Gameday Tents, Quad tailgate spots, major price increase

AlaPoughkeepsieBama · Apr 15, 2015

I Just got my Gameday Tent invoice for my tailgate spot on the quad. All areas on the quad had a major increase in Price. My section, tailgate spot 12, went from $900 plus to $1700 plus for the year. Seems a wee bit higher than the rate of inflation!!!!
At any rate RTR.

davefrat · Apr 16, 2015

AlaPoughkeepsieBama said:
I Just got my Gameday Tent invoice for my tailgate spot on the quad. All areas on the quad had a major increase in Price. My section, tailgate spot 12, went from $900 plus to $1700 plus for the year. Seems a wee bit higher than the rate of inflation!!!!
At any rate RTR.

that sounds like a ridiculous amount of money to pay, but good for you if you can afford it.

92tide · Apr 16, 2015

one of the many reasons i go to very few games any more is the ridiculous costs. im just not going to drop several hundred dollars plus a full day to go see a sporting event with 100,000 other folks.

selmaborntidefan · Apr 16, 2015

92tide said:
one of the many reasons i go to very few games any more is the ridiculous costs. im just not going to drop several hundred dollars plus a full day to go see a sporting event with 100,000 other folks.

Which should I pay a season ticket fee for a CHEAP seat of $950 (that's on StubHub, and you have to buy TWO to get it that low, which is $1900)......$20 parking a game ($140) plus.....since I'm driving from Dallas, that's a good $200 PER TRIP and that's only because I have friends I can stay with and not have to pay for a hotel.

So the MINIMUM for ONE SEAT for the season is $2500 for 7 games, and that doesn't include the wear and tear on me and the car, time off from work, and the time I may have to take off from work due to exhaustion. But divide that out and PER GAME it's $360 minimum and some of those opponents are hardly world-class (Charleston Southern).

I can buy a NICE big screen HDTV for that price and watch more than just Alabama football. Plus I can DVR the game and watch it again. It's not like I've never been to BDS.

And I'm not even counting the hours it takes to get OUT of Tuscaloosa AFTER a game like LSU.

I have to figure if I go to one good game a year from Dallas - unless it's like this year when Wisconsin comes here - it will cost me $500 and that's just for me.

I can't really justify that unless it's something like the 2011 LSU regular season game and your TICKETS to that game might cost that much.

Plus........driving home after you lose a big game makes the trip that much longer.

AlistarWills · Apr 16, 2015

AlaPoughkeepsieBama said:
I Just got my Gameday Tent invoice for my tailgate spot on the quad. All areas on the quad had a major increase in Price. My section, tailgate spot 12, went from $900 plus to $1700 plus for the year. Seems a wee bit higher than the rate of inflation!!!!
At any rate RTR.

Supply and Demand. If folks drop off and not as many people pony up the money, then the price will come back down. If the number of spots continue to increase, the price will keep going up. Can't blame the University for taking more money from people who keep wanting to just hand it over to them.

Bama Reb · Apr 16, 2015

I foresee a huge drop in home game attendance.

TideEngineer08 · Apr 16, 2015

Bama Reb said:
I foresee a huge drop in home game attendance.

I doubt it. At least not while Nick Saban is head coach.

I'm reminded of a story I heard recently from a man and woman who took their daughter and grandchildren to Disney World. When they paid for the tickets, his wife was in shock at the price and told him that Mickey was charging way too much. He said, look around you at all these people. Mickey isn't charging too much yet.

I will bet you the quad will continue to be packed every home game. Folks are going to have to quit paying the price if the want to see it come down. I haven't been to a game since 2012 (Georgia State) and before that it was 2009. It's become a major hassle, barely enjoyable at all, and extremely expensive. I enjoy my couch and HDTV far more. When enough folks begin to share the same opinion and act on it, prices will drop.

KrAzY3 · Apr 16, 2015

AlistarWills said:
Supply and Demand. If folks drop off and not as many people pony up the money, then the price will come back down. If the number of spots continue to increase, the price will keep going up. Can't blame the University for taking more money from people who keep wanting to just hand it over to them.

There are waiting lists and what not, right? So, apparently for some things there are people who want to pay and just don't get the chance.

It's not just that though, Alabama fans are not supposed to be going out there and paying recruits, so how can they help? They help by financially supporting the football team, that's what allows them to have a high paid coach, fancy facilities and so on. The only issue I'd have is if they start charging more than people are willing to pay, but that's not the case.

If people want free, there's events like A-Day, but then the complaints I hear are that "it's not a real game" and so on... yeah, well you can get your entire family in there for the low cost of free (including free parking), but it's only been full once I believe, so apparently expensive sells better than free anyway.

davefrat · Apr 16, 2015

AlistarWills said:
Supply and Demand. If folks drop off and not as many people pony up the money, then the price will come back down. If the number of spots continue to increase, the price will keep going up. Can't blame the University for taking more money from people who keep wanting to just hand it over to them.

College morphed into business years ago.

These days I often question whether their primary role is education or generating revenue.

In a little more than 20 years my undergrad alma mater has increased tuition more than 500% and in less than 10 years the law school I attended has gone up 250%.

We are on an unsustainable upward price spiral of college costs.

92tide · Apr 16, 2015

selmaborntidefan said:
Which should I pay a season ticket fee for a CHEAP seat of $950 (that's on StubHub, and you have to buy TWO to get it that low, which is $1900)......$20 parking a game ($140) plus.....since I'm driving from Dallas, that's a good $200 PER TRIP and that's only because I have friends I can stay with and not have to pay for a hotel.

So the MINIMUM for ONE SEAT for the season is $2500 for 7 games, and that doesn't include the wear and tear on me and the car, time off from work, and the time I may have to take off from work due to exhaustion. But divide that out and PER GAME it's $360 minimum and some of those opponents are hardly world-class (Charleston Southern).

I can buy a NICE big screen HDTV for that price and watch more than just Alabama football. Plus I can DVR the game and watch it again. It's not like I've never been to BDS.

And I'm not even counting the hours it takes to get OUT of Tuscaloosa AFTER a game like LSU.

I have to figure if I go to one good game a year from Dallas - unless it's like this year when Wisconsin comes here - it will cost me $500 and that's just for me.

I can't really justify that unless it's something like the 2011 LSU regular season game and your TICKETS to that game might cost that much.

Plus........driving home after you lose a big game makes the trip that much longer.

yeah, i pretty much only think about going when they play in atlanta and i have relatives who have TP so they usually have a ticket for face value for me. i live a mile from marta, so aside from the ticket cost (and an overpriced beer or two) i don't spend a lot.

Jon · Apr 16, 2015

92tide said:
yeah, i pretty much only think about going when they play in atlanta and i have relatives who have TP so they usually have a ticket for face value for me. i live a mile from marta, so aside from the ticket cost (and an overpriced beer or two) i don't spend a lot.

same, except I have to drive to Marta

teamplayer · Apr 16, 2015

I gave up on pro sports long ago due to the ridiculous amount of focus on money. College sports are about the same now, and I lose interest more and more each year. I can't understand why anyone would pay what they pay for season tickets and tailgating, and I wish all sports fans would go on strike to remind these people that they just play a game. It's only recreation. Quit watching it on TV and/or going to games, and the prices would plummet. Coaches and athletes could rejoin reality and just be well paid instead of living in a fantasy world.
With that being said, as long as people treat sports and other forms of entertainment as their reason for living and continue to pay the exorbitant prices, I don't blame pro franchises or universities for charging them. In other words, if you keep paying the price no matter what it is, don't complain about it. Simply stop paying it. Roll Tide!

teamplayer · Apr 16, 2015

KrAzY3 said:
There are waiting lists and what not, right? So, apparently for some things there are people who want to pay and just don't get the chance.

It's not just that though, Alabama fans are not supposed to be going out there and paying recruits, so how can they help? They help by financially supporting the football team, that's what allows them to have a high paid coach, fancy facilities and so on. The only issue I'd have is if they start charging more than people are willing to pay, but that's not the case.

If people want free, there's events like A-Day, but then the complaints I hear are that "it's not a real game" and so on... yeah, well you can get your entire family in there for the low cost of free (including free parking), but it's only been full once I believe, so apparently expensive sells better than free anyway.

Hahaha, these are good points.

davefrat · Apr 16, 2015

teamplayer said:
I gave up on pro sports long ago due to the ridiculous amount of focus on money. College sports are about the same now, and I lose interest more and more each year. I can't understand why anyone would pay what they pay for season tickets and tailgating, and I wish all sports fans would go on strike to remind these people that they just play a game. It's only recreation. Quit watching it on TV and/or going to games, and the prices would plummet. Coaches and athletes could rejoin reality and just be well paid instead of living in a fantasy world.
With that being said, as long as people treat sports and other forms of entertainment as their reason for living and continue to pay the exorbitant prices, I don't blame pro franchises or universities for charging them. In other words, if you keep paying the price no matter what it is, don't complain about it. Simply stop paying it. Roll Tide!

When coaches are paid millions and athletic departments operate on tens of millions annually it's no longer recreation, its business.

teamplayer · Apr 16, 2015

davefrat said:
When coaches are paid millions and athletic departments operate on tens of millions annually it's no longer recreation, its business.

That is partially my point, which is why pro sports no longer interest me, and college sports are not far behind. I continued to make my point by saying that if fans would stop paying insane prices, sports and other forms of recreation could return to what most of us view as the real world. I hope that clears it up for you.

uaintn · Apr 16, 2015

Yep, it's very big business. And the fees are how a relatively small population state like Alabama, with a really iffy tax base, can do the things that happen at the University of Alabama.

I expect this will be the first year in over 15 years where I don't attend any games. It's just too much. I'm no less of a fan, but eventually you have to make a decision about how you spend your money. Sadly, it is becoming a luxury I can no longer justify.

But I agree with davefrat, there is a gigantic bubble in college costs right now. It's going to pop. The good news is that it'll probably pop for everyone at the same time. I expect a lot of administrators to be out of jobs and a lot of programs, especially those with questionable job placement records, to be cut. Athletics will always have a role in filling university coffers. And at Alabama Athletics means football. It won't get cheaper until people quit buying. As the alumni base swells, there will be more potential demand. A friend of mine in the entertainment business (which college sports really is, after all) told me "you didn't charge as much as you could have for tickets unless there are two empty seats in the very back of the hall."

rgw · Apr 16, 2015

With Saban producing competitive teams every season, they could charge more and still find someone to pony up.

It only takes one Mike Shula or Anthony Grant type coaching tenure to lead to something disastrous for UA AD.

davefrat · Apr 16, 2015

uaintn said:
Yep, it's very big business. And the fees are how a relatively small population state like Alabama, with a really iffy tax base, can do the things that happen at the University of Alabama.

I expect this will be the first year in over 15 years where I don't attend any games. It's just too much. I'm no less of a fan, but eventually you have to make a decision about how you spend your money. Sadly, it is becoming a luxury I can no longer justify.

But I agree with davefrat, there is a gigantic bubble in college costs right now. It's going to pop. The good news is that it'll probably pop for everyone at the same time. I expect a lot of administrators to be out of jobs and a lot of programs, especially those with questionable job placement records, to be cut. Athletics will always have a role in filling university coffers. And at Alabama Athletics means football. It won't get cheaper until people quit buying. As the alumni base swells, there will be more potential demand. A friend of mine in the entertainment business (which college sports really is, after all) told me "you didn't charge as much as you could have for tickets unless there are two empty seats in the very back of the hall."

Just look at how many different "deans" are on a large campus...diversity, gender, African American students, Asian, Latino, LGBTQ...and that's just to name a few who are all making serious 6 figure salaries.

Throw in world class student centers, rec departments, upscale dining options and all the rest and it's a wonder there's money to pay instructors.

When the highlights and selling points of campus tours are the new football stadium, the new rock climbing wall and the Starbucks student lounge you know things have gone sideways.

rgw · Apr 16, 2015

That's because increasingly universities ARE NOT paying for full-time professors and instead hiring part-time adjunct professors that have no benefits. It's like pennies on the dollar to hire 2-3 (maybe 4) adjuncts for 1 professor...but it is a raw deal that is hurting the overall quality of the education (as more people eschew professorial work for the private sector).

teamplayer · Apr 16, 2015

davefrat said:
Just look at how many different "deans" are on a large campus...diversity, gender, African American students, Asian, Latino, LGBTQ...and that's just to name a few who are all making serious 6 figure salaries.

Throw in world class student centers, rec departments, upscale dining options and all the rest and it's a wonder there's money to pay instructors.

When the highlights and selling points of campus tours are the new football stadium, the new rock climbing wall and the Starbucks student lounge you know things have gone sideways.

Well said!

Gameday Tents, Quad tailgate spots, major price increase

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