Question: Ticket Demand Seems to Have Decreased

bamacpa · Jul 2, 2018

Tickets are available through TP for Louisville, which doesn't shock me. Bama fans have travelled a lot in recent years. I was surprised to get an email saying tickets are available for the Aggies, Mizzou, and Ms St. I wonder if those are returned from the visiting teams. In any case, it seems to me tickets are a little easier to come by in the past 2-3 years.

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Bamabuzzard · Jul 2, 2018

bamacpa said:
Tickets are available through TP for Louisville, which doesn't shock me. Bama fans have travelled a lot in recent years. I was surprised to get an email saying tickets are available for the Aggies, Mizzou, and Ms St. I wonder if those are returned from the visiting teams. In any case, it seems to me tickets are a little easier to come by in the past 2-3 years.

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This is probably a combination of things. But I know I've read on here in the last few years where faithful game attenders had cutback on the games they either attended at BDS or traveled to or BOTH. I'm sure convenience and money have a lot to do with it. I know Alabama football isn't a professional sport but I took my two boys and my wife to a Rangers game back in May. I thought I was going to have to take out a personal loan by the end of the day. LOL! It's expensive to go see sporting events.

techster79 · Jul 2, 2018

The next two years of schedule look incredibly weak so maybe people are saving their money for SEC championship and/or CFP tickets.

BamaHoosier · Jul 2, 2018

Was this email an offer solely to Tidepride members? I haven't seen any single game tickets available to those games through the university website and 3rd party tickets still seem to be running 2-3x over face for those games.

Edit: Answering my own question but also an FYI to anyone interested. I just saw that the university is making a small number of tickets for the games mentioned by the OP available to the general public. Rolltide.com says they’ll go on sale Monday at 8AM.

TomFromBama · Jul 2, 2018

Bamabuzzard said:
This is probably a combination of things. But I know I've read on here in the last few years where faithful game attenders had cutback on the games they either attended at BDS or traveled to or BOTH. I'm sure convenience and money have a lot to do with it. I know Alabama football isn't a professional sport but I took my two boys and my wife to a Rangers game back in May. I thought I was going to have to take out a personal loan by the end of the day. LOL! It's expensive to go see sporting events.

If you live more than a 3-4 hour drive from Tuscaloosa, it's not exactly a "cheap date" to take a family to a UA football game either.

Tickets, even if you are in Tide Pride, for 4 seats, With the TP bonus charge, can start around $350-400 for an SEC game. If you buy them on-line, it can be twice that and upward.
If you need a hotel room anywhere close to Tuscaloosa, you can be looking at $400 and up, IF you can find one in the first place.
If you have to park on campus, that starts at $30 and goes up, IF you can even get in an on-campus lot.
And once you get to B-D, every trip to the concession stand will be $20-30 or more, so hopefully it won't be a particularly hot day when you want a lot of cold drinks
- OH, and don't forget that your wife must buy a clear "purse", or you will be denied admission, and won't even get to see the game.......

It's nothing for a lot of families in this situation to drop a GRAND on each game. That's a tall order for many families in Alabama! Not to mention trying to do it 4, 5 or 6 times every Fall, and that's BEFORE we talk about the SECC or a P_ayoff game!

It's "supply and demand" and I'm NOT contending that the University has any obligation to make games affordable!! - all I'm saying is, Alabama football is an increasingly "elitist" activity, and every year it becomes more difficult for regular folks to enjoy games in person.

As they say - "It is what it is".

Bamabuzzard · Jul 2, 2018

TomFromBama said:
If you live more than a 3-4 hour drive from Tuscaloosa, it's not exactly a "cheap date" to take a family to a UA football game either.

Tickets, even if you are in Tide Pride, for 4 seats, With the TP bonus charge, can start around $350-400 for an SEC game. If you buy them on-line, it can be twice that and upward.
If you need a hotel room anywhere close to Tuscaloosa, you can be looking at $400 and up, IF you can find one in the first place.
If you have to park on campus, that starts at $30 and goes up, IF you can even get in an on-campus lot.
And once you get to B-D, every trip to the concession stand will be $20-30 or more, so hopefully it won't be a particularly hot day when you want a lot of cold drinks
- OH, and don't forget that your wife must buy a clear "purse", or you will be denied admission, and won't even get to see the game.......

It's nothing for a lot of families in this situation to drop a GRAND on each game. That's a tall order for many families in Alabama! Not to mention trying to do it 4, 5 or 6 times every Fall, and that's BEFORE we talk about the SECC or a P_ayoff game!

It's "supply and demand" and I'm NOT contending that the University has any obligation to make games affordable!! - all I'm saying is, Alabama football is an increasingly "elitist" activity, and every year it becomes more difficult for regular folks to enjoy games in person.

As they say - "It is what it is".

As the old folks say "Too rich for my blood." LOL!

bamacpa · Jul 2, 2018

BamaHoosier said:
Was this email an offer solely to Tidepride members? I haven't seen any single game tickets available to those games through the university website and 3rd party tickets still seem to be running 2-3x over face for those games.

I think it was a Tide Pride email.

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bamaee04 · Jul 2, 2018

From what I can gather, these are visiting fan allotment returns. They will most likely be in the upper deck north end zone.

selmaborntidefan · Jul 2, 2018

I live in Dallas. That's one helluva long drive and yet the last two years I got a relatively inexpensive season ticket package from someone who keeps their place in line but doesn't want to go to any games in a particular year.

This involves me:
a) flying to Memphis (the times on Bham aren't good plus they cost more)
b) renting a car
c) staying with friends 60 miles west of T-town (Columbus, MS)
d) picking up my brother and us going - and eating AT LEAST one meal right before we go in
e) paying to park and then walking a good 1-2 miles to the stadium
f) sitting in the Godforsaken heat in September with 230 kickoffs (and fork over $10 for a seat cushion)
g) watching a 3-hour football game, none of which have ever been close in the 14 times I've been to BDS
h) walk 1-2 miles back to my car in a crowd
i) figure out a way to get on Hwy 82 without getting smacked by the 40,000 other cars fleeing
j) drive back to Columbus and stay the night, then get up early the next morning for a 6 or 7 am flight back to Dallas (cost again)

And I didn't include the cost of either riding the train to the airport or paying to park at the airport or catching Uber.

Figure out how much that would cost you to do just ONCE and then remember I've done it FIVE TIMES the last two years.

And some of these involve either gambles or things you can't control.

I went to 2016 Auburn. I worked the morning of Thanksgiving. I flew out afterwards, almost nobody at the airport.
When I got to Memphis - despite having a reservation made MONTHS earlier - they didn't have a single car in the place.
So then I had to college two college friends to tag team drive me to Columbus, borrow the car of my buddy to get around in
for a day or so, have my brother drive us to T-town.....and then have him drive me to Olive Branch, MS and fork over $100
for a hotel room around midnight for four hours sleep for a 6am flight.

Oh.....and then I had to do music at my church (I've since resigned) and go to work on Monday morning.

Consider all that and then......look at the schedule this year, and you'll understand why Auburn is the only game I'm planning to attend.

I "could" drive IF I had a shotgun rider. Since the ex left, I'm on my own.

We have seven home games, but I trade one with my brother so he takes a friend, and I take a friend from here and drive one of those times.
And I'm not going 600 miles to see us play Mercer or Charleston Southern, I give it to the folks I stay with as "payment."

If you don't live within close proximity, it's just not even close to worth it. And the other catch? When you decide to ATTEND ONE GAME,
you are making a decision to NOT SEE every other game on TV for the four hours before it and four hours after it. You can hear some on
the radio but that's it. Or follow on your phone.

It's just not worth it, esp as I get older.

B1GTide · Jul 2, 2018

We are going to 2 Alabama games this year and will spend right at $5k for tickets, lodging, food, etc. We are driving so at least saving on flights.

81usaf92 · Jul 2, 2018

I know some Tide Priders got a survey about decreasing seating in the future for Home games.

I think Bama fans are just broke, spoiled, or the TV/ Lazyboy combo has just gotten that much better to go to ball games

WylieTexasTider · Jul 2, 2018

Selma,

If you ever want to go and split the gas from DFW, let me know! Last two games I've been to I drove the day before to Meridian and stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn, $120. I always park in Bryant Dr/12th St in the yard of a house there, $30. I eat a big breakfast at the hotel for free. I bring a small cooler with a sandwich or something for lunch. If it is a 2:30 kick off I will wait and eat after the game. If it is a night game, I will eat a big breakfast at 10AM, eat my sandwich around 3PM and have dinner after the game. I might buy 2 or 3 bottled waters ($10-$15) in the Stadium depending on how hot it is.

I've been lucky to have connections to get tickets at face value. (Actually got free tickets to the 2011 LSU game and had a hell of a time finding someone to go with me.) Therefore, $75-$100 for a ticket, $240 for 2 nights at the hotel, $100 in gas, $20 for meals and $15 in the stadium. $450-$500 for the weekend. Not cheap but, not as bad as it could be...

selmaborntidefan said:
I live in Dallas. That's one helluva long drive and yet the last two years I got a relatively inexpensive season ticket package from someone who keeps their place in line but doesn't want to go to any games in a particular year.

This involves me:
a) flying to Memphis (the times on Bham aren't good plus they cost more)
b) renting a car
c) staying with friends 60 miles west of T-town (Columbus, MS)
d) picking up my brother and us going - and eating AT LEAST one meal right before we go in
e) paying to park and then walking a good 1-2 miles to the stadium
f) sitting in the Godforsaken heat in September with 230 kickoffs (and fork over $10 for a seat cushion)
g) watching a 3-hour football game, none of which have ever been close in the 14 times I've been to BDS
h) walk 1-2 miles back to my car in a crowd
i) figure out a way to get on Hwy 82 without getting smacked by the 40,000 other cars fleeing
j) drive back to Columbus and stay the night, then get up early the next morning for a 6 or 7 am flight back to Dallas (cost again)

And I didn't include the cost of either riding the train to the airport or paying to park at the airport or catching Uber.

Figure out how much that would cost you to do just ONCE and then remember I've done it FIVE TIMES the last two years.

And some of these involve either gambles or things you can't control.

I went to 2016 Auburn. I worked the morning of Thanksgiving. I flew out afterwards, almost nobody at the airport.
When I got to Memphis - despite having a reservation made MONTHS earlier - they didn't have a single car in the place.
So then I had to college two college friends to tag team drive me to Columbus, borrow the car of my buddy to get around in
for a day or so, have my brother drive us to T-town.....and then have him drive me to Olive Branch, MS and fork over $100
for a hotel room around midnight for four hours sleep for a 6am flight.

Oh.....and then I had to do music at my church (I've since resigned) and go to work on Monday morning.

Consider all that and then......look at the schedule this year, and you'll understand why Auburn is the only game I'm planning to attend.

I "could" drive IF I had a shotgun rider. Since the ex left, I'm on my own.

We have seven home games, but I trade one with my brother so he takes a friend, and I take a friend from here and drive one of those times.
And I'm not going 600 miles to see us play Mercer or Charleston Southern, I give it to the folks I stay with as "payment."

If you don't live within close proximity, it's just not even close to worth it. And the other catch? When you decide to ATTEND ONE GAME,
you are making a decision to NOT SEE every other game on TV for the four hours before it and four hours after it. You can hear some on
the radio but that's it. Or follow on your phone.

It's just not worth it, esp as I get older.

selmaborntidefan · Jul 2, 2018

B1GTide said:
We are going to 2 Alabama games this year and will spend right at $5k for tickets, lodging, food, etc. We are driving so at least saving on flights.

Bingo.

Had I been in Phoenix the day of the first Clemson NCG game, I could have gotten a ticket on StubHub for $200, which was only slightly more than the semi-final ticket for Mich St had been here when it began (it went as low as $85 three hours before the game).

But since Tampa is MUCH closer to both Alabama and Clemson, it went up to $650 minimum for the one we lost. I'd already bought a cheap flight and my sister lived in Tampa at the time (only four miles from the stadium no less). But I also came down very ill two days before and opted to stay home and heal.

Last year UGA, I could not have been off work. Even if I could.....the cost was prohibitive.

TomFromBama · Jul 2, 2018

selmaborntidefan said:
Bingo.

Had I been in Phoenix the day of the first Clemson NCG game, I could have gotten a ticket on StubHub for $200, which was only slightly more than the semi-final ticket for Mich St had been here when it began (it went as low as $85 three hours before the game).

But since Tampa is MUCH closer to both Alabama and Clemson, it went up to $650 minimum for the one we lost. I'd already bought a cheap flight and my sister lived in Tampa at the time (only four miles from the stadium no less). But I also came down very ill two days before and opted to stay home and heal.

Last year UGA, I could not have been off work. Even if I could.....the cost was prohibitive.

I LOVE deals, and seldom seem to get the best ones!

Back in 2009, some of my wife's friends got a cheap flight from N.O. to Vegas - and they wound up doing the NC game in Pasadena AND a few days in Vegas for around $3,000 for the couple!!

And back in 1992, some other friends realized that U of Miami was one of the worst "major" teams in terms of traveling fans - they called the Miami ticket office and bought seats for the whole family at face value. They had to sit in the Miami section, of course. But they told me it wasn't so bad once the game started....

RedWave · Jul 2, 2018

I am in the DFW area now as well. I didn't move here until after the last time Bama played at Jerry World, which is only a few miles from my house. I have to admit, sadly, that I am a LazyBoy and my own bathroom fan, and I like it that way. I also prefer being able to be in the air conditioning and watch replays as they happen, while avoiding all the crowds and traffic. My last Bama game was Coach Saban's first bowl game with us, the Independence Bowl in Shreveport. I lived there at the time, and my son was pretty young. He wanted tickets to that game for Christmas (just like the year before), so we went and saw our favorite team when they were in the area. I need to do something, for sure, about how long it has been. But man I love my couch, my own food, and all the other comforts of home.

bamaslammer · Jul 2, 2018

Just for perspective, Someone GAVE me 50 yard line tickets to the Georgia Dome Alabama/Clemson match in 2008. Pretty much since 2009 tickets are hard to come by.

bamacpa · Jul 2, 2018

I love going to the games. But those night games are a little tougher on the body, and I live only 55 miles from BDS.

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WylieTexasTider · Jul 2, 2018

RedWave said:
I am in the DFW area now as well. I didn't move here until after the last time Bama played at Jerry World, which is only a few miles from my house. I have to admit, sadly, that I am a LazyBoy and my own bathroom fan, and I like it that way. I also prefer being able to be in the air conditioning and watch replays as they happen, while avoiding all the crowds and traffic. My last Bama game was Coach Saban's first bowl game with us, the Independence Bowl in Shreveport. I lived there at the time, and my son was pretty young. He wanted tickets to that game for Christmas (just like the year before), so we went and saw our favorite team when they were in the area. I need to do something, for sure, about how long it has been. But man I love my couch, my own food, and all the other comforts of home.

If you are still in DFW when we play USC in 2020, you got to go. It is a great stadium to watch a game. Find a Cowboys PSL holder as they get 1st dibs at tix. A buddy has 6 PSL’s and I got tickets to Mich, Wisc and USC games. $150 for lower end zone for Mich and Wisc. USC I bought 40 yardline lowers for $300. Uppers were $75 which isn’t horrible.

In the meantime, check out Tide in Texas, the DFW Alumni chapter. I am the current President and we have 4 watch party locations and typically attract 50-150 folks depending on location. Lee Roy Jordan makes an appearance a couple of times each season. We’ve done a bus trip to the aTm game in College Station the past 3 visits. We also have a golf tournament to benefit the Lee Roy Jordan scholarship fund. Lee Roy is involved and a damn good golfer.

The website is http://www.tideintexas.com

We are also on Facebook and Twitter.

Crimson1967 · Jul 2, 2018

I have zero desire to attend a game. My wife is a Jax State grad and we go to all their home games and at least a couple road games a year. She has asked if I want to go to a Bama game and I said there is no way I want to deal with the huge crowd and expense of going.

I'll just stay home and watch it on TV. There is no line at the bathroom and the girl getting my food doesn't mind if I slap her on the butt.

rgw · Jul 2, 2018

I have a sneaking suspicion that the AD's interest in surveying fans about the gameday experience and the recent H&H deals are a sign of lagging demand for the ticket office.

Question: Ticket Demand Seems to Have Decreased

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