The unofficial online home for fans of the UAB Blazers. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

The $5 tickets would make more sense for non-alums.

Just to note: There was an additional ticket included for each set of season tickets ordered that can be used for any game.

We have 6 season tickets (for 5 games) & 6 more individual tickets than can be used for any game.

I doubt he is serious and is enjoying pulling chains

Free tickets are a short term solution to a long term problem. Here are my issues with it:

1. UAB grads had access to free tickets via their student ID while in school and most of them still didn't go to games.
2. If you give someone something for free, most likely they aren't going to pay for your product down the line. All giving away free tickets does is devalue your product.

What has to be done as a university is engaging the students while they are in school, keeping track of what they attended, and targeting them once they've graduated for season ticket sales.

That being said, there's no reason that any UAB graduate from the last decade currently residing in the Birmingham area shouldn't have been contacted as soon as season tickets went on sale. It's a win win for both Athletics and the Alumni Society. In order to be given the Alumni season ticket rate you have to be an active member of the Alumni Society so that in itself could drive people to become members of the Alumni Society.

Memphis basketball does not have a lot in common with blazer basketball, but both schools are in the same boat with football. And this promotion was successful from all accounts. Whether it results in future paid season tickets remains to be seen and probably depends on the success of the team. In this case, it doesn't devalue the product, but is a reward to the recipient and therefore gives it more value.

The "devalue the product" argument is why you don't give them away to just anybody, or to people from Tuscaloosa, or Mars. Giving one set to new alumni who just graduated isn't that bad an idea. Tie it to joining the NAS so it's not completely free.

(09-09-2013 05:39 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  The "devalue the product" argument is why you don't give them away to just anybody, or to people from Tuscaloosa, or Mars. Giving one set to new alumni who just graduated isn't that bad an idea. Tie it to joining the NAS so it's not completely free.

Also a good idea.

Let me put it this way, you get a free Lot 15 parking permit as a member of the Alumni Society. Ask any current student or employee if that has no value

Damn skippy

(09-09-2013 06:16 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  Let me put it this way, you get a free Lot 15 parking permit as a member of the Alumni Society. Ask any current student or employee if that has no value

The irony when I got mine was that I don't recall ever parking legally as a student.

(09-09-2013 10:24 PM)Smaug Wrote:  

(09-09-2013 06:16 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  Let me put it this way, you get a free Lot 15 parking permit as a member of the Alumni Society. Ask any current student or employee if that has no value

The irony when I got mine was that I don't recall ever parking legally as a student.

Good luck trying that these days. To get a free spot that you won't get ticketed or towed you have to be on the Southside before 7AM.

UAB has done this before, when I graduated in 2001, the "diploma" they handed me on stage was a flyer to join the Alumni Society for $35. With my initial membership, I got 2 free season tickets to football and a parking pass. I went to most of the games that year with my fiance (now wife) and loved it. I actually went to more games than I did as a student.

I bought season tickets every year after that, expanding to 3 when my son got big enough. I bought season tickets for 11 seasons, I only stopped this year, because our schedule only allowed us to make 3 games last year and it wasn't worth the cost.

So for the cost of 2 season tickets, $200, I paid $2400 over course of the next 10 years.... Pretty good investment on UAB's part!

Not quite the same. Memphis deal wasn't tied to joining the Alumni Society. It should be a reward for graduating, not a reward for joining the alumni society.

(09-10-2013 08:08 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Not quite the same. Memphis deal wasn't tied to joining the Alumni Society. It should be a reward for graduating, not a reward for joining the alumni society.

You are correct, it is not the same, but my comment was meant to support the idea. Giving away the tickets or tying them to a small cost at graduation can get people to the games and can get them to invest in coming back on their own dime.