Playoff ticket info

[Justwin]

Re: Playoff ticket info

I'm pessimistic by nature, but I just don't see how this game will break 9000. There's no excuses, but our fan base is so just too casual. Playoff football isn't a big enough draw yet for our fans that don't know the difference between Drake and Montana State. And that's a large part of our fanbase that we depend on to get those 14 K + numbers. Maybe a deep playoff run and a championship might change this pattern of behavior.

But if we have less than 10,000 show up this Saturday with all the help (weather, seed, etc.) we have, I think we are what we are at that point. We've been a playoff team and a national power for long enough now that we should start seeing better attendence late in the year for these big games. If we don't do a little better this Saturday, I'm not sure when we ever will.

Bingo. Apathy is hard to overcome.

[sdsu2000]

Re: Playoff ticket info

Bingo. Apathy is hard to overcome.

I wish I could go to the game but I coach my son's basketball team and we have started the season it boils down to priorities and family comes first. I will watch on my phone in between basketball games.

[CappinHard]

Re: Playoff ticket info

I saw that student tickets are $5. It will be interesting to see how many show up. I don't think the student section will be more than half full.

I'm in the camp of expecting around 8-9k. There just isn't much buzz around this game. I try to create it, but most people are indifferent. Tbh, I think if the game wasn't shown on TV, it would boost attendance by 4-5k. So many people say "eh, I'll probably just watch it on TV".

[Evolution Prime]

Re: Playoff ticket info

Are the students normally charged during regular season games? I know when I went it was covered under activity fees and all you had to do show ID. I guess I assumed that since this was the playoffs that something had to be charged to students.

[WestSideRabbit]

Re: Playoff ticket info

Are the students normally charged during regular season games? I know when I went it was covered under activity fees and all you had to do show ID. I guess I assumed that since this was the playoffs that something had to be charged to students.

No. Just playoff and WNIT/NIT games.

[Evolution Prime]

Re: Playoff ticket info

No. Just playoff and WNIT/NIT games.

Thanks. $5 isn't that much to go to a game, but then again that does take away beer money.

[Carolina010]

Re: Playoff ticket info

I talked to a student yesterday who is fairly active when it comes to sporting events and she didn't even know there was a football game this weekend. She had no idea the jacks made the playoffs let alone were good enough the get a seed. Now that she knows there is a game I asked her if she was going to go and she said no because she had to work until 1:00. I told her the game didn't start until 2:00 and she would have plenty of time to get across town and go but she said if she couldn't tailgate before what was the point in going.

I think this is a very much a common feeling when it comes to our whole fan base not just the students.

[SoDakJack]

Re: Playoff ticket info

Thanks. $5 isn't that much to go to a game, but then again that does take away beer money.

Could the department say, it is $5 to get in unless you donate something to (pick some charity for each playoff home game)? Or is there a mandate from the NCAA that they have to charge? Why not try to increase the student attendance and do some good?

[Justwin]

Re: Playoff ticket info

Could the department say, it is $5 to get in unless you donate something to (pick some charity for each playoff home game)? Or is there a mandate from the NCAA that they have to charge? Why not try to increase the student attendance and do some good?

I believe it is an NCAA mandate for the charge. It would be cool for a local business to buy "x" amount of these tickets that could be left at will call for students to pick up at game time.

[CappinHard]

Re: Playoff ticket info

Could the department say, it is $5 to get in unless you donate something to (pick some charity for each playoff home game)? Or is there a mandate from the NCAA that they have to charge? Why not try to increase the student attendance and do some good?

If I had a business in Brookings, perhaps a bar, I would put something together with the school where if a student buys a beer and shows their student ID, they get a free ticket. Or hyvee or Walmart have something where if you spend over $10 and show your id you get a free ticket. Win/win if you ask me. It would probably take the school to go out and set up things like this, but why wouldn't they? Not only would it increase attendance, but it would increase sales in the stadium. The same could and should be done with regular tickets, especially at businesses in Sioux Falls. It seems like SDSU and other universities think they are above having to promote events like this, but that's what it takes.

[Carolina010]

Re: Playoff ticket info

First bank & trust in Brookings is giving away tickets to local business.

[Mr_Tibbs]

Re: Playoff ticket info

Maybe part of this conversation is really about lack of advertising and marketing from the university/athletics? I know we all know what's going on, but we're the minority when it comes to our fanbase.

I don't know how effective it is, and I'd hate to emulate anything USD does, but I do see a hell of a lot more advertising for their athletics department all along I 29 than I do for SDSU.

I'm not insinuating that static billboards are the answer, but that may be an example of a marketing gap for this type of thing. I agree with other posters that have said that they've never heard an ad for a game on the radio/tv before.

How much does more marketing help with apathy? I'm not sure. There's no way that less advertising is going to help though.

[TK22867]

Re: Playoff ticket info

I bought my season-ticket seats and asked the representative of the ticket office how sales have been (my call made about 2:00 pm). I was told they've been very busy all day. Tickets sales were pretty good last week and they had a lot of orders come in over the weekend that had to be addressed today. I didn't ask about guesstimates on numbers.

In my head, I think I'll be reasonably satisfied with a crowd of 10,000. People are still catching on and the fan base continues to grow. By all rights, this team deserves a full house but I know that's not going to happen.

In all honesty JD, would you expect them to say anything different? That would seem counterproductive to selling tickets to any event.

I don't know what attendance will be, but I do know that those who are there will make a difference and will be heard. No doubt about that.

[CappinHard]

Re: Playoff ticket info

Maybe part of this conversation is really about lack of advertising and marketing from the university/athletics? I know we all know what's going on, but we're the minority when it comes to our fanbase.

I don't know how effective it is, and I'd hate to emulate anything USD does, but I do see a hell of a lot more advertising for their athletics department all along I 29 than I do for SDSU.

I'm not insinuating that static billboards are the answer, but that may be an example of a marketing gap for this type of thing. I agree with other posters that have said that they've never heard an ad for a game on the radio/tv before.

How much does more marketing help with apathy? I'm not sure. There's no way that less advertising is going to help though.

It's a big part of the problem, imo. You need to get it out there on the radio, TV, social media... everywhere. By social media, I don't just mean posting it on Jacks specific accounts, because most casual fans probably don't even follow those accounts. You need to get people sharing it... do a giveaway for anyone that shares a post about the game or a giveaway for anyone who retweets a tweet about the game. Anything...

[SoDakJack]

Re: Playoff ticket info

I don't know what attendance will be, but I do know that those who are there will make a difference and will be heard. No doubt about that.

This is a point that many of us, myself included, who bemoan low turnouts sometime forget. Handing out tickets is great for the optics of the game, but often time those fans don't quite understand how to cheer. All it takes is watching the NDSU game when folks would stand up and cheer on third/fourth down when WE had the ball.

I would be "ok" with 9k...happy with 10k...and ecstatic with anything over 12k