Herald Editorial - UND Football Ticket Prices

[CoteauRinkRat]

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforkshe...ion/6863903.htm

Two editorials in one week ripping Sioux Football. What is up with this?

[WYOBISONMAN]

Why two editorials? Because some big mistakes seem to be being made with regards to UND football. While I have always supported the option for the Sioux to charge what traffic will bear for the game, it seem that they have reached the point that the market will not support the price for the tickets.

UND has scheduled too many patsy opponents and has charged too much for the tickets for Bison/Sioux. Thats why you have two editorials blasting UND football. Time for Roger Thomas to wake up and get that egg wiped off his face.

Don't feel to bad though. Dr. Chapman and Gene Taylor have found themselves in a mess over booze and tailgating at NDSU.

[CoteauRinkRat]

The tailgating issue in Fargo is really a joke. NDSU alumni, supporters, and students ( over the age of 21 of course) really need to let their voice be heard. The Forum had some funny quotes in today's paper regarding people's frustrations over the tailgating issue.

Why would they make tailgating an issue now? Especially when NDSU needs their supporters behind them in every way.

[UND92,96]

So let me get this straight, Dennis says that UND may have priced itself beyond the means of the common person for the football game against NDSU, uses the division I hockey program as a model for scheduling (and at least by inference for ticket pricing), but fails to mention how many tickets have already been sold for that game (I believe it's already at or near a sell-out), and that at least for non-season ticket holders, hockey also has different ticket prices depending upon the opponent which, in the case of two series, equal the price for the NDSU football game? Nice research job, Tom. If they felt the need to have an editorial on a UND sports issue, at least let somebody who knows something about UND sports (Bakken, Fee, etc.) write it. Jacobs and Dennis clearly do not.

[CoteauRinkRat]

I thought the editorial was not researched very well either. He failed to mention that hockey charges different prices for different opponents.

The Herald editorial staff still hates the nickname, so they will continually hold a grudge against the university and especially against their athletic teams

[airmail]

it seem that they have reached the point that the market will not support the price for the tickets. 

I disagree... I think it will be a sellout even though the tickets are higher priced. Someone will buy them...

But like you said, at least we can tailgate.

[BisonMav]

UND92,96 Posted on Sep 26 2003, 08:43 AM

  So let me get this straight, Dennis says that UND may have priced itself beyond the means of the common person for the football game against NDSU,

I too believe the game will sellout, but not to the common person.

$27.50 is a lot of money to the common person. And then if you take a family of four it adds up. Especially with concessions etc. I have been told the average income in the US is around $20,000 per year.

To put the the $27.50 in perspective, you can see the Michigan Wolverines play the Gophers for $35.00 and $15.00 per ticket. If you can get a group of 15 or more the tickets are lowered to $25.00 and $10.00.

Wisconsin is the only game with a solid $40.00 across the board.

[The Sicatoka]

Dear GF Herald Editorial Board:

The way things stand, the draw on Oct. 13 isn't the UND team. The Bison and the tough fight they'll offer helps give the game its standout appeal.

I don't see a game on October 13. I see one on October 18.

.... a more uniform ticket-pricing policy ....

I got exactly that when I paid $80 and got a football season ticket. That works out to roughly $13 per game.

Variable pricing has been in effect for UND Hockey since the opening of Ralph Engelstad Arena. Now please study up on the ticket pricing for UND Athletics.

http://www.fightingsioux.com/info/ticket/hockey.asp

http://www.fightingsioux.com/info/ticket/football.asp

http://www.fightingsioux.com/info/ticket/bball.asp

Thank you.

[The Sicatoka]

I know we'd all like to have everything cost exactly what we think it should.

However, the vendor has to cover their production expenses.

Another way to look at this:

There isn't much difference between a Ford Taurus and a Mercury Sable. Yet, the Sable consistently costs more, and even more than the differences alone.

Your choices are:

Buy the Sable

Buy the Taurus

Walk

This is about maximizing revenues. Isn't that what we all are about?

[CoteauRinkRat]

The Sicatoka

I really agree with your statment. Why shouldn't a person pay more to see game that has more appeal and more demand than other games?

The Herald and others make it seem that UND is the first school ever to do this.

If people don't want to pay it, don't. No one is forcing anyone to hand over 27 dollars.

[WYOBISONMAN]

Just out of curiosity......if you are charging what the game is "worth" ....... How much for a ticket to the Crookston game?

[The Sicatoka]

We'll never be able to find out considering Dale Lennon's statements after this season's game.

[RD17]

Just out of curiosity......if you are charging what the game is "worth" ....... How much for a ticket to the Crookston game?

$16.50...The extra 11 bucks for the NDSU game is for the added value of watching Sioux football players carrying around a big fake nickel.

[BisonMav]

RD17 Posted on Sep 26 2003, 01:06 PM

  $16.50...The extra 11 bucks for the NDSU game is for the added value of watching Sioux football players carrying around a big fake nickel. 

And to watch the Bison carry the REAL nickel trophy!

[RD17]

[DamStrait]

Why does the Herald charge more for their Saturday and Sunday editions? Is it because of increased demand due to a better product? Why doesn't the Herald produce a product the level of the Sunday edition everyday? What's the saying about people that live in glass houses?

[BisonMav]

RD17

.....for the added value of watching Sioux football players carrying around a big fake nickel.

How would NDSU players know if the nickel were real or a fabrication? It's been seen so rarely in Fargo in the last decade that they wouldn't be able to tell them apart. 

Because you said the Sioux football players would be carrying the fake nickel.

[nodakvindy]

I think part of the problem is a lot of these policies border on the old saying of "Penny Wise and Pound Foolish". If you want to bleed every last cent out of your fan base you can make that choice, but what happens during an off season or two or when the newness of the Alerus and Ralph wear off. You can only rely on the good will of the fans so long and to continually burn bridges is a bad idea.

Since the opening of the new area we have seen ticket price increases of more than 200%. And while the new arena brought a much greater variety of concession options, there was a considerable price increase from when dining services controlled concessions. How much longer can that continue? I think there is validity to the concerns of pricing out you constituency.

I say this despite being a season ticket holder myself who still finds my tickets a good value. However, I am concerned over the ever-increasing role of REA in the UND athletic department. It seems everything has been ceded to them, and I'm not sure that is such a great idea. I dread the thought of an O'Keefe halftime show at football games or something similar.

[CoteauRinkRat]

I long for those days when dining services once controlled the concessions............. NOT

[UND92,96]

I too believe the game will sellout, but not to the common person.

$27.50 is a lot of money to the common person.  And then if you take a family of four it adds up.  Especially with concessions etc.  I have been told the average income in the US is around $20,000 per year. 

I'm confused by your post. If you think the game will be a sell-out, but not to the so-called "common person" (of which I'm pretty sure I'm one), who exactly are these 13,500 people who will be in the stands?

[NewGuy]

They are the type of people that spend the whole game sitting in the beer garden with the who's who of Grand Forks. The same people that go to the Sioux hockey games, sit in puck alley, spend the entire warm-ups gabbing to their friend, and then wonder why they get drilled with pucks. Football is not as bad as hockey, yet. However, if the football team could rattle off a couple of good years in a row we might be there. Whether right or wrong, Sioux sporting events are turning into "social clubs" rather than games to watch.

[CoteauRinkRat]

NewGuy

Your post is right on the money. I have no problem with people going to the games for various "social" reasons, but I have a problem with season ticket holders, especially at hockey games, when they decide not to show up because it isn't the Gophers.

I know some people who have 8 seats and they might have went to ten games last year. They paid for the tickets and they can do whatever they want with them, but when you don't go, give them away or something.

I don't want to see football go down this same path, but it is headed there.

[UND92,96]

I'm going to limit my comments to football only, but I really haven't seen any indication that more than a very few people are there just to schmooze. At least not the people who sit around me in Section 204. The way I see it, while the "atmosphere" may be better at an outdoor facility, it's a proven fact that the majority of people are quite literally "fair weather fans." At least with the Alerus, people do come out in bigger numbers. Sure, not all of them are necessarily hard-core fans, but so be it. At least they're there. If somebody has a solution to get big crowds to the games, made up exclusively of "real" fans, without cutting ticket prices so much that all the burden will fall on the alums and/or season ticket holders to pick up the revenue slack, then by all means tell the athletic department about it.

[BisonMav]

UND92,96 Posted: Sep 27 2003, 09:54 AM 

I'm confused by your post. If you think the game will be a sell-out, but not to the so-called "common person" (of which I'm pretty sure I'm one), who exactly are these 13,500 people who will be in the stands? 

If a household income is around $20,000, then it is an average income in the USA. That is my definition of a common(Average income) person. Upper income in the USA starts at around $45,000 per household.

I used the word common in reference to this message:

UND92,96 Posted: Sep 26 2003, 08:43 AM 

So let me get this straight, Dennis says that UND may have priced itself beyond the means of the common person for the football game against NDSU, uses the division I hockey program as a model for scheduling (and at least by inference for ticket 

The people that are more willing to pay $27.50 per tickets, IMO are more likely to be in a higher income bracket. I know people that are around the average income level that are not going to pay $27.50 to go to the game. I also know some people making much more money that are going to pay the price and go to the game. More disposable income to spend on entertainment. I am sure there are exceptions to the rule, but that is how I see it.

[ScottM]

If people are making around $20000 a year with a family of four, perhaps they should find a different job or get themselves fixed rather than going to a football game.