Gameday Tents, Quad tailgate spots, major price increase

GrayTide

Hall of Fame
Nov 15, 2005
18,810
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Greenbow, Alabama
Attending college football games with all the trappings (travel, lodging, food, tailgating, tickets, etc.) is an expensive hobby as are most all hobbies. It has evolved into truly another delineation between the haves and the have nots. I usually make at least one game a year now, and the atmosphere is almost carnival like, nothing like it was and one game a year normally satisfies my appetite. I have noticed however that a lot of the haves at these games are really have nots who are spending future money to enjoy the experience which is their prerogative.
 

KrAzY3

Hall of Fame
Jan 18, 2006
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kraizy.art
Let's not forget the first post in this topic is about having a tent on the quad. Something that is a pure luxury and that no doubt has a lengthy waiting list. The OP might complain about the price, but no doubt he'd be even more unhappy if they sold it to someone else who wanted it.

If you want cheap go to the A-Day game (or one of those "boring" games a lot of people complain about, you can get a ticket for the cost of going to the movies), if you want the excitement of a big game and other accommodations? Well so do a lot of other people, be prepared to pay.
 
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bat123

All-American
Well I live and work overseas (family lives south of Atlanta) after serving in the Air Force for twenty years I landed a job that pays me quite well. I have been a season ticket holder for about 13 years. I was lucky enough to acquire mine during the Shula years. I pay TP $450 to buy tickets and last night I paid $880 for tickets, roughly $1300 for me to attend two to three games a year, not to mention transportation food, booze (and cigars :cool2:). The tickets that I don't use go to my kids and family so I feel like that they are worth every penny spent. I understand the concerns about rising prices BUT this is ALABAMA football we're talking about!!!!
 

wsims74

3rd Team
Apr 30, 2013
278
0
0
The most annoying thing to me is then noticeable lack of caring about customer satisfaction from the university and TP. We are the reason for the schools financial success, they just want to make things less accessible and less personable for us. There is no measurable client services for your average tp member, and I am not yelling at the few girls working in the office. They try their best, but their should be 25-40 of them dealing with service requests and issues, not 2 or 3.
 

Tide-one-on

All-SEC
Aug 14, 2003
1,368
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Pensacola, FL 32514
I understand the rising costs, but nothing is better than going to a Alabama game live! We live in Pensacola and only get to go to one or two a year if we are lucky. They are priceless, great memories with my kids, and get to be around 100,000 of us other nuts! I look forward to it all year! RTR! Wish I lived a little closer and didn't work retail sometimes to have more weekends off. Enjoy it and take it all in. Stop and smell the Crimson roses!
 
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Mystical

All-American
Sep 28, 2009
4,052
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Fairhope, Alabama
I understand the rising costs, but nothing is better than going to a Alabama game live! We live in Pensacola and only get to go to one or two a year if we are lucky. They are priceless, great memories with my kids and 100,000 of us other nuts! I look forward to it all year! RTR! Wish I lived a little closer and didn't work retail sometimes to have more weekends off. Enjoy it and take it all in. Stop and smell the Crimson roses!
This is me one or 2 a year. It is an event for us. No more expensive than vacationing in Orlando and going to Universal Studios and Disney World which we also do every year. I normally go to the cheap games so my ride home is always happy as no chance we lose one of those.
 

bama70

3rd Team
Oct 19, 2011
254
8
37
NE Alabama
I have been attending most of the home games for over 50 years. Each year I question if the hassle of a three hour drive each way, cost of tickets, tide pride, food, etc. is worth the experience. Most of my friends that have been attending games for a number of years now either don't go or only attend one or two games per year. I agree that we are currently experiencing a bubble in the cost of attending Alabama football. There are already signs that ticket demand for home games is down by the asking price of tickets on actual game day.

My biggest complaint is how television controls the college football world. See how you enjoy the three to four hour drive home following a 7:30 kickoff. Heck, you don't even know when the game will be held until a week or two in advance. The delays in the game for commercials seem to last an eternity when you are at the stadium.

Despite all this, I love the University of Alabama and Alabama football. I will probably continue to shell out the money for TP, tickets, REC, and even a tent (50% increase) as long as I am physically or financially able. I feel guilty for not attending a home game when I consider what the players go through.

ROLL TIDE !!!!
 
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ccc2259

All-American
Oct 29, 2010
2,571
70
72
Lower Alabama
Anyone on this thread that wants to get out from under their season ticket package, just PM me. I've been on the waiting list longer than I want to be. I manage to get season tickets every year, but do so via aftermarket venues. I would love to be buying at non-hyped prices.

Like the OP, I was a subscriber to Gameday Tents for the Quad Tailgate experience. I've since purchased all the gear, and tailgate one or two major games per year independently. It's a big time family event for us, and hopefully I can continue doing so.
 

KrAzY3

Hall of Fame
Jan 18, 2006
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kraizy.art
This is me one or 2 a year. It is an event for us. No more expensive than vacationing in Orlando and going to Universal Studios and Disney World which we also do every year. I normally go to the cheap games so my ride home is always happy as no chance we lose one of those.
That's a big part of it, it is a major event, but for people in the area, the lesser demand games are even more like going to the movies than to Universal Studios (which is very expensive) and such.

I mentioned it before the game, but this year's A-Day game attendance really raises a lot of questions. We see fans saying that things are too expensive, but it's fans itself that create the demand and drive a lot of the prices up. Fans want big, expensive games, you can get in cheap for games people complain about not being competitive enough, you can get in free for A-Day and yet the stadium is half-empty. If people want a big show, they have to pay for a big show and if you give me the choice of Universal Studios, a major concert, or an Alabama game it's no contest for me.
 
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CaliforniaTide

All-American
Aug 9, 2006
3,618
14
57
Huntsville, AL
My wife and I, both graduates of the University of Alabama, try to go to 1-2 games a year. Now, we don't care as much as who the opponent is - we just love being in Tuscaloosa on gameday. Our friends from college and us have always picked a home game each season and make it our reunion game. We still have friends that live in Tuscaloosa, so that cuts down on the cost of hotels. I do agree that things have gotten ridiculously expensive, and it's to the point that I question the legitimacy of those prices. But as long as I'm able to watch a game or two per year, I'm okay with sitting in the crappy seats.
 

spock*

Suspended
Dec 27, 2006
684
531
112
Woodstock, GA
The school doesn't know what the supply/demand is so they're taking a shot in the dark to see if it sticks.

Much like Ohio State raising the ticket price from $5 to 20 for their spring game last year. Since on one showed last year the price was lowered back to $5 and they set the attendance record at 99k+ for spring scrimmage.
 

Rama Jama

All-American
Jan 4, 2011
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Tuscaloosa
Most people don't understand the culture of the University. Most of the faculty and staff have never had a job in the corporate world and have no concept of real world business practices. In business, I use my computer until it pretty much doesn't work anymore. At the university they use a computer for maybe a few years and then upgrade to a new one that cost 3 times what I would spend. They never buy a basic system that will work just fine for their needs, it has to be the fastest newest one out there that cost 2 or 3 thousand.

As far as making the University into a resort, I can tell you that most other schools are not providing anywhere near the level of accommodations we are at the University. My brother's son just went on a tour of Clemson, UGA, tOSU, and Alabama. We, by far, had the best dorms he looked at. Most of the other schools still required kids to double up and there are very few of those on campus at the University anymore. This may be the reason we are attracting students who are much more affluent now.

Tickets cost what they cost. I agree they are getting to be too much, but that is what the market is bearing. Eventually the cost will get to be so much that almost everything will be corporate seating. It is to the point now where for a family of 4 to go to a game, it is close to 800 if you live close enough to not need a hotel. It concerns me we may lose a generation of football fans when families stop bringing their kids.
 

Wayne4Bama2

Scout Team
Feb 10, 2001
162
0
0
Dothan,Al,Houston
Most people don't understand the culture of the University. Most of the faculty and staff have never had a job in the corporate world and have no concept of real world business practices. In business, I use my computer until it pretty much doesn't work anymore. At the university they use a computer for maybe a few years and then upgrade to a new one that cost 3 times what I would spend. They never buy a basic system that will work just fine for their needs, it has to be the fastest newest one out there that cost 2 or 3 thousand.

As far as making the University into a resort, I can tell you that most other schools are not providing anywhere near the level of accommodations we are at the University. My brother's son just went on a tour of Clemson, UGA, tOSU, and Alabama. We, by far, had the best dorms he looked at. Most of the other schools still required kids to double up and there are very few of those on campus at the University anymore. This may be the reason we are attracting students who are much more affluent now.

Tickets cost what they cost. I agree they are getting to be too much, but that is what the market is bearing. Eventually the cost will get to be so much that almost everything will be corporate seating. It is to the point now where for a family of 4 to go to a game, it is close to 800 if you live close enough to not need a hotel. It concerns me we may lose a generation of football fans when families stop bringing their kids.
Oh well--stay home
 

92tide

TideFans Legend
May 9, 2000
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East Point, Ga, USA
The school doesn't know what the supply/demand is so they're taking a shot in the dark to see if it sticks.

Much like Ohio State raising the ticket price from $5 to 20 for their spring game last year. Since on one showed last year the price was lowered back to $5 and they set the attendance record at 99k+ for spring scrimmage.
i guarantee that the school does know the supply and the demand at current and previous prices, and they probably have a pretty good idea of what the demand will be at the higher price.

and i think that osu winning their first national championship since 2002 may have played some part in their spring game attendance.
 

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