South Alabama Season Ticket Sales

[smoothfresh]

I reference K-State a lot on here but the new AD John Currie is doing a great job of marketing the program and I think we could do the same. They have a program where you buy a season ticket for $99 (Big 12 games I mind you) and if you show up(your ticket gets scanned) for at least 5 of the 6 games you get those tickets at the same price next year. Heck we could even do something for like $75. It gets butts in the stands, these people will spend money on food, merchandise, etc... Kids want to play in front of people.

*A seat sold for $10 or so is better than a seat not sold at all*

[TIgreen01]

Nothing excites me more than watching the first game at the new digs.

But I can't say I don't have nightmares about that thing not being sold out,

We have been one of the 5 worst football teams in the country over the last 6 years. That has taken a toll that not even the grand opening of our beautiful new football palace will be able to overcome.

Do not worry, though. Sellouts will come in the coming years as DMac gets this program turned around. In the past Fouts field was so shockingly underwhelming that it helped perpetuate the "small-time" perception that hung over this program. Our home schedule isn't going to do us any favors (it never has), but fans and casual observers will have no choice but be impressed by the gameday presentation that they find at UNT and Mean Green Stadium. Our tailgating scene has been the main draw for most of the 18-25 crowd and it has the potential to be even better across the highway, under the shade of the big oaks that cover what's left of the old golf course. The accoustics at the new stadium are going to help even a small crowd "FEEL" like they are much more involved in the game. That will help draw a few more of the tailgaters into the stadium, regardless of the opponent.

Of course, maybe I'm just dreaming.

I believe UH was at about 5-6k three or four years ago. We've really made big strides the last 3 years. Last year UH sold 11,400 season tickets. We had over 30k for every game and came within 2k tickets total for selling out the entire season. Almost all of those were in the last game. The athletic department is shooting for 15k this season, but that may be a little ambitious.

I think there are two major catalysts that make season ticket sales really snowball. First is selling out the "big" games on the schedule. If fans become afraid of missing the big game, they'll buy season tickets to guarantee they can go, even if they don't attend every game.

The next but smaller boost is selling games out early. If it becomes a hassle to get tickets on game day, some fans will just buy season tickets to make their game day experience worry free.

Spot on. Also, as long as our home schedule is what it currently is, we are going to struggle to sell season tickets. Houston is a much better comparison than most of our peers in the Sun Belt. So are FAU and FIU for that matter. Everyone just needs to settle down.

We have a lot to compete with in DFW. It's not really the Stars/Rangers/Mavs/Cows that hurt us...it's all the minor league options around the area that compete in the same price range that we do. Just recently my next door neighbor (I live in Frisco) was trying to sell me on getting tickets for the Arena league football team that now plays in Allen. Ticket prices were right in line with what we are offering.

When you factor that in, I expect that we'll do well in years that we are extremely competitive. In down years, though, there are just so many other options. The kinds of people that just want to see a win (most), will follow the winners all around town. Its the same in every big city. Houston is selling tickets now b/c they are winning and getting Top 25 mentions. If and when that stops, their ticket sales will drop.

Bringing this full circle, what the new stadium does for UNT is that it allows us to truly compete in the DFW sports market in our price bracket. Fouts left a bad taste in people's mouths. It looked, smelled, and felt small time. No seat was really a good seat. What we were offering felt like a high school football game, but we were charging college and minor league ticket prices. The new stadium changes all of that...and it has the added bonus of being a center of pride for the entire University community. Our own students could talk sh!t about Fouts. Now NOBODY has a stadium that is better than ours.

Edited August 5, 2011 by TIgreen01

[Mean Green 93-98]

But they can't have what I have!

And they must wear what I wear!

But they can't sit next to me!

And they'd better cheer like I cheer!

Or they can just GTFO!

I'm not saying this mindset doesn't exist, but I don't believe it's the norm at North Texas.

[MDH]

I reference K-State a lot on here but the new AD John Currie is doing a great job of marketing the program and I think we could do the same. They have a program where you buy a season ticket for $99 (Big 12 games I mind you) and if you show up(your ticket gets scanned) for at least 5 of the 6 games you get those tickets at the same price next year. Heck we could even do something for like $75. It gets butts in the stands, these people will spend money on food, merchandise, etc... Kids want to play in front of people.

*A seat sold for $10 or so is better than a seat not sold at all*

Great idea for the less desirable sections. 12 years ago Fresno St would sell 4 endzone seats for $99 for the ENTIRE season just to get butts in the seats, and they were a decent team at the time. There was tremendous buy-in from the community, that city really gets behind the Dogs.

I like the guaranteed renewal price if you attend games.

[UNTLifer]

It all goes back to what numerous posters have said for years: WIN.

I used to agree with this theory, that is, until we won 4 straight conference titles and still didn't sell squat for season tickets. I think the remainder of your post is accurate, and I would say we need to beat someone the casual fan is aware of. We need a couple of impressive wins over name teams to spur them on. That, and when they walk up in the future and not much is available, they will start to buy season tickets to guarantee their seat(s).

[Quoner]

2745? Gee I hope we are able to get them all accommodated before September 10th.

Rick

Listen to a man bitch, and he'll bitch for awhile.

Teach a man to bitch, and he'll bitch for a lifetime.

Please let it go?

Edited August 5, 2011 by Quoner

[UNTflyer]

Hell, I would offer all Denton residents half off new season ticket accounts. Of course, they would get the seats at the end zones for that price, but anything to put butts in the seats.

[UNTflyer]

UNT really needs to reach out to the Denton community.

Mass mailing about the stadium construction, the progress, and discounted season ticket packages would have really helped.

Opportunity lost.

[Quoner]

UNT really needs to reach out to the Denton community.

Mass mailing about the stadium construction, the progress, and discounted season ticket packages would have really helped.

Opportunity lost.

Agree to a point, but why would you discount your product this early? It's already the best value to come watch D1 college football in a nice stadium in the state. A discount this early kills everyone's perception of the product.

Edited August 5, 2011 by Quoner

[aztecskin]

Agree to a point, but why would you discount your product this early? It's already the best value to come watch D1 college football in a nice stadium in the state. A discount this early kills everyone's perception of the product.

There was really no secret formula to boost season ticket sales was there?. Thought the athletic dept did a commendable job --website, emails, that caravan thing. If u live in Denton and didn't notice the giant stadium getting built and weren't interested in the slightest methinks u need to be kidnapped and forcibly placed in a seat to get u in.

There are a lot of nice new stadiums that kind of mitigate the impact of MG Stadium. TCU and SMU are more successful.

Agree that heavily discounting our prices isn't the right move because the price isn't what's keeping them away and would definitely hurt the product perception more.

[oldguystudent]

I agree that I don't think price is the issue. I wanted to come see UNT football as a casual fan five or six years ago, but I found the process of finding tickets/parking etc. to be...not user friendly. Everything on the website back then was geared directly at mean green club members, and I clearly wasn't part of that. So I gave up.

Then, when I showed up for my first game with a student ID, I didn't know what to do with myself, where to go before the game, how to park, how to tailgate, where to buy tickets for my daughter, or how I would be able to sit next to her with my student ticket and her regular ticket. All these things are supposed to be part of the experience of college football, but all I found as a casual stranger were these secret wristband societies who told me I wasn't welcome. It took actively coming here to gmg.com to find out how things work.

Now maybe I'm just a lot less intelligent than your average football watching bear, but had I never become affiliated with UNT, I would've found it far too much trouble than it was worth.

If anything, the ticket office, once gaining exposure in the community, needs to have printed materials that are much more clear for the novice fan on how things work. Then, on game day, there should be UNT ambassadors in the parking lots and in the stadium showing new fans around, explaining everything, and maybe gently guiding them to the team store if needed. Then do the ole', "Apply today's game ticket towards your season ticket purchase!" routine. Round 'em up, show 'em the ropes, and keep 'em in!

Thos are my two cents, but since all I have is a nickel, I'll need some change, please.

[KRAM1]

I used to agree with this theory, that is, until we won 4 straight conference titles and still didn't sell squat for season tickets. I think the remainder of your post is accurate, and I would say we need to beat someone the casual fan is aware of. We need a couple of impressive wins over name teams to spur them on. That, and when they walk up in the future and not much is available, they will start to buy season tickets to guarantee their seat(s).

Lifer...agree...and that "just win" thing has not done much for basketball attendance either. It's a "cultural thing" to not support UNT...just look at some of the posts from alums that we get here on GMG.com. Nothing is ever good enough, the athletic dept. cannot do anything right, the Alumni Assoc. has nothing to offer, it's always "what's in it for me", etc., etc. Until that mindset changes UNT can win the conference, go to the NCAA's in basketball and still they won't come.

BUT, the great news is that the "stinkin' thinking" attitude displayed by such comments is changing and changing for the better. There will be more season tickets sold this season than ever before, there will be more fans, students and alums in that stands this year on average then ever before and there will be more members of the Mean green Club than ever before. While that still won't satisfy some, it is a move in the right direction. Some just cannot see all the good for the bad that they want to look for at every opportunity. It isn't perfect...the w/l record shows that, but it is time for the Mean Green faithful to rise up in support of this school and this program. Again, the good news here is that I do believe the faithful are stirring and the results of that are showing.

Sept. 10th cannot get here fast enough! GO MEAN GREEN...WHY THE HECK NOT NORTH TEXAS INDEED!

[UNTflyer]

A discount this early kills everyone's perception of the product.

What have we got to lose?

[FirefightnRick]

Listen to a man bitch, and he'll bitch for awhile.

Teach a man to bitch, and he'll bitch for a lifetime.

Please let it go?

Ha, Says the one who quoted a mistep by Toby Nwigwe from a year ago on another thread today?

It sure beats Tobe Nwigwe's "success is not an option" quote from last season.

BTW, that was a post of mine from 7 weeks ago, and was in response to a personal conversation I had with AD folks over the selection process.

Rick

Edited August 5, 2011 by FirefightnRick

[Quoner]

Ha, You quoted a mistep by Toby Nwigwe from a year ago on another thread today? Who are you to be telling anyone to let things go? BTW, that was a post of mine from 7 weeks ago, and was in response to a personal conversation I had with AD folks over the selection process. Maybe your the one with the problem dealing with the past?

Rick

My bad for not checking the date on the post -- but I still stand by the main point. You bring quite a chip on your shoulder to the table these days when you aren't getting things done your desired way. You used to not do that; I wish you still would.

Consider it worthless feedback because I know you and your boys would change a lot about me, too.

Edited August 5, 2011 by Quoner

[Quoner]

What have we got to lose?

The entire new stadium brand and the perception that we are finally on the same playing field as everyone we've been chasing?

[FirefightnRick]

My bad for not checking the date on the post -- but I still stand by the main point. You bring quite a chip on your shoulder to the table these days when you aren't getting things done your desired way. You used to not do that; I wish you still would.

Consider it worthless feedback because I know you and your boys would change a lot about me, too.

I hear ya. No prob.

Rick

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

This situation seems to me, upon reflection, as being an indicator of where game attendance ranks in terms of personal priorities. One theory is that people know there will be good walk-up seats available on gameday so they wait to see if the weather will be to their liking, or something comes up that they would enjoy doing more, etc. It all goes back to what numerous posters have said for years: WIN. If we can put some wins in the book, we will put more butts in seats and build more than a casual fan base. JMHO

Agree. We've done walk-up for years.

Winning does get you more of the fans many here claim not to like - T-shirt/sidewalk fans - but, of course, that's ridiculous. You need anyone and everyone to come in and give it a try whether they walk up or buy a package.

The first thing my son said to me last Saturday was, "Dad, how come the tickets are closed?" He's accustomed to walking up with me and thinks its neat to buy them there.

My goal is to buy to that way until I can afford to buy into the suites. Although, I really did like the seat in the north end zone. Having been to road games at OU and sat in their end zone, these end zone seats in the new stadium, by comparison, put you ridiculously close to the field.

I am tempted to snag end zone seats now while the snagging is good.

[TheTastyGreek]

that "just win" thing has not done much for basketball attendance either.

It hasn't?

It's one thing to look around and correctly state that we aren't selling the place out... But I think attendance is much better than it was before the 20+ win streak.

[UNT90]

And I think it really blows up in the next 2 years.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Last season, if USA had been a football-playing member of the Sun Belt, their 8,433 season tickets would have put them in second place in the conference. They would have been beaten only by Troy and their suspiciously even number of 10,000 season tickets sold. The rest of the Sun Belt broke down like this: WKU (7,340), ULL (6,797), MTSU (6,157), ASU (5,777), ULM (3,042), UNT (2,745), FIU (2,500) and FAU (1,431).

http://southalabama.scout.com/2/1079988.html

Okay...so, now can we go market to the Mexicans?

I mean, print up a few posters in Spanish and take them to the local Fiesta and Carnival stores.