(08-27-2013 12:06 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(08-27-2013 11:43 AM)JRsec Wrote:  

(08-27-2013 11:34 AM)USAFMEDIC Wrote:  

(08-26-2013 06:32 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(08-26-2013 06:22 PM)Kaplony Wrote:  It's true
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journ...ckoff.aspx

The ticket prices charged are the reason they could pay guarantees that high.

Quote:Tickets for the two Chick-fil-A Kickoff games aren’t nearly as costly as the Cowboys Classic. They range from $60 to $150 in Atlanta, compared with $125 to $285 in Arlington. That, and the additional number of seats in Cowboys Stadium, puts the Cowboys Classic in position to pay higher guarantees.

Someday soon folks are going to tire of paying this kind of money for tickets. I do not need binoculars to watch my 60" HDTV.

It's already happening. There is a whopper of a sports bubble, professional and collegiate.

Agreed, and it's not just ticket prices, it's all the other costs associated with attending the games in person. Cal's athletic department says that about 30% of the FB season-ticket holders live more than 100 miles from Berkeley. I bet that's not unusual in CFB. For the people traveling to games, they have airfare or gas, hotel, and other travel expenses, all of which cost a lot more than they did 20 years ago (when we didn't have HDTVs and 20 games in our living room every Saturday). Those are the people most peeved when ESPN changes the game time on Monday before a Saturday game, and/or when TV sets the game time at 7 pm. And, hello, those are paying customers who also donate to the athletic department. They are being asked to pay more every year for an experience that has become less convenient over time.

As you note it affects the pros too. I have friends who gave up their 49ers season tickets because the cost of everything just kept going up and is going to go through the roof next year when they open their new stadium. They're asking $85/seat/game just for the nosebleed tickets and season ticket holders have to pay a PSL fee on top of that.

You've probably seen my posts, but at Auburn (3-9 last season), the cost of a pair of season books is just under $1,000 dollars for 8 games this year. A contribution to the athletic fund for (depending on end zone or upper deck preference, hence the cheap seats) $600 - $800 dollars is required for the privileged of purchasing the two season tickets.

This year is anomalous with 8 games, and we pay essentially the same for most years when we have 7 home games, so in most years for the past 5 the average cost of an upper deck ticket for an Auburn game has been about $128 each. Our fans too drive between 60 - 150 miles to attend. So no Cal is probably better than most on travel distance and the problem is real for all areas of the country.

The reality check is in what my old roommate from Birmingham is doing. He quit giving to the athletic department a few years back and quit buying season tickets. He now only buys scalped tickets. Because of the widespread TV coverage he gets seats around the thirty in the lower area (preferred seating) for about $40 a piece for most games. He'll pay $250 each for Georgia or Alabama tickets on game day, but you can see he has figured out a way to beat the system in a very economical way. But, unlike our family he couldn't order national championship tickets two years ago and wasn't willing to pay the $1,200 and up price range for the scalped ones. But at Auburn that has only happened twice in 60 years. So he makes me feel like a dupe for going through the system. He's gone on average for half of what I pay and has better seats.

At some point in time, the market law of Supply and Demand will win out over the Arms race between these schools in terms of funding.

(08-27-2013 12:06 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(08-27-2013 11:43 AM)JRsec Wrote:  

(08-27-2013 11:34 AM)USAFMEDIC Wrote:  

(08-26-2013 06:32 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(08-26-2013 06:22 PM)Kaplony Wrote:  It's true
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journ...ckoff.aspx

The ticket prices charged are the reason they could pay guarantees that high.

Quote:Tickets for the two Chick-fil-A Kickoff games aren’t nearly as costly as the Cowboys Classic. They range from $60 to $150 in Atlanta, compared with $125 to $285 in Arlington. That, and the additional number of seats in Cowboys Stadium, puts the Cowboys Classic in position to pay higher guarantees.

Someday soon folks are going to tire of paying this kind of money for tickets. I do not need binoculars to watch my 60" HDTV.

It's already happening. There is a whopper of a sports bubble, professional and collegiate.

Agreed, and it's not just ticket prices, it's all the other costs associated with attending the games in person. Cal's athletic department says that about 30% of the FB season-ticket holders live more than 100 miles from Berkeley. I bet that's not unusual in CFB. For the people traveling to games, they have airfare or gas, hotel, and other travel expenses, all of which cost a lot more than they did 20 years ago (when we didn't have HDTVs and 20 games in our living room every Saturday). Those are the people most peeved when ESPN changes the game time on Monday before a Saturday game, and/or when TV sets the game time at 7 pm. And, hello, those are paying customers who also donate to the athletic department. They are being asked to pay more every year for an experience that has become less convenient over time.

As you note it affects the pros too. I have friends who gave up their 49ers season tickets because the cost of everything just kept going up and is going to go through the roof next year when they open their new stadium. They're asking $85/seat/game just for the nosebleed tickets and season ticket holders have to pay a PSL fee on top of that.

NIU's games are still a bargain but when we played at Soldier Field they want $46 to park. The tickets are of course expensive too, though at least with college football we didn't need to buy a PSL and THEN pay for season tickets. And concessions are ridiculous.

That's why I'm a little surprised about the push for stipends. It adds fixed costs for the foreseeable future while revenues IMO are uncertain.