Would you pay double or triple?

[bigdaddyg]

Forgive the rough math and this is just a general question regarding limited seating for games. If we are able to have, say, 8,000 fans for each home game to allow for distance would you pay maybe triple the ticket price if it allows the school to make roughly the same gate if 24,000 were there? I realize this is probably not in any way a realistic scenario but how much would it mean to attend a game if this were the criteria?

[PoplarHillApp]

Nope.

I'd be watching and cheering from the comfort of my couch.

[Gonzo]

I already am and I hope that gives me priority.

[huskie3]

No, that would be gouging in my book. As Gonzo mentioned some are already paying for premium seating. APP is not that greedy!

[Appst86]

I live in Annapolis, MD and do not have the opportunity to see many games; only went to two games last year; UNC and USC. I'm quite certain I paid at least triple the face value. I can only make it to one or two games per year but I would gladly pay double or triple to see the Mountaineers play in 2020.

[Stonewall]

Yes.

[ArmantiWaterSafety]

I wouldn't pay triple price for the ticket but if there was a minimum donation to Yosef Club to guarantee a seat I wouldn't mind it and hope I'd meet the threshold as is.

[Yosef84]

In the increasingly unlikely event that we actually get to play football with spectators (reduced number), I would not be surprised to see a premium price charged. I don't have a problem with a premium, but there is certainly a point at which I wouldn't or couldn't buy the tickets. That would be the whole point though....weeding out the fan base to get maximum revenues in a bad situation. I don't have a feel for where that price point would or should be.

[Wally]

I had another thought... would you give up your seat in order to allow more students to attend games?

[Yosef84]

I had another thought... would you give up your seat in order to allow more students to attend games?

Conceptually, that's a nice thought. The reality of our current situation is that, if fans are allowed at all, there probably should be an emphasis on maximizing revenue. We are looking at significant budget shortfalls.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

I would pass except for maybe one game, but until I see the seating rules I am not planning anything, regardless of ticket cost.

Now if there are 8,000 people that can do that then all the better, though longterm that may push TPTB to raise ticket prices higher than I can or desire to pay, and that might be good for App athletics though it would be bad for me personally.

[Gonzo]

I had another thought... would you give up your seat in order to allow more students to attend games?

Conceptually, that's a nice thought. The reality of our current situation is that, if fans are allowed at all, there probably should be an emphasis on maximizing revenue. We are looking at significant budget shortfalls.

Not to mention students are going to be remote-learning all fall (for the most part). There won't be many to whom you give up your seat even if you wanted to.

[bigdaddyg]

Perhaps I should have clarified. The premise of the question wasn’t to imply that the university would jack up the prices of tickets to gouge the fans. I picked 8,000 as an approximate third of the regular seating. The triple cost was to get the gate closer to a norm. I was really excluding the premium seating and high rollers. I’m thinking that the ticket price would be in the $80-$120 range. It really boils down to how badly would the average fan want to go? On the flip side we don’t always sell out every game anyway.

To take it a step further. If we were included in an all North Carolina home and home deal with the other 6 FBS programs and our games included UNC, State, ECU, Wake and Duke would that be enough?

[/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09]

Pay more to get less of an experience. No thanks. Not opposed to donating more to help out athletics.

[Capt. Ed]

Could we just limit attendance to season ticket holders and spread them out? Whatever space is left, of any, could be filled by students.

[ArmantiWaterSafety]

Could we just limit attendance to season ticket holders and spread them out? Whatever space is left, of any, could be filled by students.

This seems to be what a lot of other schools are doing so far. To the original question that was clarified, I don't think the average single game ticket purchaser is willing to pay triple for entry. However, if we were to somehow get deals with those in-state FBS schools, I think a lot would pay in the $80 range.

[bigdaddyg]

Could we just limit attendance to season ticket holders and spread them out? Whatever space is left, of any, could be filled by students.

This seems to be what a lot of other schools are doing so far. To the original question that was clarified, I don't think the average single game ticket purchaser is willing to pay triple for entry. However, if we were to somehow get deals with those in-state FBS schools, I think a lot would pay in the $80 range.

Adding the idea of a 7 school NC home and home for 2020 was an idea I read that, while nothing but a crazy pipe dream, would be awesome. None of the schools would have to fly or stay in hotels. Virtually every matchup except those away from Charlotte would easily garner the premium ticket prices for fewer seats. Schools would recoup a good bit of their losses and maybe the ACC schools could do ok from the TV revenue provided ESPN decides to show the “Battle for North Carolina” series. We sold out the UNCC game last year and even at 8,000 fans App State would bring in decent money that will otherwise be lost. I can’t fathom how a Sunbelt only season makes any sense whatsoever.

[appstate77]

I wouldn't pay triple price for the ticket but if there was a minimum donation to Yosef Club to guarantee a seat I wouldn't mind it and hope I'd meet the threshold as is.

Agreed. I do that now.

[Ozzies]

Do not take away from student attendance. The students drive that game day buzz at the Rock and they must be included. I would propose students be required to sign up week to week to get a ticket but they have to use the ticket instead of their ID to get in. If you claim a ticket and it doesn't get used, you don't get anymore tickets. This gives the ticket office a number of how many "students" to allot for each week.

And before you go off on how giving a student a ticket takes away from revenue, remember, a FT student pays $391.50 per semester for Athletics Operations Fees and $122.50 for Athletic Facilities Debt Fees. That's $1028/year even if they never attend a game.

Whats leftover from the predetermined capacity can be filled in with season ticket holders on a rotational basis. That might mean I don't get a ticket to every home game but I'd like to see a system where no one gets shut out. I prefer the "rotation" rather than "allocating x%" because I it still gives families or groups the ability to enjoy the game together as a family/group.

If there is additional capacity still available, put those seats up for sale on a game by game basis.

[Gonzo]

Do not take away from student attendance. The students drive that game day buzz at the Rock and they must be included. I would propose students be required to sign up week to week to get a ticket but they have to use the ticket instead of their ID to get in. If you claim a ticket and it doesn't get used, you don't get anymore tickets. This gives the ticket office a number of how many "students" to allot for each week.

And before you go off on how giving a student a ticket takes away from revenue, remember, a FT student pays $391.50 per semester for Athletics Operations Fees and $122.50 for Athletic Facilities Debt Fees. That's $1028/year even if they never attend a game.

Whats leftover from the predetermined capacity can be filled in with season ticket holders on a rotational basis. That might mean I don't get a ticket to every home game but I'd like to see a system where no one gets shut out. I prefer the "rotation" rather than "allocating x%" because I it still gives families or groups the ability to enjoy the game together as a family/group.

If there is additional capacity still available, put those seats up for sale on a game by game basis.

Student attendance will be the biggest hurdle of all as far as safe game day practical matters.

Bench seats with no assigned seats. It will be impossible to enforce social distancing. It's much easier to assign alumni to specific seats that are distanced.

I'm not saying you're wrong. I agree that they're the most important stakeholder in the building. But I wonder if the typical sardine can student of a section that makes The Rock such a special place will be possible.