A couple of things play into the point cutoff for tickets.
First, the size of the venue. For the SECCG, it's static. But for all the other possibilities, stadium size -- and therefore ticket allocation -- vary widely.
Second, the number of people who actually order. Atlanta is logistically the easiest to travel to, so more people tend to order for those games, which will drive the point cutoff higher.
Third, the number of points goes up every year as more people accumulate more points, but that doesn't change the ticket allocation. Which also drives up the cutoff.
And yes, points drive it all, which are in turn driven by donations.
It may seem like being able to order 8 tickets is a bit much. Until you look at the number of points it takes to get that -- 10,000. The exact calculation of dollars to points has been tweaked over the years, but bottom line is that people with 10,000 points have definitely contributed no less than $250,000 over and above the cost of the tickets themselves.
Depending on exactly how they got there, it could have been over $300,000.
So yeah, it kind of stinks that those of us without that kind of money have to scuffle to get tickets, even if we've been members of Tide Pride for 25 years.
But if you want a $15 million coaching staff, and $50 million facilities and $100 million stadium renovations, that's what it takes to gin the results that are currently spoiling all of us.
The other thing it does is increase transparency. Prior to Tide Pride, there was a lot more politics and connections involved in deciding who got tickets. I'm not naive enough to think some of that doesn't still go on. But it's greatly reduced.
Before, it was extremely difficult to increase your standing. Now, all you have to do is stroke a check. Yeah, that's easier said than done. But we all have our priorities on spending...and if we're in TP, we almost certainly could pony up another $3-$5,000 to move up the ladder if we chose to re-jigger our other spending.
But then watching the big-screen TV in our own lounge chair, with private food, beverage and bathroom facilities within a few steps becomes a lot more attractive. As my grandfather used to say, "You pays your money, and you takes your choice."
). We do usually get them, but the seats are usually not the greatest. Very frustrating!
