Attendance & Alcohol

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

Apparently the math allowed three free tickets to the Drake game, which even at the cheapest rate to a "non-premium game" in my section gets close to $90. Other schools with newer stadiums, like UM, have reduced prices.

UM is a wonderful comparison to SDSU. I can't think of a more appropriate peer. #purplefont

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

I'm not opposed to it, but there's some logistical considerations. First, those extra tickets are going to be non-premium games. There's no way the athletics department is going to give out free tickets to NDSU/USD/Hobo Day/Beef bowl. I'm also not sure on the exact number of season ticket holders we have (3k?), but you're talking about the department giving away somewhere in the 3-6k tickets for a single game? I'm sure there could be an exchange program set up that would allow you to donate your unused tickets back for resale, but that's still a ton of tickets to give away, even for a non-premium game.

Finally, if the goal here is to get more fans exposed, I'm not sure this is the best strategy. Considering that most season tickets are located in a few select area's of the stadium and are likely surrounded by other season ticket holders, your extra seats given out to your guests aren't going to be right by you because those seats are are ready taken. Your guests would be sitting by themselves for the game, unless you move over with them and leave your own seats. At the end of the day, you don't get to share the game atmosphere with the guests that you invited with the intent of showing them what they're missing by not coming to games. Instead, they'll be sitting amongst strangers in a potentially empty area of the stadium. I think it's an interesting idea, but I'm not sure that it would work and/or have that he intended outcome of growing the fanbase.

Not really disagreeing, but a few counter thoughts:

Spread the tickets between non premium games. No, they shouldn't give away tickets to NDSU or hobo day.

It is a lot of tickets to give away, but it is also a lot of tickets to go unused. We have the inventory, and it's rotting on the shelves right now.

Guests aren't going to sit by season ticket holders regardless. Expose them to tailgating (haha) and let them enjoy free tickets.

I don't know if it would work or not either, but it is an interesting idea I hadn't heard of before. Maybe make it a perk of club seats... expose the casual fan to club 71 would make a fantastic impression.

[CappinHard]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

Not really disagreeing, but a few counter thoughts:

Spread the tickets between non premium games. No, they shouldn't give away tickets to NDSU or hobo day.

It is a lot of tickets to give away, but it is also a lot of tickets to go unused. We have the inventory, and it's rotting on the shelves right now.

Guests aren't going to sit by season ticket holders regardless. Expose them to tailgating (haha) and let them enjoy free tickets.

I don't know if it would work or not either, but it is an interesting idea I hadn't heard of before. Maybe make it a perk of club seats... expose the casual fan to club 71 would make a fantastic impression.

The problem with so many free tickets consistently would be that people would get used to it and just not buy tickets. It happens with friends of season ticket holders all the time. They get used to their friend having a ticket or two to that they can't get rid of. I would argue that you might lose money by doing this due to lost sales. If there was a way to guarantee the free tickets go to someone who wouldn't have otherwise bought a ticket, that's one thing. But that's impossible to do.

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

Not really disagreeing, but a few counter thoughts:

Spread the tickets between non premium games. No, they shouldn't give away tickets to NDSU or hobo day.

It is a lot of tickets to give away, but it is also a lot of tickets to go unused. We have the inventory, and it's rotting on the shelves right now.

Guests aren't going to sit by season ticket holders regardless. Expose them to tailgating (haha) and let them enjoy free tickets.

I don't know if it would work or not either, but it is an interesting idea I hadn't heard of before. Maybe make it a perk of club seats... expose the casual fan to club 71 would make a fantastic impression.

I also like the idea. You couldn't include premium games but you could include 2-3 other games on the schedule. Reserve a certain number of those types of tickets for each game and have them on a first come first serve basis.

You're right about the inventory being there. We could have had 40% of the people bring two other people on Saturday and still not been at capacity.

[Mr_Tibbs]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

I think large amounts of free tickets is kind of a bad look. Obviously, so are a bunch of empty seats. But giving away literally thousands of free tickets feels like a white flag move, and I don't know that it will have the desired impact. I also think that giving people free tickets and sticking them in the southeast corner of the stadium is a bad move. It's pretty dead on that side, and I don't think anyone''s experience over there for the type of game they'd likely receive these tickets for will have them clamoring for more.

Maybe it's just me, but inviting folks to go to the game with you and then having them sit several sections away is kind of a dick move. Perhaps they wouldn't care though.

[jakejc795]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

UM is a wonderful comparison to SDSU. I can't think of a more appropriate peer. #purplefont

Merely one regional example. I find it interesting you seem critical of reducing ticket prices, but you're somehow in favor of giving away free tickets. #illogical

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

I think large amounts of free tickets is kind of a bad look. Obviously, so are a bunch of empty seats. But giving away literally thousands of free tickets feels like a white flag move, and I don't know that it will have the desired impact. I also think that giving people free tickets and sticking them in the southeast corner of the stadium is a bad move. It's pretty dead on that side, and I don't think anyone''s experience over there for the type of game they'd likely receive these tickets for will have them clamoring for more.

Maybe it's just me, but inviting folks to go to the game with you and then having them sit several sections away is kind of a dick move. Perhaps they wouldn't care though.

Maybe I'm just missing something, but what difference does it make whether the additional ticket is free or bought at the ticket office? Either way they won't be sitting by the person who invited them, right?

[jakejc795]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

I think large amounts of free tickets is kind of a bad look. Obviously, so are a bunch of empty seats. But giving away literally thousands of free tickets feels like a white flag move, and I don't know that it will have the desired impact. I also think that giving people free tickets and sticking them in the southeast corner of the stadium is a bad move. It's pretty dead on that side, and I don't think anyone''s experience over there for the type of game they'd likely receive these tickets for will have them clamoring for more.

Maybe it's just me, but inviting folks to go to the game with you and then having them sit several sections away is kind of a dick move. Perhaps they wouldn't care though.

An opportunity to generate pre-season ticket sales and reduce the separation of groups you mention would be to incentivize additional ticket purchases during season ticket renewal. For instance, they could offer vouchers at the bookstore/stadium store contingent upon purchasing additional tickets to non-premium games, and I know the ticket office has allowed me to select preferred locations when I've done that in the past and even last week when I was purchasing extra Hobo Day tickets.

[jakejc795]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

Maybe I'm just missing something, but what difference does it make whether the additional ticket is free or bought at the ticket office? Either way they won't be sitting by the person who invited them, right?

You can increase your odds considerably if you purchase the additional tickets when season tickets are renewed.

[jakejc795]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

The Drake game is a freebie as far as the athletic department''s concerned. They set prices for the other games to make the numbers work for 6 home games. Once the 7th got dropped in their lap, they had a lot of freedom to reduce prices/do different giveaways/promos/etc. I wouldnt look at free tickets to the Drake game as any indication of the budgeting and pricing of the other six games in a normal season. They're giving away tickets for that game because they can afford to do so without going in the red somewhere else.

Zimmer mentioned that "Jacks negotiated a deal..." so unless the terms of said deal stipulated that moving the game would be a "freebie" for Jacks, the lost ticket sales are only one item in the ledger.

If Drake received any buyout, that only lends further support to the fact that a marginal reduction in ticket prices is not prohibitive.

[BrerRabbit]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

I think large amounts of free tickets is kind of a bad look. Obviously, so are a bunch of empty seats. But giving away literally thousands of free tickets feels like a white flag move, and I don't know that it will have the desired impact. I also think that giving people free tickets and sticking them in the southeast corner of the stadium is a bad move. It's pretty dead on that side, and I don't think anyone''s experience over there for the type of game they'd likely receive these tickets for will have them clamoring for more.

Maybe it's just me, but inviting folks to go to the game with you and then having them sit several sections away is kind of a dick move. Perhaps they wouldn't care though.

I literally invite hundreds of people to tailgate. I send out a preseason email to dozens, and tell them to forward it to their kids and friends and start making plans and ordering tickets. Some come every time, some come only once, some bring their friends. There is NO WAY to put all these people together in the stadium and THEY DON'T CARE. We split up for the game and no one is offended. Some don't even go to the game. My mom and Lori's mom come for the family fun and then trundle back home. I don't blame them, the bleachers aren't comfortable for me either.

I get that you do not like this idea for your own reasons (which I do not agree with but you're entitled to your opinions) but we have to invite people and make it easy for them to decide whether its fun for them. This is one small and FREE way to accomplish that.

And if UPD frisks our mothers as a result of this post, well, then they all get what they deserve!

[CappinHard]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

the bleachers aren't comfortable for me either

I've seen a lot of people comment on the bleachers not being comfortable. Bring a pad to the game to sit on... it helps a lot. I bought some pads they used to use at Coughlin and bring them to every game. Worth it. Especially in the winter, it provides some insulation from the freezing cold seat.

[BrerRabbit]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

Thanks, I do have to come up with something. There's a reason why aluminum is used to conduct heat/cold.

[BitsTD]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

Thanks, I do have to come up with something. There's a reason why aluminum is used to conduct heat/cold.

Standing at the appropriate does wonders for cold, sore butts & trick hips.😂

I try to stand all game.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

[Mr_Tibbs]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

I literally invite hundreds of people to tailgate. I send out a preseason email to dozens, and tell them to forward it to their kids and friends and start making plans and ordering tickets. Some come every time, some come only once, some bring their friends. There is NO WAY to put all these people together in the stadium and THEY DON'T CARE. We split up for the game and no one is offended. Some don't even go to the game. My mom and Lori's mom come for the family fun and then trundle back home. I don't blame them, the bleachers aren't comfortable for me either.

I get that you do not like this idea for your own reasons (which I do not agree with but you're entitled to your opinions) but we have to invite people and make it easy for them to decide whether its fun for them. This is one small and FREE way to accomplish that.

And if UPD frisks our mothers as a result of this post, well, then they all get what they deserve!

That's fair, and it sounds like a well placed effort on your part. Thanks for doing what you can to grow the fanbase. You're right in that it is my own personal preference on having guests sit with me, so I won't argue with you on that point. To each their own.

Im not opposed to free ticket give aways, but I'm not sure if throwing two extra tickets into each season ticket holders' envelope to the tune of 6 thousand free tickets is the best move either.