Season Ticket Sales

[KRAM1]

The dallas Morning News has reported that Texas Tech has SOLD OUT its season tickets for the first time in hiostory. Great news for them. But, what I found interesting is that it included the note "including student season tickets". Not being a Tech fan, I assume this means, like many of the Big XII schools, students pay an athletic fee AND they must purchase...PURCHASE...game tickets. Imagine that? Are you listening and looking UNT...think stadium funds, etc., etc. Think help with the Athletic budget overall. Hey, if the students have to pay even a nominal fee for tickets...they might actually SHOW UP! Now, that Mean Green fans, would really be something!

[drex]

Most big time programs sell tickets to their students on top of a student athletic fee. It is a bit easier to do if you have Texas and Oklahoma as home games, as opposed to Florida International and Louisiana Lafayette, etc.

[filmerj]

The dallas Morning News has reported that Texas Tech has SOLD OUT its season tickets for the first time in hiostory. Great news for them. But, what I found interesting is that it included the note "including student season tickets". Not being a Tech fan, I assume this means, like many of the Big XII schools, students pay an athletic fee AND they must purchase...PURCHASE...game tickets. Imagine that? Are you listening and looking UNT...think stadium funds, etc., etc. Think help with the Athletic budget overall. Hey, if the students have to pay even a nominal fee for tickets...they might actually SHOW UP! Now, that Mean Green fans, would really be something!

Sorry KRAM 1 most times I agree with you, but if we charged students for tickets, none of them would show up.

Edited August 21, 2008 by filmerj

[chrisfisher]

The dallas Morning News has reported that Texas Tech has SOLD OUT its season tickets for the first time in hiostory. Great news for them. But, what I found interesting is that it included the note "including student season tickets". Not being a Tech fan, I assume this means, like many of the Big XII schools, students pay an athletic fee AND they must purchase...PURCHASE...game tickets. Imagine that? Are you listening and looking UNT...think stadium funds, etc., etc. Think help with the Athletic budget overall. Hey, if the students have to pay even a nominal fee for tickets...they might actually SHOW UP! Now, that Mean Green fans, would really be something!

As I student, it seems that everyone on this board is trying to figure out a way that the UNT students, the brokest people around, can somehow fund the stadium. This is not a realistic plan given the state of our football program. It will never work. The stadium, or lack thereof, will depend on obtaining outside private or corporate donations.

[yyz28]

As I student, it seems that everyone on this board is trying to figure out a way that the UNT students, the brokest people around, can somehow fund the stadium. This is not a realistic plan given the state of our football program. It will never work. The stadium, or lack thereof, will depend on obtaining outside private or corporate donations.

[Eagle1855]

I dont think Texas Tech students pay for their tickets.

Per their athletic website:

Each Texas Tech student on the Lubbock campus, including all undergraduate, graduate, law and medical students enrolled in four (4) or more hours have the $50 athletics fee automatically applied to their tuition and fees. This enables access to all Tech sporting events.

So how does it work? Just like UNT.

Hard tickets will no longer be necessary to obtain entrance to athletic events. All that is needed for admission is a current, valid TTU ID.

Carry on.

Edited August 21, 2008 by Eagle1855

[chrisfisher]

YYZ28, instead of putting up a sarcastic photo (yet admittedly funny), why don't you try to explain your position. I would like to know how you can expect to charge students for tickets, when the school cannot coax enough students to fill up even half of the student section on a constant basis even when they GIVE AWAY free tickets (technically not free because of the student athletic fee already charged)?

Edited August 21, 2008 by chrisfisher

[Eagle1855]

YYZ28, instead of putting up a sarcastic photo (yet admittedly funny), why don't you try to explain your position. I would like to know how you can expect to charge students for tickets, when the school cannot coax enough students to fill up even half of the student section on a constant basis even when they GIVE AWAY free tickets (technically not free because of the student athletic fee already charged)?

If it makes you feel any better, you're right. If Texas Tech doesn't charge students admission on top of a student fee, why would UNT do that and expect it work?

Keep admission free, add a student fee.

Hey that might be a slogan...

[Green Mean]

I think it all comes down to how full the stadium is. If it is a sellout every game then obviously charging the students some sort of admission price definitely is not a bad thing. But if our attendance is a mere 20K-25K then it would be foolish to charge students in my opinion. Lets just play this thing out and see what happens in the next 3-5 years. If charging the students is necessary and will still pack the house then I am all for it.

[JesseMartin]

IF we can ever get the Athletics Department more independent financially (i.e. not burdened by a need for mandatory student funds), we could change the fee method. Instead of lumping them in with the other SSF departments, they could be given their own fee, which could be made optional. Then students could opt-in or opt-out each semester, and opting in would grant them ticket packages and such. Opting out would require them to pay for any tickets. Some of them may even choose to opt out and go for a more expensive package, who knows? But all that is a future scenario based on increased success and fundraising within the AD.

The previous "Fee" wasn't a new fee, it only required a vote because it increased the student service fee over 10% in an academic year. With more creative budgeting to keep the overall increase under 10%, they wouldn't have even needed a vote. Not sure if it's changed since, but we had made a successful push to get ODA and the Career Center (with its variety of name changes) more outside funding, freeing up money for other departments. Finding grants for funding certain departments gives tons of leeway to bump up funding for another area without the students seeing much of a change in their semesterly costs.

[houstonmeangreen]

Sorry KRAM 1 most times I agree with you, but if we charged students for tickets, none of them would show up.

You are correct O' great one....they wouldn't show.

[yyz28]

YYZ28, instead of putting up a sarcastic photo (yet admittedly funny), why don't you try to explain your position. I would like to know how you can expect to charge students for tickets, when the school cannot coax enough students to fill up even half of the student section on a constant basis even when they GIVE AWAY free tickets (technically not free because of the student athletic fee already charged)?

Because I and everyone who support the student fee have expalined it in about 16,989 other posts on this board. We've all taked about it until we're blue in the face. Picard is tired of listening to it.

I'm not against continuing to give free tickets to students, nor did I argue the point. Until the demand for tickets outweighs supplies, I support keeping students on free admission.

...but this crap about "broke students" not being able to afford a fee increse when our fees and tuiton are SO low compared to most in the state is just not worth arguing anymore. We're not asking the students to fund the stadium themselves... ...but like at most schools, part of the development and growth of the univeristy must come off the backs of the students as they pass through there. I paid my share when I was there and would gladly have paid more... today, I continue to do what I can.

Edited August 21, 2008 by yyz28

[UNTflyer]

...but this crap about "broke students" not being able to afford a fee increse when our fees and tuiton are SO low compared to most in the state is just not worth arguing anymore. We're not asking the students to fund the stadium themselves... ...but like at most schools, part of the development and growth of the univeristy must come off the backs of the students as they pass through there. I paid my share when I was there and would gladly have paid more... today, I continue to do what I can.

Indeed. We're talking about an annual increase in the student fee of less than two 12-packs of beer and a box of condoms.

[yyz28]

Indeed. We're talking about an annual increase in the student fee of less than two 12-packs of beer and a box of condoms.

...well, maybe we should just charge them the two twelve packs and let them keep their condoms? Just, ya know... thinkin' out loud.

[meangreendork]

Hey, if the students have to pay even a nominal fee for tickets...they might actually SHOW UP! Now, that Mean Green fans, would really be something!

Wow, are you serious? No student wants to pay on top of the athletic fee to watch us play FIU. They may pay for an increase in fees, but not for tickets. Why? Because that's a weak team. They may want to pay to watch us play Baylor or TTech, but even that would be a stretch as the general student body would already assume we'd lose to Baylor and Tech due to past performance. No one wants to fork out money to watch a 2-10 NT.

I've said this a million times: THE remedy for all the problems is a WINNING team. When the team wins, more people show up, more OOC teams may want to play us at home, more donations, more alumni support, a bigger public presence, more funding for the stadium, better players, a bigger AD budget, the works. Wins open up the ability to up athletics fees, increase ticket prices, a general sense of pride in the university outside of academics, a bigger sense of tradition, and a strong university presence.

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING will fill seats faster than a winning program. Even as someone that'll tell you all day and everyday that a good branding and marketing scheme is necessary for public success, I'll also tell you that the ultimate effectiveness of that effort, especially in sports where you can't cover a bad product with hype, is all dependent on the product, and that product needs to be wins.

Seriously, you start charging tickets for a previous season 2-10 NT vs UL-UPick'Em, and you can count on a near-empty student side.

Indeed. We're talking about an annual increase in the student fee of less than two 12-packs of beer and a box of condoms.

Flyer, I want a new stadium as badly as you do, but the general populace is going find it hard to swallow the fee no matter the jump with football program's previous season records. To them it's like an investment and they'd like to see a return in the form of wins and coverage. The downside is that even with the wins in basketball and other sports, the big ticket is football. I think the increase in fees will be better accepted with more wins, but that's up to the coaches and players.

Edited August 21, 2008 by meangreendork

[UNTflyer]

Flyer, I want a new stadium as badly as you do, but the general populace is going find it hard to swallow the fee no matter the jump with football program's previous season records. To them it's like an investment and they'd like to see a return in the form of wins and coverage. The downside is that even with the wins in basketball and other sports, the big ticket is football. I think the increase in fees will be better accepted with more wins, but that's up to the coaches and players.

Well then we better hope the team plays hard and we have a 4-2 record when the vote comes up this semester.

[meangreendork]

Well then we better hope the team plays hard and we have a 4-2 record when the vote comes up this semester.

Really though, I want that really badly otherwise the vote may have to wait until post-season. Again, getting me and you and the fans to say "yes, I want an increased fee" is easy. But for the other kids, the incentive is far better when the team is winning. It's a lot like choosing investments - would you jump into something with poor previous performance when it doesn't appear (to the general observer) that it won't improve?

(Had to put that "general observer" line in there. You and I know Dodge and DeLoach are a dangerous pair. You and I know how strong Rodge, and Vizza and Tune and Meager are and the WRs and everyone else is. But the general observer won't know it unless the team posts wins.)

[KRAM1]

The students DON'T show up now in any significant numbers at all...and it is FREE. I don't think UNT risks much in the way of student attendance by adding a small fee for tickets. Besides, in spite of wjhat some on this board think, I would hazzard that over 2/3 of the students do not pay their own way to UNT. They have help from Mom, Dad, Grandparents, scholarships, etc. Yes, some of those work part-time for their spending money (as I did), but "most" UNT students of the undergrad variety are probably NOT paying the full cost of their education on their own. Those that are, well, don't pay the extra for the tickets and keep buying text message minutes, paying bar tabs, smoking those cigs and cigars, and drinking those $4.00 Starbucks coffees, etc. It's all about choices folks...if you don't want to pay the extra small fee for tickes (which might actually "help" get some students to show up at the games), well, don't pay it and don't show up...these folks aren't showing up now in any significant numbers.

Probably won't happen, but many schools are doing this, and yes, I agree, that you get a better turnout for OU and Texas than you do for MTS, Tulsa, ULL, etc., etc.

[chrisfisher]

Because I and everyone who support the student fee have expalined it in about 16,989 other posts on this board. We've all taked about it until we're blue in the face. Picard is tired of listening to it.

I'm not against continuing to give free tickets to students, nor did I argue the point. Until the demand for tickets outweighs supplies, I support keeping students on free admission.

Funny, but despite your face palm, you sound like you agree with me. It is not realistic to expect the students to fund this new stadium given the current circumstances. In fact, we are in deep, deep trouble if the major source of stadium funding is from the student body.

[meangreendork]

Probably won't happen, but many schools are doing this...

And we will too, in time.

[Green Crazy]

I dont think Texas Tech students pay for their tickets.

Per their athletic website:

So how does it work? Just like UNT.

Carry on.

That's what I thought, because a couple of years ago I attended a TT and the students have their own gate entrance , there was no exchange of tickets just a quick scan of their ID. Also, at the top of the gate there was a digital counter showing how many students have gone through and when that counter reached whatever the capacity was for the student section that entrance was shut down and I think any other students that wanted to see the game had to buy a ticket. I wish we had that problem.

[KRAM1]

NO way the students are going to be THE major source of funding...but could and certainly should be ONE of the several major sources of funding including corporate sponsors, alumni, ex-students (grads or not) and simply "friends" of the university. In my opinion, the City of Denton should look at finding a way to help BIG TIME...what's that wonderful "Sports Commission" Denton has doing about the stadium I wonder. They could and should be helping in some concrete way to move this along. Denton will gain along with UNT with a new stadium. So, students, you are not alone, but you cannot and should not be left out of the funding plan!

[UNTflyer]

Funny, but despite your face palm, you sound like you agree with me. It is not realistic to expect the students to fund this new stadium given the current circumstances. In fact, we are in deep, deep trouble if the major source of stadium funding is from the student body.

I dont believe anyone is suggesting the students fund the stadium alone. And nobody can reasonably expect a coprorate sponsor and MGC donors to fund a $60 million project on their own. It's going to take the help of everyone.

[NT80]

The students DON'T show up now in any significant numbers at all...and it is FREE. I don't think UNT risks much in the way of student attendance by adding a small fee for tickets. Besides, in spite of wjhat some on this board think, I would hazzard that over 2/3 of the students do not pay their own way to UNT. They have help from Mom, Dad, Grandparents, scholarships, etc. Yes, some of those work part-time for their spending money (as I did), but "most" UNT students of the undergrad variety are probably NOT paying the full cost of their education on their own. Those that are, well, don't pay the extra for the tickets and keep buying text message minutes, paying bar tabs, smoking those cigs and cigars, and drinking those $4.00 Starbucks coffees, etc. It's all about choices folks...if you don't want to pay the extra small fee for tickes (which might actually "help" get some students to show up at the games), well, don't pay it and don't show up...these folks aren't showing up now in any significant numbers.

Probably won't happen, but many schools are doing this, and yes, I agree, that you get a better turnout for OU and Texas than you do for MTS, Tulsa, ULL, etc., etc.

Some larger programs charge students a small fee and makes them pick up tickets. Several reasons for this. First and mainly is that the student sections have limited seating in most of their soldout stadiums. Arkansas changes $1 per student ticket, or $5 for the 5-game Fayetteville pack before the season starts; it's general seating, not reseved in the student section. Games in Little Rock are $2 each and must be obtained the week of those games.

This does several things. It tells the athletic department when the student section is full, or not. It also implies value for the item by making them purchase it and they can physically see a ticket for each game. Plus it implies limited amount by making them obtain one instead of just scanning some ID card upon entry. It probably wouldn't work at UNT until the games become a harder ticket for paying fans to get. That won't happen in the SunBelt, but that's another story and long post.....

Edited August 21, 2008 by NT80

[Mean Green 93-98]

High school students are generally more broke than college students, and they can usually find the 5 bucks or so to get into their football and basketball games. I was astonished when I showed up for my first UNT game and it was FREE. I know that generations of spoiled whiny UNT students and alumni gripe about giving a few bucks (we've been conditioned for that). But new students would not blink an eye to pay $5--yes, on top of an athletics fee (parents of high school students are already paying taxes to fund high school athletics)--to get into a football game.

I'm not saying students need to be charged. But I don't think free admission is a panacea for student apathy, either.