deparment flourish. However I can see him making this a two or three game package deal and still fulfill the spirit of what he said today.:yes4lo: