I know I've mentioned I bought SMU season tickets this year. I haven't received my tickets in the mail yet but I saw they sent them in a flag. Pretty cool idea. I liked my scarf from NIU but they send it later in the year and they should think of doing something cool like this, maybe a t-shirt or t-shirt hat combo sent with the tickets.

https://twitter.com/ames214/status/498885413340057600

Thoughts?

a big reason why NIU won't be in a major conference for a while...SMU is a great example..
http://smu.edu/mustangclub/2014_SMUDonorTicketGuide.pdf
SEASON TICKET PRICING
- Sideline (East & West): Regular-$210, Young Alumni-N/A; Alumni Zone-$150

- Endzone: Regular-$99, Young Alumni-$60; Alumn Zone-N/A

BOULEVARD PRICING
Location Season* Single Games
Boulevard (Main)
• Tailgate spot with 1 adjacent
parking spot $ 700 $200
Boulevard Northeast/East/West
• Tailgate spot with 1 remote
parking spot $ 600 $200
Dallas Hall
• Tailgate spot with 1 remote
parking spot $ 500 $200
• Student tent with 3 bartenders $3,000 $500
• Large tent space rental with
1 remote parking spot $3,000 $500
*Season Boulevard Mustang Club donation required

And they are announcing a Young Alumni Program

(08-11-2014 05:00 PM)cartershaw Wrote:  And they are announcing a Young Alumni Program

While I agree that NIU should have a better young alumni network, SMU has some advantages in this, with many local kids going to the school and many staying in the Dallas area (within 10 miles of campus) they should do well there.

NIU students hometowns are close to NIU. Most students also end up living close to NIU. NIU has a problem getting alums to come back to sporting events. There is a answer to this and I am hoping Frazier can figure it out.

SMU has 6 home games (1 more than us) and the 2 non-conf home games are against Texas A&M and TCU...I think we could get that pricing if we had that type of home schedule.

I'm not trying to blame everything on home scheduling...but the pricing isn't THAT crazy different comparatively.

(08-11-2014 06:05 PM)dekalb222 Wrote:  NIU students hometowns are close to NIU. Most students also end up living close to NIU. NIU has a problem getting alums to come back to sporting events. There is a answer to this and I am hoping Frazier can figure it out.

I understand that and wasn't saying that was the case. But many SMU students and alums live basically on campus, in a very wealthy neighborhood. Living close (30 miles away) and a few blocks can actually make a large difference.

Also, private schools generally have more connection to their alums because they need money from them to continue growing, I feel confident saying many private schools have a larger portion of alums donate to the school.

(08-11-2014 06:05 PM)dekalb222 Wrote:  NIU students hometowns are close to NIU. Most students also end up living close to NIU. NIU has a problem getting alums to come back to sporting events. There is a answer to this and I am hoping Frazier can figure it out.

Like JWN said, there's a huge difference between living 30+ miles from campus and living 10 miles or less from campus. Naperville is 40 miles away from Dekalb. Chicago is 65 miles away and is a pretty brutal drive most of the time. There is also no reason to drive west of 59 besides NIU...SMU's campus is in the middle of a massive metropolitan area. I'm sure NIU's fan support would be infinitely better if the campus was in Naperville/Wheaton/Aurora, etc.

Yeah, if NIU's campus was in Naperville, it would rival U of I, but don't say that around here(lol). Also traveling a hour for a ftball game is nothing!

We play five home games this season with no brand OOC teams coming in, two of the five games are on a weeknight and not one Saturday home game until October. Not to mention three Saturdays in a row in October which is brutal. SMU is in a better conference and has a way better schedule. I think their only weekday game is a Friday near the back of the season. Its hard to compare the two. We may be cheaper but they have a much more fan friendly and arguably more marketable schedule.

(08-11-2014 07:13 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  We play five home games this season with no brand OOC teams coming in, two of the five games are on a weeknight and not one Saturday home game until October. Not to mention three Saturdays in a row in October which is brutal. SMU is in a better conference and has a way better schedule. I think their only weekday game is a Friday near the back of the season. Its hard to compare the two. We may be cheaper but they have a much more fan friendly and arguably more marketable schedule.

That Friday game is the day after Thanksgiving. I wasn't trying to compare the two, but Cartershaw brought it up. They also play 3 in state opponents. One is 45 minutes away, one has a huge fan base and the other is the day after thanksgiving so that sucks, but yes, much more marketable.

I really just wanted to see what people thought of the flag they sent the tickets in. I hope NIU sends the ticket holders cool items this year.

(08-11-2014 06:12 PM)HuskieJWN Wrote:  

(08-11-2014 06:05 PM)dekalb222 Wrote:  NIU students hometowns are close to NIU. Most students also end up living close to NIU. NIU has a problem getting alums to come back to sporting events. There is a answer to this and I am hoping Frazier can figure it out.

I understand that and wasn't saying that was the case. But many SMU students and alums live basically on campus, in a very wealthy neighborhood. Living close (30 miles away) and a few blocks can actually make a large difference.

Also, private schools generally have more connection to their alums because they need money from them to continue growing, I feel confident saying many private schools have a larger portion of alums donate to the school.

Hey it's hard to compare SMU campus/athletics with NIU. SMU is stuck right in the middle of big D, a very expensive private U. NIU is in DeKalb, about 65 miles or so from a major city, and an area with a rural/agricultural feel. Given that difference, even SMU has a hard time keeping butts in the seats....a couple of years ago June Jones expressed his displeasure with the pre-game party crowd who show up for the first half, then exit at halftime.

We are supposed to get a special Huskies license plate frame. But, this is a gift for HAF donors of $300 or more, not season ticket holders.

(08-11-2014 08:02 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  We are supposed to get a special Huskies license plate frame. But, this is a gift for HAF donors of $300 or more, not season ticket holders.

Hopefully that's cool. Have you been receiving gifts annually for your HAF donation?

(08-11-2014 07:20 PM)HuskieJWN Wrote:  

(08-11-2014 07:13 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

That Friday game is the day after Thanksgiving. I wasn't trying to compare the two, but Cartershaw brought it up. They also play 3 in state opponents. One is 45 minutes away, one has a huge fan base and the other is the day after thanksgiving so that sucks, but yes, much more marketable.

I really just wanted to see what people thought of the flag they sent the tickets in. I hope NIU sends the ticket holders cool items this year.

Yeah I wasn't trying to launch another schedule hate discussion. That aside, I do like the flag concept. I also think the young alumni pricing is a great idea.

(08-11-2014 08:04 PM)HuskieJWN Wrote:  

(08-11-2014 08:02 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  We are supposed to get a special Huskies license plate frame. But, this is a gift for HAF donors of $300 or more, not season ticket holders.

Hopefully that's cool. Have you been receiving gifts annually for your HAF donation?

Nothing major. Usually small things like pins. I keep saying that a great gift would be a DVD of highlights from the previous season. They did that once a while back.

What about an niu car sticker? I like those. Wherever you go, people know that youre an NIU fan.

Sum you can also buy beer during the game!!!

My point was that if ticket prices were $200+ instead of $100 and we played northwestern and Memphis at home... We would have a whole thread about how $200/ticket is too much..

I also think the flag with "season ticket holder" is a much better job of marketing than the scarf and license plate holder

(08-11-2014 08:04 PM)HuskieJWN Wrote:  

(08-11-2014 08:02 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  We are supposed to get a special Huskies license plate frame. But, this is a gift for HAF donors of $300 or more, not season ticket holders.

Hopefully that's cool. Have you been receiving gifts annually for your HAF donation?

I have seen them. They are nice to be offered but definitely not close to eye candy for a NIU fan. They are matte black with no dog logo.