Alabama football fan support?

selmaborntidefan · Jan 14, 2016

There's another issue not really being discussed (fully anyway) - simply look at the travel involved even more atomistically than we already are.

Oklahoma fans did not have to fork over money for a conference championship game. Fans of the other three schools did that and then had to take a risk. Furthermore, don't forget that:

a) the conference championship is played on a weekend and the drive is manageable (It's only 150 miles from Atlanta to Bham and Clemson played in Charlotte, NC)
b) the semi-final games were both played in close proximity to big cities with airports during a time of the year when a lot of offices/businesses are closed for a break
c) the final was played on a MONDAY night and no doubt some folks could not get off work (those that are comfortable enough that they don't have to work or are their own bosses would not be stopped by cost anyway)

Had the Final been played on a Friday night or Saturday, I surmise it may have been different.

furthermore, BiB makes the even more valid point - Tide fans have already had to pay for trips to Pasadena, New Orleans (not so bad given you can drive there in several hours), Miami (for no other reason than it was Notre Dame)................it's not like we haven't played in the title game for 34 years (like Clemson). Folks who already had that Bucket List option have already achieved it (most likely).

Let me give you an idea about it all. I was watching on StubHub. Tix were listed the moment the Cotton Bowl ended for nosebleed seats at about $600 plus the fees. If I had been in Phoenix on the day of the game and was willing to print one of those downloads - I could have gotten that same seat for $185. That's quite a bit less than I paid to go to LSU this year.

Since next year's game is in Tampa and my sister's house is four miles from Raymond James (e.g. I can walk if I have to and save on parking or the long wait to drive out).........I'm already planning a week down there that week anyway. I may go even if we don't make the game - but it sure would be sweet if we did.

MOBILE-BAMA · Jan 14, 2016

GP for Bama said:
We've probably been outnumbered at every National Championship game.

We have. Rose Bowl was closest but Texas had us beat by a little.

But we have good excuses for being outnumbered:
Texas (one of the largest and wealthiest alumni in the country)
LSU (playing in Louisiana)
Notre Dame (starving for a championship and the largest fan base...I think)
Clemson (hadn't been since '81 and got a head start on flights out)

Maybe one year we'll play Temple or Georgia Tech and have more fans :biggrin:

4Q Basket Case · Jan 14, 2016

It's a combination of hunger and money.

Neither Clemson nor ND had been to a NCG in decades. They travelled like we did in 1992. We did pretty well for the Rose Bowl in 2009.

Between flight, hotel, rental car and food/drink, trip to Phoenix was going to run about $1,000 - $1,500 a person. If you ordered tickets through Tide Pride, add another $450 -$650. By the time the dust settles, you're in for $3,500 - $4,000 a couple. You could save money by booking non-refundable and buying tickets on StubHub, but both are gambles, and not that many people are willing to hang out exposed like that.

Now, add Tide Pride seat licensing, the price of season tickets themselves, and donations to the Crimson Tide Foundation just to maintain your place in the hierarchy of points, and you're pushing $10k per year, per couple.

And that doesn't count transportation to Tuscaloosa, Atlanta and wherever else. Or tailgating expenses. Or lodging if you don't drive back home after the game.

Mrs Basket Case and I are comfortable, though far from wealthy. I'm about to reach my choke point.

Matt0424 · Jan 14, 2016

I know this will never happen, so don't bother refuting it, but I wish they would host the Semifinals at the top seeds home stadiums. Drop the whole bowl thing, and make it a bit easier for the better teams.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

tideinark · Jan 14, 2016

selmaborntidefan said:
There's another issue not really being discussed (fully anyway) - simply look at the travel involved even more atomistically than we already are.

Oklahoma fans did not have to fork over money for a conference championship game. Fans of the other three schools did that and then had to take a risk. Furthermore, don't forget that:

a) the conference championship is played on a weekend and the drive is manageable (It's only 150 miles from Atlanta to Bham and Clemson played in Charlotte, NC)
b) the semi-final games were both played in close proximity to big cities with airports during a time of the year when a lot of offices/businesses are closed for a break
c) the final was played on a MONDAY night and no doubt some folks could not get off work (those that are comfortable enough that they don't have to work or are their own bosses would not be stopped by cost anyway)

Had the Final been played on a Friday night or Saturday, I surmise it may have been different.

furthermore, BiB makes the even more valid point - Tide fans have already had to pay for trips to Pasadena, New Orleans (not so bad given you can drive there in several hours), Miami (for no other reason than it was Notre Dame)................it's not like we haven't played in the title game for 34 years (like Clemson). Folks who already had that Bucket List option have already achieved it (most likely).

Let me give you an idea about it all. I was watching on StubHub. Tix were listed the moment the Cotton Bowl ended for nosebleed seats at about $600 plus the fees. If I had been in Phoenix on the day of the game and was willing to print one of those downloads - I could have gotten that same seat for $185. That's quite a bit less than I paid to go to LSU this year.

Since next year's game is in Tampa and my sister's house is four miles from Raymond James (e.g. I can walk if I have to and save on parking or the long wait to drive out).........I'm already planning a week down there that week anyway. I may go even if we don't make the game - but it sure would be sweet if we did.

The good news about the Championship game is tickets will be not through the roof for the foreseeable future. I was able to score some 35 yardline, row 2 tickets from stubhub for $600 including fees at noon on gameday. Some random guy and his kid from Phoenix got the other two next to me for $400 after he got off work that day he said.

Playing the game on Monday night doesn't make a whole lot of sense anymore with only a week and a half to plan. Friday or Saturday would seem more sensible. That or move the semifinal game up.

I would say the attendance was in the range of 55/45 to 60/40 for Clemson. Outside the stadium seemed much worse, but like many have stated once inside there were more Bama fans than I originally thought.

bama2112 · Jan 14, 2016

dvldog said:
Heard Clay Travis on Pauul's show yesterday discuss this topic on a larger scale yesterday re: attendance, bowl games, Rose Bowl, Playoffs etc. He made some good points.

Did Finebaum ask him why he had Bama dead and buried after the Ole Miss game or did Finebaum suck up as he usually does.

2003TIDE · Jan 14, 2016

Clemson played earlier and were able to book up the cheaper flights. After our game direct flights from ATL were $1200+. Not a lot of people are going to pay that.

KrAzY3 · Jan 14, 2016

I can't really blame Alabama fans for not being the larger crowd when you consider all the factors. Alabama fans have had to buy up playoff tickets, SEC tickets, and championship tickets. That is costly.

I do however hope to see the stadium at full capacity on A-Day. That's something fans in the area can easily afford (since even parking is free), and it would be great if they could show up in force to celebrate. By the way, last A-Day after the championship, they actually had the championship cups for sale.

TideMom2Boys · Jan 14, 2016

We went to the SECCG and that was not cheap. So three games in about a months time....is a lot for any fan. Not to mention around the holidays.

Also, the Iron Bowl was probably not cheap too. It is expensive to be a Bama fan.

TideMom2Boys · Jan 14, 2016

KrAzY3 said:
I can't really blame Alabama fans for not being the larger crowd when you consider all the factors. Alabama fans have had to buy up playoff tickets, SEC tickets, and championship tickets. That is costly.

I do however hope to see the stadium at full capacity on A-Day. That's something fans in the area can easily afford (since even parking is free), and it would be great if they could show up in force to celebrate. By the way, last A-Day after the championship, they actually had the championship cups for sale.

I hope they have a celebration....and that is where fans need to show up. We will be there...just waiting for the date. Hope it isn't raining this time too.

Rama Jama · Jan 14, 2016

This is why, believe it or not, Jim Delany's idea of having the top 2 seeds hosting the semi's at their home stadium is needed. Fans just don't want to pay for travel and tickets to Dallas and then to Phoenix, neither of which are close when the costs are so expensive. Think about it. It would be a minimum of 2000 for the Dallas Semi's and close to 3000 or 3500 with airfare for the Phoenix game. Not many people want to blow 5000 grand in 2 weeks on football no matter how much they love their team. That, plus the fact "we've been there done that" and Clemson fans haven't gone in 32 years. If the semi's were home games, you'd have many more fans travel. The current format is designed to suck the most money out of the fans as possible.

TideMom2Boys · Jan 14, 2016

I will say this...the lines to buy championship gear were out the door after the game at midnight. Then I went the day after at 2pm in the afternoon and the line was very long to checkout. Still the greatest fans out there.

RTR91 · Jan 14, 2016

Rama Jama said:
This is why, believe it or not, Jim Delany's idea of having the top 2 seeds hosting the semi's at their home stadium is needed. Fans just don't want to pay for travel and tickets to Dallas and then to Phoenix, neither of which are close when the costs are so expensive. Think about it. It would be a minimum of 2000 for the Dallas Semi's and close to 3000 or 3500 with airfare for the Phoenix game. Not many people want to blow 5000 grand in 2 weeks on football no matter how much they love their team. That, plus the fact "we've been there done that" and Clemson fans haven't gone in 32 years. If the semi's were home games, you'd have many more fans travel. The current format is designed to suck the most money out of the fans as they can.

Not to mention that comes within three weeks of Christmas. That's a chunk of change to unload for the average fan.

RobK · Jan 14, 2016

I think "championship starvation" on the Clemson side, coupled with our run of titles, was the reason. Remember that the ACC championship game in Charlotte was essentially a home game for Clemson (2 hours from campus) and Charlotte is a big Clemson alumni town to begin with. Many of our fans have had the opportunity to attend past national championship games over the past seven, and many are likely looking ahead to (hopefully) future title games in closer locales such as Tampa next year, Atlanta in 2 years, and New Orleans in 4 years. Phoenix is not really an affordable place to fly to like some other hub cities can, and it lacks the historical cache of Rose Bowl (our last big trip west). Maybe we are a bit spoiled, but I guarantee you our fans would've swamped Clemson had we had to wait 30 years since our last title game!

edwd58 · Jan 14, 2016

My crew did our part: went to all home games, Georgia, Auburn, SECCG, Cotton Bowl and CFPCG. Wouldn't trade the experiences for anything but I'm sure glad the season is over both from a travel and monetary viewpoint. The common fan, I certainly qualify as a member, is being pushed farther and farther away from being at the game. Ticket costs for games like the season opener vs. USC, not to mention post-season tickets, have zoomed past the point of reasonableness. It's obvious no one cares about the fan any longer, including our own university (been to the concession stand lately?). Another example: UA offered me a chance to buy a $50 parking pass for Univ. of Phoenix stadium, and then they wanted another $30 to send it to me! It's not easy, nor inexpensive, to be a part of Bama Nation these days.

BradtheImpaler · Jan 14, 2016

KrAzY3 said:
I can't really blame Alabama fans for not being the larger crowd when you consider all the factors. Alabama fans have had to buy up playoff tickets, SEC tickets, and championship tickets. That is costly.

I do however hope to see the stadium at full capacity on A-Day. That's something fans in the area can easily afford (since even parking is free), and it would be great if they could show up in force to celebrate. By the way, last A-Day after the championship, they actually had the championship cups for sale.

I am looking forward to the A-Day Game. My oldest daughter is a freshman at Alabama, and this will be the first time I'll be able take my four little ones to campus for a game without spending an astronomical amount of money.

WylieTexasTider · Jan 14, 2016

I wanted to go to Phoenix and almost did but, decided I'd rather have the 4K Ultra-def TV and new sound system instead. (Not to mention didn't want to go back to the couch...) Now next year I already have my tix lined up for USC and will be in Tampa since my parents house is 25 minutes from the stadium and we are having their 50th wedding anniversary party the week of the game.

KrAzY3 · Jan 14, 2016

Rama Jama said:
This is why, believe it or not, Jim Delany's idea of having the top 2 seeds hosting the semi's at their home stadium is needed.

I'm not a fan of the playoff, but my counter-proposal (from years back) that no one would ever care about, was 1 gets a bye and 2 plays 3 at home. As long as the committee isn't pulling shenanigans, I'd get behind the higher seed having a home game. That would reward them for what they did in the regular season, and it wouldn't be too hard to make sure the monetary reward isn't too lopsided. Then you play the championship game at a neutral site.

But, remember part of this process is they want to create upsets. You give the higher seed a home game and that makes this a bit less likely, so as much as this would make sense I don't see it happening.

CmdrThor · Jan 14, 2016

For everyone thinking National Championship tickets will be cheap from here on out, be careful with that thought. Next year the game is in Tampa, FL, the year after that Atlanta. Let's say the game between Alabama and Clemson was held in Atlanta's brand new stadium. Ticket prices would have been through the roof because of the easy travel. So many factors are involved in the price tickets will eventually be.

I paid face value through Tide Pride and was happy to do so even though tickets were less than half of face value days before the game. The risk that tickets could have been $1,000+ was too much.

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