Anyone Planning on Buying Season Tix?

[Eric_Soncrant]

Wow, great conversation!

For those of you that are green jacket donors and haven't received your green jacket certificate or your lapel pin, please call the Bulls Club and we will make sure you get that if you qualify.  We haven't done away with them and I personally would love to see people donning these everywhere.  

Anyone with questions on anything can call me directly at (813) 974-3481 and I will handle your questions or requests personally.  I am out of the office until January 12th so if you can wait until then or call and leave a message and I'll take care of you upon my return.

My apologies for all the confusion, we really do aim to please.  This helps us about $1.5 million historically.  It's growing each year.  Thanks to all of you.

Eric

[SANJAY]

Thanks for the information Eric.  Glad you are on the board to address these types of issues.

[SANJAY]

What is the point to having to pay $500 to $3500 donation on top of the regular price for football season tickets.?? Seems very stupid to me....  

Like all schools, those donations provides funding for certain types of athletic related programs.  As Eric points out, the annual giving is now about $1.5million.  Those that wish to make the donations in order to help athletics can do so, and the school divides the stadium and sundome up so as to provide better seats to bigger donors.  You can get season tickets without a donation if that is your preference.

[AgingBull]

thanks Eric..enjoy your off days...talk to you soon...and as always go Bulls

[CAPPER]

What is the point to having to pay $500 to $3500 donation on top of the regular price for football season tickets.?? Seems very stupid to me....  

Like all schools, those donations provides funding for certain types of athletic related programs.  As Eric points out, the annual giving is now about $1.5million.  Those that wish to make the donations in order to help athletics can do so, and the school divides the stadium and sundome up so as to provide better seats to bigger donors.  You can get season tickets without a donation if that is your preference.

Thanks SANJAY,

It  seems to me that charging a donation fee for season tickets turns would be season ticket purchasers away. I wonder how many people call the ticket office for season tickets only to find out about the donation then decide not to purchase.

I understand the money provides funding for other athletic related programs but as I read in the beginning of this thread people just get groups together to purchase season tickets and split the donation.

Could the donation be constructed to charge a smaller donation on each seat the purchaser would not even know a portion goes to the bulls club ? Just add it in sell more season tickets build the fan base and fill the stadium.

[Grateful Dad]

Thanks SANJAY,

It  seems to me that charging a donation fee for season tickets turns would be season ticket purchasers away. I wonder how many people call the ticket office for season tickets only to find out about the donation then decide not to purchase.

I understand the money provides funding for other athletic related programs but as I read in the beginning of this thread people just get groups together to purchase season tickets and split the donation.

Could the donation be constructed to charge a smaller donation on each seat the purchaser would not even know a portion goes to the bulls club ? Just add it in sell more season tickets build the fan base and fill the stadium.

Capper, I don't think the term "donation" is driving people away.  People are mostly bottom-line -- "What do I have to pay for this seat?"  Call it a tax, call it a Fee, call it an assessment (to use an example from our real lives), it is how much we have to take out of our pockets that gets our attentions.  To see what the effect of taking every available seat and dividing that into the total donations available from selling every seat in the various sections -- that would do away with those seats not requiring a donation and probably increase substantially those seats which are most popular with our current fan base.  We have many seats which require >$1000 donation.  Splitting all the donations into every seat takes away people's choices and would start a riot for the best seats.

Am I misunderstanding what you propose?

[Guest]

What is the point to having to pay $500 to $3500 donation on top of the regular price for football season tickets.?? Seems very stupid to me....  

Like all schools, those donations provides funding for certain types of athletic related programs.  As Eric points out, the annual giving is now about $1.5million.  Those that wish to make the donations in order to help athletics can do so, and the school divides the stadium and sundome up so as to provide better seats to bigger donors.  You can get season tickets without a donation if that is your preference.

Thanks SANJAY,

It  seems to me that charging a donation fee for season tickets turns would be season ticket purchasers away. I wonder how many people call the ticket office for season tickets only to find out about the donation then decide not to purchase.

I understand the money provides funding for other athletic related programs but as I read in the beginning of this thread people just get groups together to purchase season tickets and split the donation.

Could the donation be constructed to charge a smaller donation on each seat the purchaser would not even know a portion goes to the bulls club ? Just add it in sell more season tickets build the fan base and fill the stadium.

Nearly all major college football programs do this to supplement their income.  The $1.5 million USF raises this way helps cover the operations of USF athletics.  Alabama raises more than $20 million per year through donations...

And actually, the way to think of this is in reverse... if you donate $ X per year, you have the privilege of buying better season tickets than someone who donates less.  "Membership has its privileges" and "the more you give the more you get"...

[Grateful Dad]

And, to some extent, the effect of larger donations on a fan is mitigated by the allowance of eight seats under that donation versus four seats under a lesser donation.  So, in some ways, they are attempting to level it.

[CAPPER]

Thanks SANJAY,

It  seems to me that charging a donation fee for season tickets turns would be season ticket purchasers away. I wonder how many people call the ticket office for season tickets only to find out about the donation then decide not to purchase.

I understand the money provides funding for other athletic related programs but as I read in the beginning of this thread people just get groups together to purchase season tickets and split the donation.

Could the donation be constructed to charge a smaller donation on each seat the purchaser would not even know a portion goes to the bulls club ? Just add it in sell more season tickets build the fan base and fill the stadium.

Capper, I don't think the term "donation" is driving people away.  People are mostly bottom-line -- "What do I have to pay for this seat?"  Call it a tax, call it a Fee, call it an assessment (to use an example from our real lives), it is how much we have to take out of our pockets that gets our attentions.  To see what the effect of taking every available seat and dividing that into the total donations available from selling every seat in the various sections -- that would do away with those seats not requiring a donation and probably increase substantially those seats which are most popular with our current fan base.  We have many seats which require >$1000 donation.  Splitting all the donations into every seat takes away people's choices and would start a riot for the best seats.

Am I misunderstanding what you propose?

Obviously the more desirable seats would be more expensive currents season ticket holders and bulls club donors would keep the rights to their seats.

My thoughts are strictly to structure how the bulls club gets their money. Would it not make more sense to generate the donation money in total volume (people in the seats) ??? other then a few seats with high donors.

[WoolyBully]

Would it not make more sense to generate the donation money in total volume (people in the seats) ??? other then a few seats with high donors.

Nope. Look at the premium seating in RayJ. I pay for [highlight]NOT[/highlight] having to stand in the student section, or not having to sit in the corner sections. Also, I am more inclined to attend games that, under other circumstances, I would not, hence that revenue is not lost (e.g. IAA tune-ups).  By going this route, the University receives it's revenue up front (donation + cost of season tickets).

If you can't get 'casual' fans to show up for a $30.00 ticket, I'm pretty certain they're not going to show up for a $150.00 ticket.

College football...like it or not...is a business.