ChrisD: A rolling tide, a cresting wave: Bryant-Denny will never be the same

[bama579]

You put the hook in me with the Hunter Thompson quote, then set it with a first rate bit of wordsmithing that also happens to ring true.

Take a bow . . .

 

[Probius]

I don't disagree with the message, and it was worded very well, but nothing lasts forever. This has only happened because you have stayed at the top of the mountain for so long. You stayed long enough that the market just kept getting stronger and stronger. The demand has gone in one direction for premier Alabama games - up. So, you make money while you can. You invest in infrastructure while you can. This is the college football version of making hay while the sun is shining. Because the sun will eventually set on this dynasty. When that happens, you will have an infrastructure that will carry you through to the next great coach. And during the downturn in between, the regular folks will be able to afford tickets on the secondary market.

While we wait, there remain very affordable tickets to games against OOC teams. I attended the Ark State game this year and the experience was amazing. There were thousands of tickets available for that game on the secondary market for less than $50/each.

Well said. There are affordable tickets available for games even now. I was at the A&m game and people were selling tickets everywhere. I had trouble giving my extra ticket away, and the person I gave it to didn't wind up using it. I sold tickets quite a bit when I was a student at the university, and I learned a lot about what affects ticket prices. The opponent has a lot to do with it, of course, but so does the weather. When it rains, not nearly as many people want to go to the games, but there were still pleny of people in the stadium. The only difference was that people either paid very little for their tickets or they got their tickets for free. When the sun sets on this dynasty, there will still be plenty of people going to games, just like there were before Coach Saban came here, they will just pay a bit less to get in.

 

[JessN]

FYI, Chris and I were together at the game. We rode in together and parked in the same lot with a mutual friend of ours and my wife.

One car. Ninety dollars to park.

 

[BamaNation]

One car. Ninety dollars to park.

We usually park in the lots between Bryce and the Rec Center. Right near the #2 bus pickup. Drops off & picks up in front of Smith Hall / The Library. $30. The only bad thing is after the game if you go immediately back to the bus line, you'll wait 45-60m in the line. It's not for everyone !

 

[DrollTide]

One car. Ninety dollars to park.

That. Is. Ridiculous. It would almost be cheaper to arrive by helicopter.

I am a stone cold let-em-die-in-the-gutter free market capitalist, but people know when they are being abused.

It is a very difficult balance, between under-pricing and fair-pricing a popular product. Under-pricing simply means that the long-term ticket holders resell for the profit, instead of the money going to the university.

I have no problem in general with the university monetizing their football program investment for the benefit of students. However from Chris' article, it does seem like they are trying to squeeze the last dime. The "Last Dime" tends to be forward looking, i.e. you project the present indefinitely into the future, and get surprised when circumstances change.

There is boom-bust here; we are currently in the boom. Bust happens because you commit long-term resources based on short-term success. But success is fragile - ironically, something that Saban preaches every day.

And, you are never quite sure about your product. ESPN bought pro football rights at the peak, and possibly regret it now. These things change, not just team-by-team but for the whole sport. Football is under assault medically, legally and culturally - I would not bet my personal retirement on where it will be 15 years from now.

Chris is brave to write the article because we are all aglow with the unprecedented success of the program. We don't want to hear negative voices. But "unprecedented" should tell you everything you need to know. One should not put one's enterprise on a footing that projects a once-in-a-lifetime marvel as the new normal. Beware reversion to the mean.

 

[The Ols]

If I don't have a parking pass I go back behind Tutweiler. You can park in someone's yard for $20...$30 tops.Short walk, pretty easy out if you can get over the tracks.

FYI, Chris and I were together at the game. We rode in together and parked in the same lot with a mutual friend of ours and my wife.

One car. Ninety dollars to park.

 

[irNate]

FYI, Chris and I were together at the game. We rode in together and parked in the same lot with a mutual friend of ours and my wife.

One car. Ninety dollars to park.

There is cheaper parking on 10th St John Baptist church is about $10-35 depending on the game. Also Central High School, but I don't know how much they charge. The walk isn't that bad

 

[Hoot30]

Does anyone know how well the capital initiative is going in raising the $600 million for the renovation projects?

 

[GP for Bama]

Does anyone know how well the capital initiative is going in raising the $600 million for the renovation projects?

Back in August they already had about $150 million committed.

 

[GP for Bama]

FYI, Chris and I were together at the game. We rode in together and parked in the same lot with a mutual friend of ours and my wife.

One car. Ninety dollars to park.

That seems everywhere though... We had to pay $60 to park at LSU and still walk about a mile.

 

[B1GTide]

That seems everywhere though... We had to pay $60 to park at LSU and still walk about a mile.

In my experience, paying around $50/game for parking is the new norm for football.

 

[RTR91]

FYI, Chris and I were together at the game. We rode in together and parked in the same lot with a mutual friend of ours and my wife.

One car. Ninety dollars to park.

Where did you park for $90?!

The most I saw for the TAMU game was $50.

 

[TheTradition]

i went to that game and had lower bowl seats on the 30 for 23 dollars each. i know that this isnt good for the average tidepride member. I am however elated that theyre taking tickets away from the students. when i was in school we were in line at the gate 3 hours before kickoff and stayed the whole game to lose to ULM and win on the last play against hawaii. these kids dont deserve the tix if they arent gonna show up to most of the games.

FWIW after Saban's rant on the students, the attendance was much better for the rest of the year. Some left early during the Miss St game, but it was no worse than the rest of the stadium. Missouri & Auburn were packed out for 4 quarters.

Even as a current student, I understand the frustration. And maybe student allotment could use a small reduction. However, I also think that 90% of the noise in Bryant Denny Stadium comes from the students so that's something to think about.

I also think the general public has gotten off way too easy as far as the attendance issue goes. People act like it's just the students, but I consistently see plenty of empty seats in general admission. It's just not near as noticeable because they are not all grouped together. And yes I realize it is much more inconvenient and expensive for a non-student to go.

All of this isn't directed at you. Just wanted to add some thoughts from a different perspective.

 

[Chukker Veteran]

FYI, Chris and I were together at the game. We rode in together and parked in the same lot with a mutual friend of ours and my wife.

One car. Ninety dollars to park.

I can't get my mind around that. Y'all must have parked in a very close, convenient spot. Or maybe y'all were in a delux car and were paying insurance to make sure nobody keyed it.

I lived in an old house behind Tut in the mid seventies. It had a side yard that would park 12 or 15 cars, but I can't remember what I charged to park back then.

One car. Ninety bucks. My word how times have changed.

 

[JessN]

Where did you park for $90?!

The most I saw for the TAMU game was $50.

The neighborhoods southwest of the stadium.

It's largely a supply issue. Those neighborhoods used to be full of little 1,200-to-1,400-SF rental houses with yards. Now 1-2 of them per year get sold and torn down and condos go up. Once condos go up, no more parking. The condo owners won't let anyone park without a parking pass (unless they're the ones doing the selling, which I've seen a little of the last couple of years). Just five years ago, you had your choice of 20-30 houses. Now it's less than 10.

It was $60 for this same spot for both A&M and MSU. Heck, they charged $40 for Arkansas State.

 

[BamaNation]

However, I also think that 90% of the noise in Bryant Denny Stadium comes from the students so that's something to think about.

correction: 90% of the noise comes from the incessant playing of piped in noise, songs, beats, "yeah yeah yeah's" etc

 

[crimsonaudio]

There is cheaper parking on 10th St John Baptist church is about $10-35 depending on the game. Also Central High School, but I don't know how much they charge. The walk isn't that bad

$20, that's my standard spot.

 

[Hoot30]

Back in August they already had about $150 million committed.

I guess UAAD expects to raise the entire $600 million? I wonder if it is possible that they won't be able to raise all of it.

 

[Ole Man Dan]

Many of the Ole Folks (Like Me) will likely opt to watch more games on the TV than fight the crowd, and pay for the pleasure of watching Alabama at home.

I hate it, but at a certain point in life, we tend to get pushed aside as the next generation of fans step up to the plate. (Your Welcome)

With age having Wings and Nachos in the kitchen, having a private bathroom just down the hall, and having a DVR...
Means I never miss a play, and a 75" screen ain't bad either.
Someone else will make the couple hours drive, pay thru the nose for parking, and pay the going price to watch Alabama Roll.

 

[tambo410]

The plans for BDS are representative of the MO employed by NFL franchises over the last decade, usually on the heals of winning seasons. When the wins stop coming (which is the cyclical nature of sports) then what?

I owned PSLs for the Ravens that I purchased after a playoff season prior to our team winning its first Super Bowl. I paid $750 for each of them, bought the tickets annually at around $1500 a year for over $15 seasons. Every other year the cost of the tickets was raised regardless of team performance. The price of a beer doubled during that time. Eventually it got to the point, with all the NFL National Anthem shenanigans, that I could no longer justify the $500 Sunday to see the Ravens play in person.

I sold my PSL for $250 each, which after the transfer fee paid to the Ravens, net’d me $50 each, a $1400 loss which I willingly accepted.

The point is my University is following in the footsteps along a path I have already walked and it is clear at the end the fans will be the ones holding the bag.

It is what it is and I do not fault the University for making hay while they can, it just does take a crystal ball to see where this is eventually going to end up.

The other aspect to this is the Ravens are a Private Enterprise, though heavily subsidized by the Maryland Stadium Authority who funded the stadium construction. If the University comes up short of the fund raising goal how much money do the tax payers of Alabama kick in???