Question: Ticket Demand Seems to Have Decreased

[Tider n LA]

I am in the Bama club of Tidepride. My two seats cost $640 and the 14 home game tickets were $966 if I am not mistaken. That is $1606 before I put gas in my Yukon. That is about $115 a seat. It is getting ridicules. I will probably sell the Auburn and one other conference game to ease the pain and make the whole package more realistic. For years I was able to stay with someone up there but their priorities have changed since they bought a condo in Panama City. The 4 hour drive home is brutal. This will probably be my last year in Tidepride. I can't lie that it has been a fantastic ride!

 

[4Q Basket Case]

I have a sneaking suspicion that the AD's interest in surveying fans about the gameday experience and the recent H&H deals are a sign of lagging demand for the ticket office.

I think you're right.

We're somewhat insulated because of the current on-field success of the product. But as a card-carrying member of the OFC, the fact that it's cyclical is always in the back of my mind. For traditional powers, due to the resources they have and are willing to expend, the ups are longer and the downs shorter. But nobody is immune. No, not even Alabama.

Point being, when Saban hangs it up, we'll in all likelihood have a downturn. You just can't say we have the greatest coach of all time (I think we do), and say the next guy will be just as good, and maintain intellectual honesty.

At that time, we'll find out how many fans are about the experience....so long as we're winning 90% of our SEC games, and in the NC conversation every year in mid-November. As opposed to how many are about the team and the University, no matter the on-field product.

We already see masses of empty student seats, even for the most important games.

You just can't have $15 million in annual salaries for coaching staffs, several hundred million dollar facilities, gazillions of highly-paid nutritionists, psychologists, academic counsellors and a media department that word be the envy of a national network, and sustain that without ticket sales.

Well, I guess you're can, but the price will be endless advertisements and higher prices for viewing rights.

I'm not preaching here. I can't say I'd spend the money and emotional capital I do now, on a lesser product. I'm saying it's reality, and we'll probably deal with the fallout inside of five years, virtually certainly inside of ten. Greg Byrne will really earn his money then.

 

[TideMom2Boys]

We usually go to 1 or 2 regular seasons games a year. We can usually get free tickets to at least one of the games from friends/family. And the other game usually aren't that expensive (even with us always sitting in the lower section). I am thankful we are close to Tuscaloosa and don't have to worry about travel expenses for a home game.

With that said, it was expensive for the last two SEC championship games we were in. We decided to drive over to Atlanta the night before. So lodging for the weekend, tickets, food and souvenirs were not cheap.

 

[deliveryman35]

I’d give Iowa State a better chance of beating us than Louisville. It’s a scrub game, as next years opener against Duke is also.

If you want fans en masse to spend their hard-earned money to support away openers, schedule opponents that will draw the fans’ respect.

 

[TideMom2Boys]

We are going to 2 Alabama games this year and will spend right at $5k for tickets, lodging, food, etc. We are driving so at least saving on flights.

Sounds like fun. That will be some great memories. Are you going to the opener? I know you love to go to Disney. You can make it a nice long trip.

 

[edwd58]

g) watching a 3-hour football game, none of which have ever been close in the 14 times I've been to BDS

Selma, never complain about the margin of victory. I did that a time or two, and then the Dubose/Fran/Shula era happened. Suddenly we had more close games than I cared for - and were on the wrong end of far too many of them. I love a rout and will take one every Saturday. There's nothing wrong with propping your feet up and cruising to the finish line. An occasional finish, like the CFPNCG, will carry one a long way, ha!

 

[capnfrog]

I go to cheaper games and watch premium games on TV.

 

[Ole Man Dan]

Just for perspective, Someone GAVE me 50 yard line tickets to the Georgia Dome Alabama/Clemson match in 2008. Pretty much since 2009 tickets are hard to come by.

Lets blame Coach Saban for high ticket prices. After we began building our current Dynasty, ticket prices have skyrocketed.
(During the Dark period of probation, during the Shula years lots of times people gave their tickets away)

 

[dirtroadlizard]

I have been disabled for the last eight years but still tried to make one game a year . A year ago I got very sick and almost didn't make it . Since then I have been on dialysis and I'm going to try to go to a game again if I can scrape up the money . I say go if you can afford it and have a chance . It might be your last . You never know ! rtr

 

[bamamick]

The fact that you can watch every single game in the comfort of your home and go take a nap as soon as it's over is going to make ticket sales dicey in the coming years. When I was a kid you got to see us play Tennessee or Auburn pretty much every year on television, and then the bowl game. Most of your games you followed along on the radio with Mr. Forney and Mr. Layton, and then studied the Mobile Press Register on Sunday for Dennis Smitherman's reports. Now you can sit in your car and watch the games on your telephone. All of them. To get to go to a game in Tuscaloosa or B'ham was something very special.

Traveling to an Alabama football game is an 'event'. Something to be excited about and build your fall around. Only a few of us can afford to do 7-8 'events' in a single year. I can't, and I make pretty good money for someone living in-state.

Of course, it's always been this way. I think they have always charged what the market will bear. I remember standing in the restroom next to this guy 40 years ago and hearing him say 'if these people only knew what we went through to come to these games'. I asked him where he was from? 'Huntsville', he said. 'Mobile', I said. We both smiled.

rtr

 

[WylieTexasTider]

Just got an e-mail that single game tickets go on sale for the general public Monday for aTm, MIZ and Miss St. They all returned seats from their allotment.

 

[Padreruf]

The fact that you can watch every single game in the comfort of your home and go take a nap as soon as it's over is going to make ticket sales dicey in the coming years. When I was a kid you got to see us play Tennessee or Auburn pretty much every year on television, and then the bowl game. Most of your games you followed along on the radio with Mr. Forney and Mr. Layton, and then studied the Mobile Press Register on Sunday for Dennis Smitherman's reports. Now you can sit in your car and watch the games on your telephone. All of them. To get to go to a game in Tuscaloosa or B'ham was something very special.

Traveling to an Alabama football game is an 'event'. Something to be excited about and build your fall around. Only a few of us can afford to do 7-8 'events' in a single year. I can't, and I make pretty good money for someone living in-state.

Of course, it's always been this way. I think they have always charged what the market will bear. I remember standing in the restroom next to this guy 40 years ago and hearing him say 'if these people only knew what we went through to come to these games'. I asked him where he was from? 'Huntsville', he said. 'Mobile', I said. We both smiled.

rtr

When I lived in B'ham going to every game was easy...not so since moving to the Carolinas. My cable bill looks a lot better when I compare to the prices for going to even one game. Besides, I can record and watch several times...to the chagrin of my wife and amusement of my sons.

That being said, I went to the AU game in 2016 -- retirement present from my b-in-law. Quite an "experience" from beginning to end.

Yes -- this is cyclical...and when CNS leaves tickets will be like leaves on the trees, particularly if we make a couple of hires like we did after CPB.

 

[ALA2262]

I’d give Iowa State a better chance of beating us than Louisville. It’s a scrub game, as next years opener against Duke is also.

If you want fans en masse to spend their hard-earned money to support away openers, schedule opponents that will draw the fans’ respect.

What makes you think Bama had anything to do with the scheduling of Louisville by the Florida Citrus Sports group? What makes you think Bama had anything to do with the scheduling of Duke by the Peach Bowl group?

 

[RTR91]

Just got an e-mail that single game tickets go on sale for the general public Monday for aTm, MIZ and Miss St. They all returned seats from their allotment.

I know it's already July, but does anyone else feel like it's early for teams to already return their allotment?

 

[81usaf92]

What makes you think Bama had anything to do with the scheduling of Louisville by the Florida Citrus Sports group? What makes you think Bama had anything to do with the scheduling of Duke by the Peach Bowl group?

The Duke one I know was just a situation in which Alabama put their name in a hat for the Chick fila kickoff years in advance expecting a good draw and the ACC and Chick fila giving the nod to Duke to be fair to the members of the ACC.

The Louisville game I believe was made years in advance under the assumption that Louisville would be a good team still. I think Orlando was just to be a different venue.

 

[ALA2262]

The Duke one I know was just a situation in which Alabama put their name in a hat for the Chick fila kickoff years in advance expecting a good draw and the ACC and Chick fila giving the nod to Duke to be fair to the members of the ACC.

The Louisville game I believe was made years in advance under the assumption that Louisville would be a good team still. I think Orlando was just to be a different venue.

The teams participating in these games have very little if anything to do with who their opponent will be. Some are put together with input from both schools, but that doesn't always work out as planned. Bama was contracted for the 2013 and 2014 Atlanta games because the Atlanta Sports Council had a tentative agreement with USC to play in either (not both) of those years and Bama was their prefered opponent. All of that went out the window when Pete Carroll left and Bama wound up playing Va Tech and WVU.

 

[Tenntiderman]

Nobody anywhere is a bigger Tidesman than me...but I am no "Spring Chicken' anymore, and what one has to go through to simply attend a game just wears me out now. Heck...I am tired before the game starts. Then...I have to walk 3 blocks and wait an atrocious line to ride a bus that gets me to the Parking Lot so I can battle traffic similat to Nashville style roadjams. Not to mention that I missed plays because a lady in front of me has a four ounce bladder capacity. So......I bought a 65" 4k TV.

 

[mark4tide]

There comes a point when they will price themselves out of a full stadium. The games that most people don't want to go at are around $65 each and the price goes up depending on the game. When you add in the cost of parking and food it gets really expensive to take a family to the game. The way I look at it I would rather go on vacation somewhere than spend that kind of money on one football game.

 

[Tenntiderman]

Lets blame Coach Saban for high ticket prices. After we began building our current Dynasty, ticket prices have skyrocketed.
(During the Dark period of probation, during the Shula years lots of times people gave their tickets away)

Yep. Made that point to my son the night we played Duke in 2006. Thought we would lose the game midway in the 4th. Still Thanking Amahd Johnson for the late interception.

 

[Tenntiderman]

There comes a point when they will price themselves out of a full stadium. The games that most people don't want to go at are around $65 each and the price goes up depending on the game. When you add in the cost of parking and food it gets really expensive to take a family to the game. The way I look at it I would rather go on vacation somewhere than spend that kind of money on one football game.

^^This!^^