star2city Posted September 14, 2003 Posted September 14, 2003 UND game ticket pricing is gouging The Forum, which is fast losing any credibility other than a rag, ran this Sunday editorial trashing UND. No mention is made of no change is season ticket prices, nor is NDSU's 2004 DivI ticket prices mentioned, nor are free-market principles (which the Forum normally vehemently defend) considered. Anyone think the game still won't sell out? Next year, when NDSU athletics have their cups out begging for alms, you can bet the Forum will be asking the citizens to support the great quest for Div I status. Furthermore, if the Forum editorial board had any ethics, they would include a disclaimer that WDAY/WDAZ are owned by the same company that owns the Forum, and their TV ratings would benefit from a boycott. Absolutely appalling. Quote
PCM Posted September 14, 2003 Posted September 14, 2003 When President Champman talked about the need for competition while pushing for programs to duplicate those at UND, he was all for the principles of free-market capitalism. I don't recall that the Forum had a problem with his position. But when UND uses the principle of supply and demand to set ticket prices, suddenly the Forum is offended. Quote
ScottM Posted September 14, 2003 Posted September 14, 2003 Variable pricing has been around for years in any number of sports. These clowns are whining about $11? Big deal, that's roughly the price for a post-game meal. If $11 gets their panties in a twist, wait until the *real* costs of running a D1 program come home to roost, and Chaps' revenue projections are finally stripped of the facade of credibility. Yeah, I'm sure UND was truly motivated by spite and caprice to raise ticket prices for this game to get back at the Stream Yellow rabble. (sarcasm fully intended) Whatever helps them sleep on those long bus rides to the middle nowhere in the dead of winter because no established schools will want to travel to an embryonic D1 program in January, especially on the cheap. Give 'em Hell, Roger! Quote
star2city Posted September 16, 2003 Author Posted September 16, 2003 At the risk belaboring this topic, a couple of more points to add: 1. Apparently, the Forum/WDAY were not satisfied with the marked increase in their radio audience after the Bison Quote
CoteauRinkRat Posted September 19, 2003 Posted September 19, 2003 $27 is a lot of money and I'm not disputing that fact. The problem I have is with Fargo and their media coming out against the ticket prices. Will they address NDSU ticket prices in the future? I have a feeling Forum communications will be eating a little crow when the Bison are forced to meet the needs of their D1 budget, by raising their prices to the same level. Simple economics of supply and demand. There is a great demand for the Sioux/Bison game. UND tested the marketplace by raising the prices to 27 and what has happened? Looks to be another sellout, therefore they made a decision that had to been risky on their part, but it paid off. Quote
UND92,96 Posted September 19, 2003 Posted September 19, 2003 I don't begrudge anyone who has a problem with the ticket price, but just so there's no confusion, it must be pointed out that season ticket holders are paying roughly $13.33 per game, UND students get in with a student ID, and children under 18 and senior citizens 60 and over get in for $10.50. So probably more than half of the crowd, even if it's a sell-out, will be paying less than half of the face value of the ticket. I can't help but wonder how many more season tickets may have been sold had there been this much attention regarding the ticket prices about a month ago and more fans would have realized the relative bargain of a season ticket... Quote
tony Posted September 19, 2003 Posted September 19, 2003 As UND92,96 kind of pointed out, NDSU fans are getting "gouged" to a much greater extent than UND people. I think that is why people are upset in Fargo. Couple this with the last time UND had the game and a bunch of NDSU fans being told that the tickets they bought weren't any good but, "Hey, you can buy UND season tickets if you want", and some people are starting to see a pattern that may or may not be there (i.e. UND's administration being petty and somewhat spiteful). I'm not too worried about the ticket prices myself because there is precious little live entertainment that can be purchased for less than $30 anymore. Quote
CoteauRinkRat Posted September 19, 2003 Posted September 19, 2003 There are people in this world that will never be happy with anything. I'm just curious to see if the game continues into next year, what NDSU will charge for the game? Quote
UND92,96 Posted September 19, 2003 Posted September 19, 2003 It's interesting to contrast the football ticket situation, where the majority of attendees are not season ticket holders, and the hockey ticket situation. I'm not sure if anyone else has commented on this, but single game tickets for the hockey series against Minnesota and St. Cloud are also $27.50. But since practically everyone in REA is a season ticket holder or student, I doubt we'll be hearing much, if any complaining about it. Gopher fans probably won't bat an eye at paying $27.50 since they normally pay $28.00 for a single game ticket, anyway. At SCSU, it's $20.00 for their home series against the Sioux, and obviously watching a game at the National Hockey Center is not anywhere near as comfortable as at REA so an extra $7 shouldn't be a big deal to them, either. Quote
BisonMav Posted September 19, 2003 Posted September 19, 2003 Having paid high prices for sporting events, the $27.50 is reasonable. But to be fair in the comparison with hockey. If the hockey tickets were based on the same percentage as football they would be $35.00 per ticket. Quote
UND92,96 Posted September 19, 2003 Posted September 19, 2003 Having paid high prices for sporting events, the $27.50 is reasonable. But to be fair in the comparison with hockey. If the hockey tickets were based on the same percentage as football they would be $35.00 per ticket. I see where you got the hypothetical $35.00 price from, but that's a little misleading. You have to keep in mind that hockey prices for non-Minnesota/SCSU games went from $16.50 last year (I think) to $21.00 this year. Football prices for games against everyone except NDSU remained relatively unchanged, going from $15.50 last year to $16.50 this year. So yes, if you were to add 66.7% to the non-Minnesota/SCSU hockey prices, which were already increased by 27% from last year, you would get $35.00. Quote
CoteauRinkRat Posted September 19, 2003 Posted September 19, 2003 That was a huge jump in prices for hockey. Have we been told any reasons behind this? A dollar a ticket is one thing, but they jumped almost 5 and in some cases 11. They obviously can charge that because we pay it, but just a little explanation of charging 16.50 for a ticket against Michigan Tech last year, and now 21. hmmmm Quote
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