As Good As I Feel After Today's Win...

[Vespidae]

The point is still accurate I think. Do a gap analysis and ask what do we have to do to close this gap in tix sales, merchandising, fundraising, etc.?

Also, you don't have to be an alum to donate. Auburn's fanbase includes a large portion of the state who did not attend the school, but identify with it through the sports program.

I think it would be a great thing to have the GTAA present it's Growth Plan to the alumni as an organized pitch and solicit feedback. There are a lot of alumni would can help.

 

[Lawyer mark]

I will bring up my rant again. If the empty seats were offered as cheap season tickets, I would have 4. Also buy concessions, pay to park and the guests I brought might become tech fans and want tickets if their own. Instead of offering the seats for $99 like a few years ago, they stay empty and generate $0... I called ticket office over summer asking if and when they would do the $99 special again and was told never.

 

[Vespidae]

This has to be frustrating. Early in my career, I did some real estate investing in apartment complexes. The rule was to lower your rents until the units were 95% rented and then, raise rents as long as you can maintain 95% occupancy.

Those in professional services do the same. Lower your hourly rate until you have sold out your available hours. Then, slowly raise them over time as you establish the value of your service.

I think it would be an excellent move to set aside day, 5000 seats to be sold at $99 each. But maybe there's more to the story. However ... one thing I do know is how little most senior managers pay attention or have any experience in strategic pricing.

 

[OldJacketFan]

I will bring up my rant again. If the empty seats were offered as cheap season tickets, I would have 4. Also buy concessions, pay to park and the guests I brought might become tech fans and want tickets if their own. Instead of offering the seats for $99 like a few years ago, they stay empty and generate $0... I called ticket office over summer asking if and when they would do the $99 special again and was told never.

I do think the $99 special should be offered. It would especially appealing to the younger fans, my cousin's son just purchased 2 of the Flex Pack tickets due to finances but he and his wife would love to be at every game! It was the best option for them this year and they will convert to full season ticket holders next year. I can that being a common occurrence for a lot of the $99 purchasers as they would look to have lower/better seats!

 

[Lawyer mark]

Another thing. If my wife, who is a vandy grad, went to games and then realized what a great family activity it is for our son, then maybe I could justify spending more. I went to most games as a kid because my dad lives football and I got hooked... Seems to make sense to fill the seats and see what happens. No reason ever to have seats open when cheap people like me will go!

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

This has to be frustrating. Early in my career, I did some real estate investing in apartment complexes. The rule was to lower your rents until the units were 95% rented and then, raise rents as long as you can maintain 95% occupancy.
.

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. It is simple economics that the powers that be can't grasp!

 

[AE 87]

If we lost season ticket sales because of the reduced price deals, it wouldn't make sense to keep them

 

[dressedcheeseside]

This has to be frustrating. Early in my career, I did some real estate investing in apartment complexes. The rule was to lower your rents until the units were 95% rented and then, raise rents as long as you can maintain 95% occupancy.

Those in professional services do the same. Lower your hourly rate until you have sold out your available hours. Then, slowly raise them over time as you establish the value of your service.

I think it would be an excellent move to set aside day, 5000 seats to be sold at $99 each. But maybe there's more to the story. However ... one thing I do know is how little most senior managers pay attention or have any experience in strategic pricing.

I think you fail to see the cultural divide between the typical SEC fanbase and GT's. It's not just number of fans, which is hugely significant by itself, it's demographics. There's a whole host of factors that have led to and perpetuate this divide. Maybe it can be lessened to some degree through better marketing, but it's not going away. Not now, not ever.

 

[Vespidae]

I think you fail to see the cultural divide between the typical SEC fanbase and GT's. It's not just number of fans, which is hugely significant by itself, it's demographics. There's a whole host of factors that have led to and perpetuate this divide. Maybe it can be lessened to some degree through better marketing, but it's not going away. Not now, not ever.

Tech reminds of me of the Milwaukee Brewers. A major league team mind you, but one that rarely is AL champion. But, they run one helluva an efficient program. In the end, I guess it's "what kind of program do you want?"

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Tech reminds of me of the Milwaukee Brewers. A major league team mind you, but one that rarely is AL champion. But, they run one helluva an efficient program. In the end, I guess it's "what kind of program do you want?"

Maybe if you compared apples to apples instead of apples to oranges, your argument would get better traction. Let's see... hmmm... how many world class technological research institutes even field div 1 football programs?

 

[Vespidae]

Good question. My fast perusal of the Top 50 Technological Universities says ... 28 also have Division I football.

 

[MWBATL]

I have mixed feelings about this thread.

On the one hand, the SEC programs around us make tons of money with higher ticket prices than we do. There must be a tendency within the GTAA to look at that and try to emulate what we perceive as 'their success" in generating revenues. The problem with that approach is that (1) most SEC programs are willing to invest in football to a much great er degree, especially in terms of recruiting semi-professional players with few or no restrictions, than GT is; and (2) many SEC programs (often as a result of #1) are then perceived by the masses in the state as 'the state program' which means they draw tons of sidewalk supporters for their tickets. I honestly blame the GT Administration for this, as they simply refuse to invest in athletics in general and football in particular to the same degree as the schools everyone wants to compare themselves to in this thread. But that is apparently a quite deliberate choice on their part, and is supported by many in the alumni base (as has been shown many times in threads on this topic on the Hive). I get tired of this....if you want to compare us to SEC schools, go complain to Peterson about the issue, not the GTAA.

The only aspect that bothers me, and what bothers me the most, to be honest. is the relatively poor support from the student body. This was not the case when I was in school, and it bothers me because student sections are often the most vocal/rowdy/entertaining parts of the fan base and stadium experience....and because diminished student interest will eventually (and inevitably) lead to diminished alumni support. I have no explanation for this aspect of the problem, and that worries me.

 

[YlJacket]

I have heard the comment from CPJ that our facilities are sub standard but I am not sure what the specifics are? We have a new indoor practice facility and from what I understand weight rooms, etc. that are not ancient by any stretch. Certainly not the under the north stands stuff that was around in my day

Beyond the sound bite does anyone know the specifics of what he is referring to?

 

[bke1984]

I have mixed feelings about this thread.
The only aspect that bothers me, and what bothers me the most, to be honest. is the relatively poor support from the student body. This was not the case when I was in school, and it bothers me because student sections are often the most vocal/rowdy/entertaining parts of the fan base and stadium experience....and because diminished student interest will eventually (and inevitably) lead to diminished alumni support. I have no explanation for this aspect of the problem, and that worries me.

Were there really more students at the games? I think the student sections may have just been smaller. Our student section is huge now...pretty much the entire lower section of the north end zone + the entire south end zone, and every once in a while seats on the north end of the upper east for frat blocks.

 

[WreckinGT]

The only aspect that bothers me, and what bothers me the most, to be honest. is the relatively poor support from the student body. This was not the case when I was in school, and it bothers me because student sections are often the most vocal/rowdy/entertaining parts of the fan base and stadium experience....and because diminished student interest will eventually (and inevitably) lead to diminished alumni support. I have no explanation for this aspect of the problem, and that worries me.

This is something that is going to eventually going to hit all of college football. Student attendance everywhere has been declining and is seen as a problem for the future. Schools like ours will probably be hit harder and faster though.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

This is something that is going to eventually going to hit all of college football. Student attendance everywhere has been declining and is seen as a problem for the future. Schools like ours will probably be hit harder and faster though.

It's already been noted that the state daycare has problems filling the student section:

http://www.macon.com/sports/college/university-of-georgia/bulldogs-beat/article30117411.html

 

[g0lftime]

As a freshman in 1964 we had about 6500 total students on campus and a stadium that held about 60,000. It was a big deal when I became a senior to get upper deck seats on the East Side and you had to get there early to get a guest pass. The stadium is smaller now and we still have empty seats except for a couple of big games with lots of their fans. Even UNC is not selling out home games anymore and look at the number of alums in NC within driving distance. Duke is lucky to get 20,000 to a non-conference game unless it is a team like ECU. It probably has come down to how much is being charged to attend college games and so much is now on TV or the internet. In 1964 there were maybe one or two big Saturday games on TV and that was it. Wake Forest now sells beer and wine at home games. That will be interesting to see if their attendance is affected. HOWEVER, there is nothing like going to a game at Bobby Dodd and just being there with all the anticipation and excitement.

 

[alagold]

Were there really more students at the games? I think the student sections may have just been smaller. Our student section is huge now...pretty much the entire lower section of the north end zone + the entire south end zone, and every once in a while seats on the north end of the upper east for frat blocks.

it was 50 yrs ago but as a student I didn't sit in the EZ,we were on the 0-30 yd line low in East side.Maybe the seats are not attractive to the new spoiled student.

 

[AE 87]

it was 50 yrs ago but as a student I didn't sit in the EZ,we were on the 0-30 yd line low in East side.Maybe the seats are not attractive to the new spoiled student.

That's where we sat 30 years ago too. I can still hear the vendors shouting, "mixers! shakers! mixers! shakers!"

 

[MWBATL]

it was 50 yrs ago but as a student I didn't sit in the EZ,we were on the 0-30 yd line low in East side.Maybe the seats are not attractive to the new spoiled student.

That's where I was as well...the first few rows were reserved for the Rats, iirc. Then the remainder will filled based on when you arrived at the game. I believe we had more students in the stands, I think we filled the Lower Deck from the 25 or so back into the end zone, all the way to the top (30 rows?)....but that is only my impression. Seniors sat in the same area in the Upper Deck, iirc.