5% of Student Tickets Unused for Auburn Game

[BamaHoHo]

Bottom line: All tickets not used = NO REASON TO INCREASE SIZE OF STUDENT SECTION.

Got a remedy for all of this. Since UA is using paperless tickets for students. It would be extremely easy to tell how many tickets were used at any point before or after the game is started. Give the students a deadline to enter the stadium. At that point, they could resale the unused tickets to students that were not lucky enough to get tickets in the first place. If a student with a ticket walks up & a seat is still available. allow them to enter the stadium.

 

[Bama4Ever831]

It would be interesting if we gave tickets to all students and then only allowed the first (insert number of student seats available) to enter. Therefore it would make everyone even and support those students that get to the game early not those that show up right at kickoff.

 

[theBIGyowski]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ympLpVEthg]YouTube - Alabama vs. Florida 2008[/ame]

It's obvious that none of you are focused on the task at hand, aiight. You have to post with the intensity relative to the situation we are faced in, aiight. We have people arguing about greeks and seats and all that, aiight. Well, I don't give a $#%& about any of that right now because I am more interested in finishing the season, aiight!!! If you want to be a champion you have to work at it every day, aiight! You know how much I hate those guys (Gators)!!!

 

[Joe89e]

I'm a current student and I would say there isn't that big of a problem, and as for the fraternity section I disagree. I sit in the fraternity section and can barely get out of the section to concessions without tripping over someone. Sure they leave early, but its to get ready for other things. As someone stated, after 30 minutes block section is free reign for anyone, but good luck. And anyone bashing the fraternities was most likely never in one, thats the general attitude people give here who are not in the system.

5% is actually not bad attendance, and is by far the best by students all year. In fact, I think it is pretty good considering the fact that it was a few days after thanksgiving (hence the reason I could not attend), and many people initially had jacked up their prices, but as Thanksgiving holiday approached they reduced them, just many of the people not in time. So there were people left with tickets in their hands unable to sell, or attend, due to Thanksgiving.
Also, if your not selling to a student you have to pay an extra 50$ to convert it to a paper ticket, which not only costs more but is a hassle. Almost 24000 students is not bad attendance.

As for making the student section smaller, I strongly disagree. It is hard enough getting tickets as it is. As freshman, you only get 1/2 of the games because of the demand. We pay to go to the school and tickets should be readily accessible. I would rather have 24000 screaming students than 25000 people who sit the entire game and yell "down in front".

 

[rolltidescott]

Roll Tide Roll
Beat the Gators!

 

[RT3413]

5% is actually not bad attendance, and is by far the best by students all year.

Here's my point and why I posted this at all. You essentially have two groups in the stadium - students and non-students.

Of the students, 5% with tickets for our biggest game of the season couldn't manage to attend. All of them had to be back on campus about 38 hours after kickoff to attend class on Monday and nearly every single one has a home within 45 minutes of the campus. All of this at a rate of $5 per game.

Of the non-students, there were TONS of folks outside trying to buy a ticket to get in, so you could say that group was closer to 105% attendance. There is a waiting list of 8,000 people trying to get tickets - and who are willing to pay a net average of AT LEAST $100 per game.

So you have two groups who are eligible to receive additional seating availability when we do an addition. The first is at 95% capacity at an annual seat revenue of $35. The other is at 105% at a revenue of $700.

I also agree that it's not all students that are creating this issue and it's most likely true that the Greeks are attending at the same rate as the students. But what anyone in sales will tell you is the first rule - perception IS reality. The Greek section staying empty in less priority games, leaving gaps for the big games, filling up late and leaving early leaves the rest of us with the PERCEPTION that its the folks in the Block Seating (e.g. the Greeks) are not attending the games.

IMO, when they announce the number of additional student seats in the new addition there's going to be a big cry from the masses that we're not giving enough seats to the students. All I am saying is this - when as many as 38% of those tickets go unused by the people paying the least and with the easiest access to the games, there's not enough demand to justify expanding the supply.

And to everyone out there saying we can't talk about this at the same time as Florida - get a life. Surely you've gone to work, spent time with your family, shopped for presents - whatever - since this was posted. We CAN multi-task.

 

[NYBamaFan]

Roll Tide Roll
Beat the Gators!

 

[Tidewater]

It's obvious that none of you are focused on the task at hand, aiight. You have to post with the intensity relative to the situation we are faced in, aiight. We have people arguing about greeks and seats and all that, aiight. Well, I don't give a $#%& about any of that right now because I am more interested in finishing the season, aiight!!! If you want to be a champion you have to work at it every day, aiight! You know how much I hate those guys (Gators)!!!

Great video.
Let's focus on the task at hand.

 

[Tidewater]

5% no show is awesome when you consider that the game was played during Thanksgiving weekend! Even students have other obligations during holiday weekends.

I told Mrs. Tidewater, "You can go wherever you want. Thanksgiving will be in Alabama this fall."
There was no way in the world I was going to leave this state with the Iron Bowl, The Streak, on the line. No way. The family had to plan around the Iron Bowl, not vice versa.

 

[silentsam74]

Well, regardless of where you stand on the issue it looks as if it isn't going away. It isn't just a tidefans or internet message board complaint anymore. Tuscaloosa News Executive Sports Editor Tommy Deas shares his views on the problem in his latest blog entry.

Time to reduce Alabama student section

A couple of weeks ago, I was reading in the University of Alabama campus newspaper, The Crimson White, about an outcry among students who didn't get tickets to the Southeastern Conference Championship Game.

It stood to reason that not all students who wanted tickets were going to get them, as each school participating in the game at the Georgia Dome only gets so many seats to sell and there are never enough tickets to satisfy demand among students, faculty or season-ticket holders.

What irked me was that I was reading about this during a time period where I continued to notice that not all student-section seats for Alabama home games were being filled by the student body. Now I have the numbers to back it up.

 

[Joe89e]

Actually, there are a large number of out of state people, including myself, and also others that may rather not sacrifice rare family time for a football game, no matter how big it is. It may be crazy, but not not every BAMA fan plans Thanksgiving around the Iron Bowl, or values time in a stadium over family times. Some may, and not bashing that, to each his own.

I for one could not go to the Iron Bowl because of these Thanksgiving obligations, and I am a student. I sold my ticket to another student though, so all was well. I live out of state, and did not get back to T-town until Sunday afternoon, which is not rare to those who think everyone should show up to see the game Saturday morning no matter what. Hell, our first full day off for break was Wednesday, some people want more than 3 days with their family. Maybe they want to spend it watching the game with their family at home since it would cost an insane amount of money to get them actually into the game.

As far as the greeks specifically, we have the same right as any other person to have those seats, and show up when we want. The whole point of a game is entertainment and enjoyment. I say if we want to show up a litte late (rather than 30 minutes early), and leave a little early, we should have that right. The whole point is enjoyment, so if someone is bored at the end of the 3rd when we are up 24 points against the likes of Ark. St., if they are no longer enjoying the game they have the right to leave. I realize this is heresy for some people, but in the end it is a game and a form of entertainment.

It may not set a good example, or look good, but just because someone dosn't like it dosnt mean they should have our seat or they deserve it more, whether we use it for 4 quarters, 3 quarters, or none. Some more seats should be allocated to students (although I don't know exactly how many), mainly because I know many freshman who did not get a ticket half of the home games because they had to split the packages in half because there simply werent enough tickets.

Considering there is an enrollment of 27,000 at the university, 95% of them selling their tickets and/or showing up is pretty good.
However I do understand that students and greeks are represented by the minority on these boards and most would not agree, so bash away.

 

[Bama4Ever831]

I think the system is a failure. Some people buy tickets to simply sell them. We need to reevaluate how we distribute tickets. We aren't getting tickets to the right studens. Some students that want tickets don't get them. A point system is needed give the tickets to real fans. It has nothing to do with Greek or not. It rewards fans that actually go to the games and not those with the most hours or were the first to sign up. Now please if your not a student stop trying to reduce the student ticket area. I firmly believe that we are the loudest part of the stadium. The players come to us to celebrate not the 50 yard line in the alumni section. We are the ones that stand for 4 hours straight and get to the stadium 2 hours early in the rain, sleet, or snow. Come on guys you can say that you paid for the coach and the stadium with donations, but the fact is it is our team just as much as yours. You were all probably students before. How would you have liked to not been able to go to games and alumni were trying to get even more tickets taken from the student section? No students=No Univeristy= No team.

/end rant

Sorry guys Roll Tide!

 

[Tidewater]

Got a remedy for all of this. Since UA is using paperless tickets for students. It would be extremely easy to tell how many tickets were used at any point before or after the game is started. Give the students a deadline to enter the stadium. At that point, they could resale the unused tickets to students that were not lucky enough to get tickets in the first place. If a student with a ticket walks up & a seat is still available. allow them to enter the stadium.

Excellent idea.
Given how easy it is for a student to donate an unused ticket on line, anybody who eats a ticket should lose one ticket for the next year, starting with the Barn (if at Bryant Denny), then Tennessee (ditto), then LSU, Ole Miss, Arkansas, MSU, any SEC East team, then out of conference.
There is absolutely no excuse for eating a ticket given the paperless ticket system and ticket donation system was have. None. To eat a student ticket is simply laziness.

 

[Joe89e]

We need to reevaluate how we distribute tickets. We aren't getting tickets to the right studens. Some students that want tickets don't get them. A point system is needed give the tickets to real fans.

Regardless of your definition for a real fan, it should not matter about the "real fan". Exactly how would they test your "fanitude"? Obviously thats a joke, but there is no way of telling which students will sell their tickets, which won't, and who is going to cheer and not leave early.

Either way, sell or not sell, stay or leave, every single student no matter their level of fanaticism deserves the ticket if you use their logic. They payed just as much as you to be a student and have the right to those tickets. Who is to say that they can't decided to sell their ticket (better than just not using it isn't it), arrive late, or leave the game early. It's their right.

Your forgetting that in the end it is just a game, and a form of entertainment to a means of revenue. This isn't a perfect world where everyone who chooses not to stay the entire game or cheer is magically replaced with a "true" BAMA fan, which is subjective.

And as far as eating tickets. I completely 100% agree with you that that is pure laziness and is just wasteful, but there is no way they are going to penalize a student for not using a ticket. Like I said, they payed for it, its theirs. That's like saying every time someone buys a car and just parks it in a garage for a year they should penalize them for not selling it or giving it away, because some other person could have utilized it. It sucks, but they bought the ticket, its their to use or not use.

 

[Bama4Ever831]

A point system measure "fanitude" as you described it. It gives a point for every athletic event attended. This way upperclassmen are favored still but only those that actually attend games would gain that advantage. Those that don't go aren't allowed to buy over freshman and sophmores that attend games. Nothing will ever completely solve the problem, but this would help allow for some of the students to get them over students that simply buy to sell or just don't go. I know its not a fantasy world, but I would much rather pretend it is and argue it than study for finals.

 

[Joe89e]

A point system measure "fanitude" as you described it. It gives a point for every athletic event attended. This way upperclassmen are favored still but only those that actually attend games would gain that advantage. Those that don't go aren't allowed to buy over freshman and sophmores that attend games. Nothing will ever completely solve the problem, but this would help allow for some of the students to get them over students that simply buy to sell or just don't go. I know its not a fantasy world, but I would much rather pretend it is and argue it than study for finals.

That is still unfair, no matter how commited or big of a fan a person is they deserve that ticket just as much as you or I. They are students as well, dosn't matter. You can't discriminate. And the only problem with the points system is that will give advantage to people who might have more time, or simply care more. God knows I would rather go to a band party than watch our women's basketball team. Yeah, bottom line not gonna happen, and I'm in the same boat I'm dreading finals (and obviously not studying).

 

[Bama4Ever831]

I can't think of a single good idea then. At least I know I will always have tickets. That is what really matters. I will be up right on time to purchase them every year.

 

[Tidewater]

Exactly how would they test your "fanitude"?

Holding a ticket and not using it would be a good place to start.

 

[Crimson Pig]

We're now officially to the point with this thread where there's already one that states what this one does. We've gone where that thread has gone, and from the looks of this one it's developing all the same. My point?

:beatdeadhorse5:

 

[Crimson Pig]

Bam! http://www.tidefans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79001&highlight=UAMDB1&page=5

I've just saved you trouble.