Football Tix Renewal?

[Rocky Style]

I am sure USF would love band wagon fans' money. I would also like it if USF had a huge amount of any kind of fan in the seats.

[libby_arts]

My fanny will be there!

[Leviathan]

USF Athletics needs more money so they can fire and pay off the football and basketball coaches next year. Then pay a search firm and pay two new coaches.

[bullz97]

No more grandfather for me and my seats went up

[Brad]

ASU does it this way. We cant afford tickets to multiple sports (we would get them for the kids). Yet under old system at USF, I could. Even worthwhile living out of town.

I think long term that, like for ASU, this is good not for fans but for school. Key factor will be winning again. Then their income will multiply.

[MikeG]

Unreal that they system hasn't changed since 98. I don't even know where to begin with the outrage at the neglect of the athletic department. I have always defended Judy but the fact that a department could be so neglected is just baffling and I don't know what to think. 

 

I get this email that says "We want you back, season ticket holder" - Really? You can't just neglect this department for 16 years then ask for a favor.

 

I'm sure a lot of people might think I'm being an *******, but realistically, I am not a charity and I just have a hard time with this "we've screwed up majorly, please like me again" message. 

 

Show me wins. Show me that we can beat SEC teams and ACC teams and Notre Dame. I'm tired of the "we might be awesome, we're a sleeping giant, here's a lot of rhetoric". I got it. I went here. I know. I was there. 

 

Were you? 

 

RE: the above comment---- If you are referring to the donation levels of the seating you are simply incorrect. I can recall at least three times that sections/levels and corresponding donor levels required for seat access were changed. There were probably more.

 

 

My take:

 

I recall the one in particular that got me to up my donation level and lock in some prime seats (until now) on the 50. I added those seats in addition to my original seats. While I was taking pictures for the website, I never got to sit in those seats but usually found some body who could make use of them. 

 

I am one of the grandfathered donors. Season ticket holder since day one (in my name since the second season- so much for the fraternity block of seats). So yeah-- I paid quite a bit less than most for tickets mostly due to the system allowing for it. I don't recall anyone complaining to us about our donor levels when we were still playing 1-AA or during the first losing season. Prices steadily rose for tickets. People jumped on board as time went on and had to pay the newer/higher donation levels. I took that as a REWARD for being a long time supporter of the team. Granted, I was not giving a ton of money but I was buying 4 tickets and did increase my donor level over time to do so. I went to bowl games. I went to many away games. I don't feel I was not entitled somewhat to getting a bit of a break on the cost of my tickets by like Wooly-- knew it was only a matter of time before the grandfathered situation would end-- be it from the administration changing the plan (it was NEVER guaranteed) or we got a new venue (aka OCS).

 

I bought last seasons tickets despite the lackluster results on the field and the fact I was moving 2100 miles away. I made sure they found another Bull fan to use them before I left as I cared that the seat was filled in my absence.

 

But this new program has released me from feeling guilty about not getting tickets this season. It is just not reasonable to pay the expense and I have no incentive to keep my grandfathered access since that program is kaput. I still love the Bulls and USF. I still support them as much as I can from Arizona. I only held on to them really in case I ever moved back to Tampa. Now I can just pay the going rate if that happens down the line. Had I bought them this year, my donation level would have more than tripled. If still in Tampa, I would have likely moved my seats to an area that fit my needs/price point.

 

Sure hope this fills in the stands. I think they could have the best pricing model on Earth but in the end, people want to see a winner or at least entertaining football. It is hard to imagine things won't improve though. Pretty hard to get worse.

[Hem]

As a fellow USF Alumni I just want to say thank you for holding onto them as long as you could Mike, and anyone else who is/was holding tickets living out of state and not even able to go to the games. Being out in AZ it's commendable that you even held them and paid the donations once you left!

 

That being said

 

Should long time season tickets holders be/have been treated a little better than new ones? Maybe offered some better incentives? IMHO..yes, they should be catered to a bit more than those of us who have only had them for a few years. 

 

Should they be offered seats for a fraction of what everyone else is paying? No. 

 

I can understand the frustration as nobody wants to pay more for things...that's life. I got kicked out of the staff section in 138 that required NO DONATION at all! All I had to pay for was the tickets! It is what it is...

 

As Senator Russell B. Long once said,  "Don't tax you, Don't tax me, tax that fellow behind the tree!"

[Rocky Style]

It sounds like a short term pain but the long term gain depends on the buzz generated by winning, not annoying music between every huddle, or a hype man on the mic. Win some games and the marketing team can take it from there...

[libby_arts]

I liked the marketing changes made last year. The t-shirts being shot and tossed up into the students sections. Free stuff to the first 5k thru the gate. One has to admit, when people were wearing their free Rocky hats made for great photos. As for my favorite, Beat UCF!!!

[Triple B]

As a fellow USF Alumni I just want to say thank you for holding onto them as long as you could Mike, and anyone else who is/was holding tickets living out of state and not even able to go to the games. Being out in AZ it's commendable that you even held them and paid the donations once you left!

 

That being said

 

Should long time season tickets holders be/have been treated a little better than new ones? Maybe offered some better incentives? IMHO..yes, they should be catered to a bit more than those of us who have only had them for a few years. 

 

Should they be offered seats for a fraction of what everyone else is paying? No. 

 

I can understand the frustration as nobody wants to pay more for things...that's life. I got kicked out of the staff section in 138 that required NO DONATION at all! All I had to pay for was the tickets! It is what it is...

 

As Senator Russell B. Long once said,  "Don't tax you, Don't tax me, tax that fellow behind the tree!"

 

They haven't given you the opportunity to retain those same seats??