(05-15-2016 05:50 AM)ETSUfan1 Wrote:  If you go on ETSUBUCS.com, you can currently buy ETSU vs UT tickets....for the mens and womens games.

Wonder if they realize that. Once they sell those bronze tickets as single game tickets it shoots the season ticket renewals and new purchases in the gut. That looks like a mistake and oversight to me.

(05-16-2016 06:22 AM)Efan Wrote:  

(05-15-2016 05:50 AM)ETSUfan1 Wrote:  If you go on ETSUBUCS.com, you can currently buy ETSU vs UT tickets....for the mens and womens games.

Wonder if they realize that. Once they sell those bronze tickets as single game tickets it shoots the season ticket renewals and new purchases in the gut. That looks like a mistake and oversight to me.

They've had the men's UT tickets up for sale since January. I ordered some then. I don't know how long it was going to be "open" for non season ticket holders, since it said limited time.

Am I reading that correctly: $25-35 a ticket?!? For one game?! That's extortionary! That's just like jacking up prices around here for race weekends! Please - someone tell me I'm mis-reading or misinterpreting that.

That is probably the market rate for this game, especially with a venue as small as freedom hall.

Dynamic pricing is the new norm in sports management. The reason it's such a shock is that you are not used to ETSU basketball events being widely attended. With UT in town, the place will fill up to see one of two outcomes: ETSU stick it to the man, or the man put ETSU back in its place. Drama, demand!

(05-16-2016 09:59 AM)queenladybug817 Wrote:  

(05-16-2016 06:22 AM)Efan Wrote:  

(05-15-2016 05:50 AM)ETSUfan1 Wrote:  If you go on ETSUBUCS.com, you can currently buy ETSU vs UT tickets....for the mens and womens games.

Wonder if they realize that. Once they sell those bronze tickets as single game tickets it shoots the season ticket renewals and new purchases in the gut. That looks like a mistake and oversight to me.

They've had the men's UT tickets up for sale since January. I ordered some then. I don't know how long it was going to be "open" for non season ticket holders, since it said limited time.

It was only open for season ticket holders then, and password protected. Now they're selling single game seats ahead of season tickets and that will likely prove to be a mistake.

(05-16-2016 12:21 PM)Efan Wrote:  

(05-16-2016 09:59 AM)queenladybug817 Wrote:  

(05-16-2016 06:22 AM)Efan Wrote:  

(05-15-2016 05:50 AM)ETSUfan1 Wrote:  If you go on ETSUBUCS.com, you can currently buy ETSU vs UT tickets....for the mens and womens games.

Wonder if they realize that. Once they sell those bronze tickets as single game tickets it shoots the season ticket renewals and new purchases in the gut. That looks like a mistake and oversight to me.

They've had the men's UT tickets up for sale since January. I ordered some then. I don't know how long it was going to be "open" for non season ticket holders, since it said limited time.

It was only open for season ticket holders then, and password protected. Now they're selling single game seats ahead of season tickets and that will likely prove to be a mistake.

Maybe, but I don't think they'll sell out until after anyone getting season tickets decides to do that. They are only selling single tickets in Bronze and lower areas and I kinda doubt many people buying season tickets are really looking for that area. If you look at the availability, you'll also see some of the "good" bronze seats not available. Perhaps they have those blocked for now as a "just in case" for potential bronze season ticket sales?

A lot of people are also not going to think well enough ahead for ETSU basketball to actually buy a ticket until at least October, unless they already have season tickets. A few, yes, but they are the minority. I think people are going to be a little surprised when they don't have any seats come November.

(05-16-2016 12:13 PM)shampoo Wrote:  Dynamic pricing is the new norm in sports management. The reason it's such a shock is that you are not used to ETSU basketball events being widely attended. With UT in town, the place will fill up to see one of two outcomes: ETSU stick it to the man, or the man put ETSU back in its place. Drama, demand!

That's just WRONG. I'm sorry, but it smacks of exactly the way they stuck it to us long-term season ticket holders back in the early '90s after the great success of those teams. It's opportunism, and it's WRONG.
Trust me, I was *very* much accustomed to ETSU basketball events being widely attended back at that point in time. To penalize those of us who were loyal for so long is short-sighted and, as I said, extortionary. Not *quite* as bad as requiring a Pirate Club membership before buying season tickets, but in exactly the same vein. I just became disgusted with this, and if Forbes had anything to do with it, then that includes him, I'm sorry to say. Although I suspect it's mostly a Scott Carter phenomenon.

Yes, I have strong feelings about this. "Dynamic pricing", or whatever name it goes by, is just WRONG.
Penalizing loyalty bit them in the ass very badly back then, and I hope it does this time, too.

If they charge that price for the UT game, how about a $6 tkt for non D1 games

If the team wins in general, and especially if they beat UT, these concerns will be an undertone ultimately. I typically react similarly, upset by what can seem like unfair practices. The reality is that the UT game may very well sell out even at $25-35 ticket prices. If tickets do not sell fast enough, they'll drop the prices. Dynamic pricing to meet demand. If $25-35 on top of season tickets upsets you, let the AD know by making contact or through refraining from season ticket renewal.

Are we seriously complaining about 25 dollars for the most anticipated ETSU home game in recent memory, maybe ever? How much do you think it would cost for seats that close at Thompson Boling?

And of course the game will sell out. If you want to see ETSU play UT in Johnson City in your lifetime, you'd better cough up 25 bucks.

(05-16-2016 06:36 PM)ETSUfan1 Wrote:  Are we seriously complaining about 25 dollars for the most anticipated ETSU home game in recent memory, maybe ever? How much do you think it would cost for seats that close at Thompson Boling?

Yep

I think paying $25 for UT is fair, and I also believe that it is completely unfair to charge normal price for an exhibition game.

I also think that they should charge as much as demand allows for season tickets. I they make the NCAA this year, they will increase season ticket prices again next season. Then, with Forbes gone and little returnin talent along with free online games, Freedom Hall will be 25% full

I agree, I hate paying any more than anyone else, but this is simple supply and demand. Fans do it on StubHub everyday, and every major university in America does it because that's what the market will allow.

We can't expect a big time program with small time thinking.

(05-16-2016 06:15 PM)shampoo Wrote:  If $25-35 on top of season tickets upsets you, let the AD know by making contact or through refraining from season ticket renewal.

What do you mean "on top of"? The Tennessee game is included as part of the season tickets for both the men and the women. It's not a separate purchase.

I know the game will likely be a sell-out (even if a third of the crowd will be wearing awringe). A sell-out is good (under normal circumstances). But to do it by profiteering on the backs of many of us who've suffered thru the stanton years, the bartow years, the mullins years, etc. is just wrong. W.R.O.N.G.

Some of you are making the "whatever-the-market-will-bear" argument. Well, that's what the robber barons did, that's what the evil comcasts and charters of the world do. I'm not against capitalism, but this isn't that - it's profiteering. Opportunistic profiteering. Do you all agree with room rates being jacked up triple for race weekends?
And let me make it clear, in case there's any doubt - it's not that I can't afford to pay that. I'm sure I could, but my conscience would bother me. It's just that it's no way to endear yourself to fans; fans who you would hope to charm into being regular attendees decades into the future.

I know I'm an idealist, and make no apologies for such. Too many of you younger folks are just used to accepting the way things are without putting up a fight. I can't do that. Many of us have just recently gotten over the earlier-named extortion that was attempted against us in about 1992 or '93. That ended in disaster, although it took the athletic administration several years of *severely* decreased attendance to figure it out. (And yes, I know the product on the floor went downhill, with the coaching change(s), etc., but the decline was due more to general disenchantment with other policies.) They drove loyal, life-long fans away in droves, and this has been brought up on these boards in the past. I'm not a voice in the wilderness saying this. We did *not* go from 10,000 fans to 1500-2000 solely because the teams weren't performing as well one the court (although certainly that played a significant part).

And as etsubuc says.....if we're successful this year, and Forbes leaves, and ticket prices go up *again*, then Freedom Hall will be 25% full. It may take 2-3 years to dwindle, but it will. YOU HAVE TO REWARD LOYALTY, NOT PUNISH IT. Sure - there will be a short-term financial gain, but it will engender a negative attitude among many of us old-timers that will have a lasting effect. This university seems to want to go out of it's way to shoot itself in the foot every time they have a chance to really take the fan base to the next level.

As to "expecting[ing] a big time program with small time thinking".......this practice is just WRONG at any level. It was WRONG for the Eagles to charge the totally outlandish (at that time) price of $65 a ticket for their first reunion tour. *ANY*-sized program that does this is in the wrong. WRONG is WRONG, regardless of the size of the offense.

shampoo says: "If tickets do not sell fast enough, they'll drop the prices. Dynamic pricing to meet demand....."
Let's say they drop the ticket prices to $15/$25 towards game time. How would that make someone feel who paid $35 for a ticket. I'd be boiling mad.

I know some of you will never agree with me, and of course that's your right, but I'm telling you - this has really pissed me off. (Does it show? LOL) And if it's done that to me, I'm sure I'm not alone. It's a sad day when ETSU basketball begins repeating the hard-learned mistakes of the past. We're supposed to be coming *out* of the wilderness into the light; this just severely hampers that journey.

I hope you're reading this Dr. Noland, Dr. Sander, Steve Forbes, and Scott Carter.

A couple of things and then I'm done, because I know these discussions can go on for literally days on end.

The $25-35 price isn't profiteering on those who have been loyal to the program. It only costs that much if you DON'T buy season tickets, and by definition aren't in fact loyal.

I cut off Comcast years ago and actually didn't have TV except for Internet streaming. Somehow I miraculously survived, LOL.

But ultimately, you may be right about the ramifications going forward. Surely Scott Carter is aware of that from working at UT. But if not, he could be about to get a harsh lesson. Again, we have the power to speak with our demand. This isn't price-gouging during a natural disaster, this is a ball game, and none of us have to go if we don't want to.

But I absolutely see where you're coming from, and I get it from a 'good will with the fans' perspective. I also know that they've got plans and things they need money for, so I have trouble faulting them for trying to make more money on the rainy day fans (and the Knoxville contingent) who will pay it.

I am too young to remember the issues in the 1990's, but I sure have heard about it from many, many folks in the community when they find out that I am a ETSU basketball fan. Their arrogance did cost them a lot in the long-term.

Supply/demand to me is a great thing, and the fact that they lost attendance partly due to the price increases is a good and natural thing. As I have said on the football board, it is my belief that the football prices are too much considering the product on the field which will cause me to stay home until the prices or the product on the field changes. I got blasted for my position on that, but athletics is a form of entertainment pure and simple. Our current football program, to me, isn't worth the cost of admission. Our current basketball program, to me, is still worth the cost of season tickets right now, but it is on the edge with this year's price increases (when you buy 4, these increases hurt more). And I think the 50% increase in price for women's season tickets will hurt that program very badly next season when they don't have UT and Vandy coming to town but I am sure they won't lower the prices.

Finally, I think that Scott Carter will go through some very big growing pains learning that UT and ETSU are not the same. If he is indeed our next AD, which everyone seems to think he is, I worry about the future attendance of ETSU athletics.

(05-16-2016 10:19 PM)TheShadow Wrote:  

(05-16-2016 06:15 PM)shampoo Wrote:  If $25-35 on top of season tickets upsets you, let the AD know by making contact or through refraining from season ticket renewal.

What do you mean "on top of"? The Tennessee game is included as part of the season tickets for both the men and the women. It's not a separate purchase.

Ah, ok, in that case I have no idea why anyone is complaining. I will probably buy 3-4 tickets in advance. I still have to pay as I go.