Operation fill up the Wing

[GreenFlag]

I think we need to fill that thing up by giving away tickets. The AD could figure out a reasonable conversion rate from the tickets they give away. Let's say they give away 30,000 tickets and 2,000 actually use them for a non-marquis game. These people will have to pay for parking and concessions so it really isn't a loss of revenue for people that weren't going anyway. Maybe a few cheapos will find a way to get these tickets who intended on attending anyway but it is crucial for this program to get butts in seats. I'm guessing the Wing holds about 8K - 10K people so give away 100,000 tickets. Just figure out the formula.

In the extremely unlikely event of a sell out because of giving away too many tickets, say you are sorry and give them tickets to the next 2 games and credit for some concessions. It would be a bummer but it is more important to start filling up the App. Just figure something out in this unlikely event.

Groups you could give to and feel good about:

DISD - hey little kid, how many family members do you have? Four? Ok, here's four tickets.

City of Denton - see DISD

Religious Organizations (Have it be The First, Second, Third, and Fourth Babtist Church's of Denton night at Apogee)

Youth Sports Leagues

Your own donor/season ticket holder base - give them 20 extra tickets to give away to family and friends.

I idea is to start this with the hopes of eventually having to stop this because the more people you expose to a great college game day atmosphere the more will want to come back - paying on their own.

Please give me your feedback. I will go to the AD with this if you convince me this is not hairbrained.

[UNTstormchaser]

I don't think it's hairbrained at all. I wouldn't give away TOO many, but maybe organizing some sort of raffle that is VERY well advertised, that is free to enter, where many free tickets are given away, could work. Or maybe we could offer some discounted deal where tix are half price and you can get one free concession per person or something. There's definitely room for growth in this idea. I hope you get the AD on board somehow!

[emmitt01]

What about yard signs? Have you considered those?

In all seriousness, I think this is a great idea. Kinda goes along with an idea I've had for years now. Give Denton ISD kids a voucher for free kid's admission with purchase of an adult ticket, no limit on the number of combinations (i.e. If you're a family of four and have two kids you'll get two free kid's tickets if you purchase two adult tickets)

[GreenFlag]

Yard signs - intruiging.

I think you keep it simple and just give them away. You want 4? Here's 4. You make it as easy as possible for a person to attend a game.

[greenjoe]

While I like the spirit of this idea and I want apogee filled up as much as anyone, I hate the idea that we have to give away our product. We have the nicest stadium in all of college football and we have a team that most of us expect to be bowl eligible. And what kind of a message does this send to our marginal fans ? " Don't buy tickets-somebody will give you tickets. Why spend money on a North Texas game."

Again, I want 31,000 butts in seats, but I'm opposed to giving away what I think is well worth my entertainment dollar.

GO MEAN GREEN

[Harry]

I think we need to fill that thing up by giving away tickets. The AD could figure out a reasonable conversion rate from the tickets they give away. Let's say they give away 30,000 tickets and 2,000 actually use them for a non-marquis game. These people will have to pay for parking and concessions so it really isn't a loss of revenue for people that weren't going anyway. Maybe a few cheapos will find a way to get these tickets who intended on attending anyway but it is crucial for this program to get butts in seats. I'm guessing the Wing holds about 8K - 10K people so give away 100,000 tickets. Just figure out the formula.

In the extremely unlikely event of a sell out because of giving away too many tickets, say you are sorry and give them tickets to the next 2 games and credit for some concessions. It would be a bummer but it is more important to start filling up the App. Just figure something out in this unlikely event.

Groups you could give to and feel good about:

DISD - hey little kid, how many family members do you have? Four? Ok, here's four tickets.

City of Denton - see DISD

Religious Organizations (Have it be The First, Second, Third, and Fourth Babtist Church's of Denton night at Apogee)

Youth Sports Leagues

Your own donor/season ticket holder base - give them 20 extra tickets to give away to family and friends.

I idea is to start this with the hopes of eventually having to stop this because the more people you expose to a great college game day atmosphere the more will want to come back - paying on their own.

Please give me your feedback. I will go to the AD with this if you convince me this is not hairbrained.

I think this a great idea however you HAVE to get this moving or the calendars will fill up and you won't have near as much effectiveness with the promotion.

[10Eagle10]

While I understand your premise, here are a few thoughts as to why the free giveaway is a BAD idea...

if you can wait for the freebies, why even buy season tickets (or single games, for that matter) at all? <-- this is the well-documented reason that those folks in waco have never been able to sell out. They are known to give away free tickets, thus upsetting their season ticket holders and as a result, reducing their paying-base.

$$ is what builds a program.

Adults should never be given free tickets (outside of a possible military/FF/police appreciation day). However, the idea of having a Denton ISD night is really good and should be pursued.

Giving away concessions and 2 free tickets because your free ticket was sold out is also a BAD idea. The idea to give free tickets away was supposed to bring in money and your remedy suggested hemorrhaging money by giving away concessions

[GrandGreen]

The idea to give away ticket to increase awareness and bring in new fans, is a great idea other than I've seen it tried at NT many many times. I am sure it may bring a few fans but overall; it just doesn't work other than to cheapen your product.

[GreenFlag]

While I like the spirit of this idea and I want apogee filled up as much as anyone, I hate the idea that we have to give away our product. We have the nicest stadium in all of college football and we have a team that most of us expect to be bowl eligible. And what kind of a message does this send to our marginal fans ? " Don't buy tickets-somebody will give you tickets. Why spend money on a North Texas game."

Again, I want 31,000 butts in seats, but I'm opposed to giving away what I think is well worth my entertainment dollar.

GO MEAN GREEN

I hear you and I think our AD agrees. Unfortunately what we have been doing is not working. We are both blessed and cursed by being in a large market. Our situation is different from Hatiesburg or San Antonio. I personally know of some super cheap ass alums that would spend as much money in time and gas snagging free tickets than season tickets would cost - but those are in the monority.

[NTGabe15]

" Don't buy tickets-somebody will give you tickets. Why spend money on a North Texas game."

I work at Texas Motor Speedway and this is exactly the mind set when you do give away a lot of tickets. I have actually talked on the phone to people who complain "Y'all used to give away tickets, now you want me to buy them?!" Just because you give someone something for free doesn't mean they'll be grateful or want to to pay for it later.

Edited August 3, 2012 by NTGabe15

[PlummMeanGreen]

I think this a great idea however you HAVE to get this moving or the calendars will fill up and you won't have near as much effectiveness with the promotion.

Harry is right. Also, any promotions that has time to be a real success this Fall probably needed to have begun its planning early this last Spring.

I recall reading an article years ago in the Dallas Morning News about how SMU's Russ Pott's and Brad Thomas' highly successful MustangMania promotions program would actually begin their planning in the early Spring.

I do like the idea of setting reasonable goals and filling the Wing is a most worthy goal basing that on our history in promotions the last 10 or so years. The Wingzone really needs to be filled especially for the week night ESPN game against the RajunCajuns because those national TV cameras most always pan the end zones in their camera shots and we don't need a half-filled Wing.

Still defer to the fact that had UH not brought their fans to Apogee last year for what was (only) its Grand Opening we would have had a very anemic 24,000 fans and lest we forget it was also our new HFC Dan McCarney's debut game, too. That should have been (and still should be a year later) a glaring statement of trouble with a capital T in River City (so to speak) of which our upper echelon powers that be at North Texas should have been able to identify a definite problem and then rectify it with some real answers.

Seems UNT operates much like our U.S. goverment in so many ways in how slow it seems to recognizes problems visible to all over a period of years and then with a snail's pace getting around to eventually solving them.

Have our powers that be at UNT even seen or are aware of the data listed in the below link? The facts and data in the link should be a red flag indicator as to what could happen the next 20 years if we're not careful and as per what the link reports for North Texas..............4 winning seasons in the last 20 years. Yes, I agree, those numbers sorta' snuck up on me, too. Not sure about the industry you work presently or worked in before retirement, but the one I worked in for 25 years would had very many "OUT OF BUSINESS" signs going up with a similar 20 year record shown in the link below. I'm pretty sure I know how many of our UNT alums who have been employers would have handled such.

I like our direction with the 2 revenue sports hires of football coach Dan McCarney and basketball coach Tony Benford but they absolutely cannot do all this by themselves.

http://mcubed.net/ncaaf/teams/nt.shtml

Edited August 3, 2012 by PlummMeanGreen

[meaniegreenie]

There's two threads going about getting the stadium filled. I think it'd be good to target the 10/16 ULaLa game for one of these. On a Tues night with national TV should be a good way to get tons of students at the game.

[DeepGreen]

Still don't understand why UNT doesn't try to tap into the TWU student. They should be let in free just like UNT students. Forget the athletics fee they are dinged with.

[drex]

I have never seen an empty seat scream for the home team, buy a hot dog or a coke or a t-shirt.

[glick1980]

One reason the wing will never be full: You can stand in the concourse and be 200 feet closer to the field.

[FirefightnRick]

One reason the wing will never be full: You can stand in the concourse and be 200 feet closer to the field.

As much as I like the unique design of the Wing zone, I tried to point out to officials when they released the designs this very point.

Until we are having to cram people in due to a wildly popular opponent(Big 12 or SEC ...etc) or we are kicking ass and winning, that section will remain mostly empty due to poor planning ahead of time.

It's cool to go up there and check out the scenery but that wears off quickly.

Rick

[UNTflyer]

What if we allowed all students in for free? Surely giving away 38,000 tickets is a great way to fill up a 30,000-seat stadium.

[MeanGreenTexan]

As much as I like the unique design of the Wing zone, I tried to point out to officials when they released the designs this very point.

Until we are having to cram people in due to a wildly popular opponent(Big 12 or SEC ...etc) or we are kicking ass and winning, that section will remain mostly empty due to poor planning ahead of time.

It's cool to go up there and check out the scenery but that wears off quickly.

Rick

I think this translates to most end-zone seating at any stadium. The sight lines are just not as good unless the Mean Green are about to score right in front of you. I think I read a story somewhere that LaDanian Tomlinson always sat in end zone seats when he was young so he could watch how running plays unfolded. I don't think we'll have many LT types in the end zone section, so it's great for bandwagon fans and the Family Fun Pack fans.

Let's just hope for the excessive winning to start this season so we can get the rest of the sideline seating sold out and people will desire to get into the game regardless of where they sit, which will have to be the wingzone.

[PlummMeanGreen]

One reason the wing will never be full: You can stand in the concourse and be 200 feet closer to the field.

I would think our Game Day stadium attendants would discourage any of our fans excercising some semblance of squatter's rights in the concourse area. There are

presently enough seats for all to sit in without pitching a tent on the concourse. Don't stadium rules forbid that from happening anyway? If Apogee Stadium is sold out, then maybe allow it then, but only then.

GMG!

[MeanGreenTexan]

What if we allowed all students in for free? Surely giving away 38,000 tickets is a great way to fill up a 30,000-seat stadium.

Decades of general apathy and opponents no-one cares about makes this difficult. Winning in C-USA will turn this into a problem though.

[Eastwood Eagle]

Give away a 100k in tickets?

'

"Citizens of city of Denton- stop by for a free UNT ticket."

[Censored by Laurie]

Still don't understand why UNT doesn't try to tap into the TWU student.

Hot.

[UNT 04]

I think if you could strike a deal with a local t-shirt shop to make X amount of shirts that would be cheap enough to still make a profit from parking and concession or take donations from business to advertise on the shirt

[Andrew]

This is a common practice Barnum and bailly and the wwe do this all of the time they give away thousands of tickets for free to fill up the stands. Sports franchises do this as well to make sure they keep their cable television deals.you have to fillip the seats to broadcast a game so they give tens of thousands of tickets away a year.

[Side Show Joe]

I think giving away large amounts of tickets decreases the value of the product on the field. Whatever the athletic department does should center around adding value to the program. Our attendance will naturally increase once we move to C-USA. Our fans want to see us play Tulsa, Rice, and UTEP, and I think their fans will show up better then the Sun Belt teams did.

I'm not saying we should set back and do nothing. I just don't believe giving away large amounts of tickets is the best strategy. I think getting more posters up around town helps add value to our program and will help to get more people to the games.

Personally, I think the lower half of the Wingzone should be sectioned off for crazy, loud students. I'd like to see it filled with students that will paint their faces, or wear a green cape, or a green Darth Vader helmet, and yell as loud as they can every time the oponent gets into the red zone on that side of the field. When games are on T.V. that section will get on T.V. more than others, and be fun to watch while we are winning.