New email and video today from AD Gragg along with a survey assessing interest in various possible new seating options and how much you’d be willing to pay for them. Bottom line: they’re gonna be expensive.
Here come the PSLs
- Thread starter ParisCat_rivals
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There will be no PSLs - the demand isn’t there to support them. They are, however, obviously trying to determine the amount of demand for premium seating. And there will be plenty of that.
I’m reluctantly fully expecting to be cleared out of my good seat location, which was earned more through season-ticket longevity and past donations than from current or recent donations.
Is this really surprising at all?
Folks around here often like to ***** about how we don’t perform like the “big boy” teams in the conference, but then ***** even louder when we start acting like the “big boys” teams in the conference in an attempt to procure the resources necessary to act like a “big boy” team.
FWIW, my hunch is that NU will do what it does when faced with a problem: throw money at it. With both hands.
But you will be able to buy plenty on game day for a big discount... if you want to go and spend your day...
It would be nice if they hired and acted like bog boys before charging like bog boys. Best of luck to them. I'm sure a bunch of you will pony up to support those high graduation rate teams that PF and his cast of fools will bring to the field. Not me.
While the potential options are obviously different, this is basically the same survey they sent out prior to the W-R redo.
It’s kind of a chicken-and-egg situation. Fitz has clearly shown a proclivity to hire guys he’s familiar with that also have previous NU ties, but that’s also the profile most likely to come to NU in the absence of the kind of salaries some B1G/SEC schools can throw at coordinators.
Minor irony. I've lived away from Chicagoland since the Dark Ages, and only go to a couple of games a year, always buying through the secondary market. I plan to retire early in a few years and move to Milwaukee area to be near our grandkids, just in time to buy season tix in the new stadium. I've always looked forward to being one of those old grey haired guys on the 45 yard line, in faded purple. We'll see.
You know when they went with Chicagos B10 team...I thought they were on the right track,,,,,does not seemed to have worked...but the idea of making the Cats marketable to a fan base beyond ALums is the only alternative to hitting current fans for more cash.......cool boxes might grab coorporate tickets......I would throw in 2 free ticktets and a tailgate with Cub and White Sox season tickets.....and option to get tickets at discount the rest of the year.....you have to get NEW people to the Stadium and have them enjoy the experience....this has always bothered me with a great business school they should be able to get this done.....I understand Chicago is tough competition but the up side is you have a lot of sports fans and a heck of a lot of people....do what you have to to get them in and experience a game....(and hopefully a better game experience) realize that it is tough to get to all home games....offer a 3 game package......I always wonder how our players feel when a home game feels like an away game....
Wow. I looked at the NUSports site, and the remaining seats are priced at $350/ticket, not bad for 15 games. These are all upper level seats though.
I can get a Stubhub ticket for $6 to watch NU play the Demon Deacons late this month. That's a great deal! And I'll be able to buy a couple of Foothills Brewing IPA's at the game. Living large.
Many of us think of attending games as a means of supporting the program at our beloved alma mater and not about value. Clearly not true for everyone, but for us, we love NU win or lose. Think of Cubs' fans in purple. Wrigley is filled regardless of the Cubs' record and many of us will attend 'Cat games regardless of record or cost of the tickets. Go 'Cats!
Um no!!! A story about how even OSU had a problem filling the Horseshoe early this season is rather telling. A man who took a pass to renew he season tix said that the bastards sent out a letter staring that a $15,000 donation was needed to secure his season tix. That is a lot of change for a form of entertainment that is starting to lose its luster on top of being the epitome of greed. If I received an extortion letter like that I would tell them nice knowing you and let it go. Tix are cheap in Evanston, and they still can't bring them in, much less keep them in. That shot I saw of a barely filled Ryan Field for the last game was rather sad. It looked like a MAC crowd, strike that a contemporary MAC crowd. Old MAC crowds were actually bigger than what I saw in the one photo.
It's your right, but I think $280 per ticket per game is steep. I can afford it, but I have a hard time justifying the cost. I am not an alum, but a local NU fan. I have had season tickets for 25 years. Go Cats!
Smithee, you want free seats to some BB games?
Hope you are doing well.
As far as psl, i wish they did that in BB instead of ringing us up yearly.
Psl are a one time buy w full rights. I couldnt imagine any sorta demand unless it came with a really really nice waitress providing in seat "free food and beverage" service.
As far as premium seating. NU simply is 0% loyal to longtime seat holders. I paid $12,000 a year for 2 courtside seats for 10 years. And put in for the yearly $25,000 contribution w the new arena but got the boot as the big boys who give $100,000+ were first in line.
Not complaining, thats business. Just saying not to expect the same seats since someone who gives more can cut in line. Again, all good but it goes by current $$$
Not complaining, thats business. Just saying not to expect the same seats since someone who gives more can cut in line. Again, all good but it goes by current $$$
I was actually surprised at how few Minnesota fans were in attendance to cheer on a pretty good Minnesota team that was leading the West division.
I don't see how PSLs or anything like that would work.
There might be something for the premium seats/box seats..., but even if capacity is reduced to around 40k, there's still going to be tons of open seats for every non-marquee game.
At the end of the day, supply/demand determine what they can charge/market can bear.
We don't have enough purple fans that the AD can afford to try to price the loyal ones out...
There might be something for the premium seats/box seats..., but even if capacity is reduced to around 40k, there's still going to be tons of open seats for every non-marquee game.
At the end of the day, supply/demand determine what they can charge/market can bear.
We don't have enough purple fans that the AD can afford to try to price the loyal ones out...
I was a bog boy once. Tough walking when you weigh >260 but there's lots of cool stuff to see.
I’ve read a lot of the comments here and took the survey myself. Season ticket holder since 96 have gone to at least one game a year since 84.
I have to get on a plane to see the cats and yes it’s one or two weekends a year I get to spend with one of my kids and we love it and look forward to it. Seats in 129 on the 47!yard line. I have a friend locally who buys the rest each year.
Neither of us will spend 100-200 or more per tix per game which is what they are looking to charge when the donations will be added.
If they think someone in Chicago will step up and replace me as a season tix holder they are not even close to correct. Even with a sparkling new stadium.
If Stanford can’t do it with near perfect weather and a better product how will northwestern.
It’s a folly to think this will improve the situation. If they were smart they would gradually increase tix prices for the next 25 years so those of us most loyal fans will grow up and out rather than just leave right now.
In addition, while I am getting something for my $700 per year. I won’t turn around and use the money to donate to the athletic department or to northwestern in general. That’s the big mistake they will make.
With the schedule the way it normally is you couldn’t even scalp two games to come close to making your money back to attend the rest of the games.
I’m quite sad to think my fall weekends in Chicago will come to an abrupt end.
I have to get on a plane to see the cats and yes it’s one or two weekends a year I get to spend with one of my kids and we love it and look forward to it. Seats in 129 on the 47!yard line. I have a friend locally who buys the rest each year.
Neither of us will spend 100-200 or more per tix per game which is what they are looking to charge when the donations will be added.
If they think someone in Chicago will step up and replace me as a season tix holder they are not even close to correct. Even with a sparkling new stadium.
If Stanford can’t do it with near perfect weather and a better product how will northwestern.
It’s a folly to think this will improve the situation. If they were smart they would gradually increase tix prices for the next 25 years so those of us most loyal fans will grow up and out rather than just leave right now.
In addition, while I am getting something for my $700 per year. I won’t turn around and use the money to donate to the athletic department or to northwestern in general. That’s the big mistake they will make.
With the schedule the way it normally is you couldn’t even scalp two games to come close to making your money back to attend the rest of the games.
I’m quite sad to think my fall weekends in Chicago will come to an abrupt end.
i took that survey and the prices are 10X and up from what I currently have. My group and I certainly can not afford some of the price points suggested. For a quaint stadium that cannot attract and keep season ticket holders who are NU fans. I feel this is a huge risk. Some of the prices exceed the local pro teams. We likely will be done when the hammer comes down.
People need to step back and take a breath...
It's a survey to gage opinions from STH's. The end result (which is a couple years down the road at best) will likely include a couple of the premium seat offerings being mentioned. While I'm sure seats within the 20's will have some type of premium attached, there will be plenty of seats available without additional cost. There are plenty of great seats in W-R that require no fee.
I guess I'm not surprised people are already using the redo (which many have clamored for) as an excuse to stop going to games.
It's a survey to gage opinions from STH's. The end result (which is a couple years down the road at best) will likely include a couple of the premium seat offerings being mentioned. While I'm sure seats within the 20's will have some type of premium attached, there will be plenty of seats available without additional cost. There are plenty of great seats in W-R that require no fee.
I guess I'm not surprised people are already using the redo (which many have clamored for) as an excuse to stop going to games.
Sorry, demand for premium seating only there if team is great and the stadium is packed. Doesn’t work if you can buy a $10 ticket and sit anywhere in the house.
I think they’re going to get a rude awakening when they get the results of the survey.
I didn’t see anything about PSLs in the survey. It did say we’d have the option to buy a multiyear package at a lower per-game cost. That’s a good idea.
I’d be happy to pay more for my season tickets, say double, just to have a comfortable seat. Add in heated seats, even better.
I’d be happy to pay more for my season tickets, say double, just to have a comfortable seat. Add in heated seats, even better.
I suspect that not all the STH's received the survey (I didn't) but you can't have PSL's with a half packed stadium. Even with a winning team, the seats are scooped up by the opposition (see Michigan, Nebraska, etc.) so with a less than stellar product i don't see PSL's taking hold. It's like the government taxing you into prosperity. Until there is a ongoing successful product on the field, there will be empty seats. Even on nice days the student section is empty.
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What a terrible time to run a survey like this, in what feels like the worst of all of Fitz’s seasons.
Unless their goal is to figure out how much the most loyal fans would pay during a low point for the program? Maybe they wouldn’t trust the response during a winning season like last one?
Unless their goal is to figure out how much the most loyal fans would pay during a low point for the program? Maybe they wouldn’t trust the response during a winning season like last one?
How about we have some winning before we have some money? Has NU hired P.T. Barnum?
Lots of coaches out there. The BIG / SEC are not all fabulous. Seems like other programs always find a way to consistently excel. Much lesser programs, much lesser salaries.
And where exactly do the NU coaches fall I. Terms of salary? I seem to recall leaked info that they are quite competitive now. JONS and Springer aren’t slumming in the bad part of town.
I cannot emphasize how much I hope the info about interest responsibility on pledges turns out to be true. That could really change the temperature. An AD with serious financial implications. No fans, no press, no media sales…something will have to give. Please let that be true.