Quad tailgating prices going up

dtgreg

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Robert Whitt had a goal of having over 20,000 undergrad students by 2020. That would have been obtained, but Nick Saban happened and spread the process up more than anyone could have imagined.

The cliche "perfect storm" fits here.
I still think the ultimate goal is AAU status for the University of Alabama. Maybe I am naive. We'll probably have to double in size for that to happen. But, the admin standards and overall size have improved/increased tremendously.
 

GP for Bama

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Dr. Witt had far, far more to do with the growth than football - he wanted to see the University of Alabama become one of the premier academic state universities, and he has Alabama moving in that direction now. The acceptance rate at Bama now is quite low for a public university, and the incoming freshman each year are very impressive, academically - the bar has been raised.
Absolutely correct.
 

GP for Bama

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Robert Whitt had a goal of having over 20,000 undergrad students by 2020. That would have been obtained, but Nick Saban happened and spread the process up more than anyone could have imagined.

The cliche "perfect storm" fits here.
Dr Whit's goal was 28,000 by 2014. That seemed almost unachievable at the time he first mentioned it...(2003). He changed the culture for the UA , much like Saban did for football. Then after Saban arrived....well growth at Bama has been off the charts.
 

CrimsonProf

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I still think the ultimate goal is AAU status for the University of Alabama. Maybe I am naive. We'll probably have to double in size for that to happen. But, the admin standards and overall size have improved/increased tremendously.
Not sure the city of Tuscaloosa would be up for that, to be honest. I've always felt that there was a major disconnect between the two - having lived there for nearly a decade and then married into a family of native Tuscaloosans. That would be a seismic shift in the community.


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Crimson1967

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I still think the ultimate goal is AAU status for the University of Alabama. Maybe I am naive. We'll probably have to double in size for that to happen. But, the admin standards and overall size have improved/increased tremendously.
So we are trying to get into the Big Ten?

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TideEngineer08

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I still think the ultimate goal is AAU status for the University of Alabama. Maybe I am naive. We'll probably have to double in size for that to happen. But, the admin standards and overall size have improved/increased tremendously.
I did not think AAU membership had any sort of enrollment requirements. I was under the impression it was largely based upon research funding. For example, Cal Tech is an AAU member with just over 2000 undergraduates.

But maybe you are saying it will take the increase in enrollment to help fund the necessary expansion of research endeavors by the University.
 

theBIGyowski

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Tailgating started as a way to enjoy the atmosphere and a meal/refreshment prior to going to the game. I remember eating a homemade meal with my dad at our car before walking to Legion Field decades ago. Then it became a way to have a unique experience throughout the day as you waited for kick-off. Then it became a way to enjoy the atmosphere of being there without ever needing to go to the games at all. It was the affordable alternative to Tide Pride without sacrificing the enjoyment of Tuscaloosa on a game day. Then it became overcrowded because it anyone could do it...so everyone did. It was way too easy to monetize and it was just a matter of time.

Back in 2009-2010 it was like the wild west trying to get a tailgate spot. I remember taking off work on Fridays so I could drive down and claim our spot prior to drop-off opening up. Slowly, but surely the white reserved tents got bigger and bigger in number until there wasn't much real estate left for the rest of us. Then 2011 happened and my parents lost their house in Tuscaloosa to the tornado, and we lost our place to stay on home game weekends. That was the last year we tailgated because having to drive down, setup, tailgate all day, break down, pack-up, and drive 1-3 hours home depending on traffic was no longer worth the excitement. It was easier and cheaper to watch the game on TV or just walk around campus and go to the games than it was to formally tailgate.

It took me 9.5 years to get off the wait list for Tide Pride, so I pay my "donation" and buy my tickets even though we recently moved to GA. I probably won't go to any games this year since we're expecting our third child around Thanksgiving and my parents bought our tickets from us. They rebuilt in Tuscaloosa and can easily make it to the games. As long as they keep buying our tickets, I'll keep renewing them. But I can honestly say that if I wasn't able to sell them, I'd probably stop renewing because the cost outweighs the benefit for us personally. It's cheaper to buy tickets to 1-2 games than to buy the whole season and donation on top.

Add it to the list of first-world problems we have as Alabama fans.
 

RobK

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Our fans want a championship product on the field provided by the highest-paid coach, highly-paid assistants and support staff, best-in-class training and practice facilities, a highly attractive environment for lure in the very best athletes, etc. Those are core expectations, yet we all (me included) grumble at the costs of everything related to the program going up and up. Price points will self-correct the next time our football fortunes decline (which I hope isn't for a long, long time). We have almost 20,000 more seats to fill than we did the last time we had a losing season. Until then, there are many ways to enjoy our football program that don't require an arm and a leg, when we choose not to attend the games.
 

bama61

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Aug 24, 2004
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This wont be well received but we made over 150 million off the football program. Think they can go that well one more time.
No offense, but the AD gross income is totally separate from the income resulting from contracting out campus slots for tents on game days. The AD versus the administration's income producing efforts are separate incomes and go to separate coffers. The only real relationship here is that the income from the game day related contract is heavily impacted by the success of the football program.
 

bama61

1st Team
Aug 24, 2004
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At some point, people will just stop going.
Happened to me too. Combination of age catching up to me, cable and hdtv prices dropping, and irritants involved in getting to the game and watching it when I did get there. Can't see much of interest when your view is that of someone's hip pocket when they leap to their feet because the ball was snapped. Come game day I now have a better view with my grill, bathroom, refrigerator, beer, booze, and supply of snacks close at hand. The company of friends I invite over broadens the game day experience too, at least for me. Make no mistake, I enjoyed the experience of attending the games live, but frankly a modest investment and staying at home eliminates a helluva lot of irritants, not to mention a late night drive home after a night game. Not meaning to bad mouth those who chose to go, just saying that for me the alternative has proved to be pretty doggone good.
 

MBA_99

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Jan 11, 2010
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The solution is simple. Our group has been renting a tent, and we carry our tables and chairs and tons of stuff on a cart from our cars. There are tons of good areas where you can set up a tent. It wouldn't be the same spot each week maybe, but we are considering adding a $100 EZup tent to that cart and paying UA nothing.
 

81usaf92

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Apr 26, 2008
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. Can't see much of interest when your view is that of someone's hip pocket when they leap to their feet because the ball was snapped. .
Ive never understood the logic of people wanting to go and sit during games. After we are blowing a cupcake out then sure enjoy your seat, but when we are playing LSU in a tight game BDS needs to be rowdy and the fans on their feet.
 

PitMaster

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Aug 24, 2015
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There is such a thing as Fair profit, and then there is manipulation, exploitation, and price gouging. UA is a monopoly for Bama fans, and UA is making us pay to the max
 

MBA_99

1st Team
Jan 11, 2010
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Sorry but you don't understand economics. A business doesn't charge more than the market is paying for long. It cannot. If this is gouging, it will correct itself. I hope it does.
 

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