The Birmingham News put together a feature story on the rising cost of ticket prices. The article looks at face value of tickets plus minimum donor contributions required for tickets across the conference.
It's very hard to draw a direct comparison between what one school is doing versus another because each school has so many different pricing tiers for seating and giving. One thing I did was look at what my seats on the 25-30 yard line (lower level) would cost at other "peer" schools. My contribution minimum of $400 / ticket and face value of $40 each stacks up reasonably well vs. Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, LSU and Alabama.
We have lower face value tickets than most of those guys, and our contributions required for seats like mine are a little lower than other schools. The donor requirements for tickets like mine range from $390-$500 in most cases; however, UT charges $1000 for basically the same ticket.
Ultra premium seats at UGA on the 50 yard line are a good deal vs. our peers, however, we don't have a premium chair back section in that area like some other schools. Mediocre seats at UGA which cost $325 or so per ticket in contributions seem to be priced competitively or a little higher than our peers.
Separately, I've got no idea where they got that outrageous UF stat. I'm sitting here looking at the Gators 2008 Football Ticket Prices, and I'm pretty sure there is no minimum $4,200 donation for existing givers/ticket holders. If he's talking about "intro" fees for first time givers, then UGA may blow that stat out of the water this year.
PWD
17 comments:
I know they are going to be released tomorrow, but does anybody have the inside scoop on the contributor cutoffs for this year? I had exactly enough points last year and I'm a little worried this year...
pck, if you got tickets last year and paid the minimum donation on time, you're fine. You will get tickets.
I only have 1500 points as of this spring, but since I'm already a season ticket holder I have renewal rights on my seats.
PCK - If you got tix last year. You'll get tix this year...assuming you contributed the minimum / base that was clearly printed on your order form.
We're hearing that the Cut-Off scores may not be released until Wednesday.
A friend of mine talked with the ticket office on Friday and they said that %99.75 of current holders renewed and that roughly 80 sets of tickets were available for new donors. They did not have the final number for a first time donation, but said it will be north of $10k.
Thanks for all of the tips. I didn't realize that as long as you do the minimum, you'll keep your tix!
This is why I rely on family, friends and acquaintances to give me tickets.
I split with my boss on tickets, but I think it'd be interesting to see how the dollar amount of a guaranteed seat through season tickets match up against market price of Craigslist throughout the season. Sure I might end up in the visitors section, but isn't that where you want obnoxious fans anyway?
Anon, I've heard three numbers:
99.25%
99.5%
99.75%
Bottom line if those number are accurate - Somewhere between 400 and 160 total tickets were out there. And existing alumni took some of them.
I've already written the article on Cut-Off scores. I just need the official numbers before I publish that article.
I'd wager that most of the papers have their articles written too. Just waiting on the official numbers to plug in.
PWD
I've always got a worry in the back of my mind that one year UGA is going to say that even though I beat the minimum donation by 100 bucks that I haven't met the total points for my seats.
I hope this is never the case, 600 bucks is a lot to blow.
Sadly, if one goes to the bridge before game time you can ALWAYS get better tix for cheaper. The exception to this last year was the blackout game. You couldn't find more than 1 tickett for sale and they'd be 300 bucks.
I'm on the west coast now so tickets aren't an issue. If I want to set myself up for getting non-nosebleed seats in 5-7 years when I move back how much should I start coughing up now?
The quality of football is the highest its ever been. It makes sense that the ticket prices should reflect the quality of what's on the field.
Just received my letter from the ticket office saying my first time donation of over $4000 is not even half way to getting tickets. Its funny that I have already given double what some people did a year ago but they have tickets. Guess thats the disadvantage of just graduating and being able to afford to donate now. The question is, do I continue to donate, knowing that it will be a couple of years before I get tickets. You know the cutoff will go up again next year.
Anon 1:34,
I'll address this in an article on Wed when the scores are announced. But my advice would be to give as if you were getting tickets. (so $400-500 or so per ticket). Then scalp on the bridge.
The ticket demand will soften in 2010 and 2011 when the schedule DRAMATICALLY softens and the team isn't expected to rule the universe.
With that $4,000 gift as a starting point, you shouldn't have a problem getting tickets in a few years when demand softens.
But to each his own.
Depends on what you want out of tickets.
If you have $4,000 to donate, then you can afford great seats for good games. That $4k donation wouldn't have gotten you a great seat this year....more than likely.
Paul,
I take offense with your last comment.
I expect us to rule the world forever and ever.
$4k!!! Depending on how high the cut off is, it is possible that people in the same situation as anonymous will have a higher priority for road games or Georgia Florida - even though they are getting no season tickets. So, Anonymous, at least you have that going for you.
Wonder if the ticket office has given any thought to that?
You'd be surprised to note prime seats at the Rose Bowl require a $750 annual contribution/plus face of around $70 per game.
I was expecting them to be cheaper than UGA tickets - doesn't really seem to be the case.
That said, some sections of the stadium have no contribution minimums and if you're a young alumni, you can get buy on-get one free ticket packages. Yes, I'm sure we all would kill for that sort of package in Athens.
"Hartman Fund contributors who did not have 2007 renewable season tickets must have a cumulative score of 10,651 or higher to receive 2008 renewable season tickets."
AZ state was 27K...pretty crazy.
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