Season Tickets for 2019-2020

[John]

Biggest mistake made by the AD and the ticket office was hiring these "ticket reps". They are very little help and not very knowledgeable.

ours mumbles so badly he's barely audible.

 

[zls44]

I understand wanting/needing more revenue, but from Benedict saying the fans need to own up and have to buy football season tickets just before 1-11 to (if they are to believed) reps questioning loyalty for BB season ticket holders...how about a little tact, guys? You can get more money from folks without resorting to directly insulting them!

 

[zls44]

Also said would you rather be playing the Creightons and Seton Halls like Providence?

There are several very good reasons to argue in favor of UConn staying in the AAC and they picked, objectively, the worst one possible, the schedule?

Let me answer their question, btw- YES, for , YES

 

[Waquoit]

I'm not going to cal you a liar, but I'm skeptical that a ticket office rep was talking recruiting classes

You couldn't be more wrong here. A couple years ago, my ticket rep was touting the recruitment of Kwintin Williams.

 

[Waquoit]

From what I've been told by people who have worked at the UConn club/ticket office. Before UConn got good in the late 80's early 90s it was easier to accumulate points. So since these people got so many points, it makes it almost impossible for people to catch them unless they make a huge lump sum donation.

And this is a problem why? Any newbie off the street could have bought good seats last year, season ticket sales had cratered that badly. These clowns are alienating the true loyal fans when there's not a lot of demand behind them to pick up the slack.

 

[gampelcrazies]

And this is a problem why? Any newbie off the street could have bought good seats last year, season ticket sales had cratered that badly. These clowns are alienating the true loyal fans when there's not a lot of demand behind them to pick up the slack.

Well what's happening is they have people (not all) sitting in the really great seats that aren't donating much but have tons of points and people who are giving more than them aren't sitting in the better seats.

Like I've said before in this thread, I'm not opposed to the seat donation method as most other schools use it. But in typical UConn fashion they over charged for the product they have right now and have pissed off fans.

Should have started off low with the seat donation $ and adjust it based on how the team plays.

 

[Waquoit]

Believe me, if people donate decent money today, they'll get good seats. This is a solution in search of a problem. Actually, this is a new self inflicted problem. I look forward to the subsequent phone call down the road where they beg me to buy my seats again.

 

[John]

Well what's happening is they have people (not all) sitting in the really great seats that aren't donating much but have tons of points and people who are giving more than them aren't sitting in the better seats.

Like I've said before in this thread, I'm not opposed to the seat donation method as most other schools use it. But in typical UConn fashion they over charged for the product they have right now and have pissed off fans.

Should have started off low with the seat donation $ and adjust it based on how the team plays.

I'm used to paying the football seat fee, so I'm fine with the concept - I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around how much they're expecting for basketball, wow. This not to mention I'm not sure if my partners will want to spend that money (or if they are even in a position to since two of them are on fixed income).

 

[blue93]

Oh they did. The exact wording was "we have two 4 Star and a possible top 20 coming next year. You will not be able to get tickets on the secondary market for less than what you would pay for lower bowl tickets."

Also said would you rather be playing the Creightons and Seton Halls like Providence?

It was a very interesting conversation. I would love to give out my reps name but that would be wrong. All I can say is he/she is delusional.

Wow. If that's true... yikes.

Every interaction I've had with my reps I've felt like they're reading off of a script. That was my reason for the skepticism.

 

[gampelcrazies]

Believe me, if people donate decent money today, they'll get good seats. This is a solution in search of a problem. Actually, this is a new self inflicted problem. I look forward to the subsequent phone call down the road where they beg me to buy my seats again.

We give around $2000 a year and are tickets aren’t that much better.

 

[whaler11]

You couldn't be more wrong here. A couple years ago, my ticket rep was touting the recruitment of Kwintin Williams.

Well that was a home run.

 

[ColchVEGAS]

Wow. If that's true... yikes.

Every interaction I've had with my reps I've felt like they're reading off of a script. That was my reason for the skepticism.

Usually mine too. They went rogue this time around and the delusion or the water they have forcing them to drink to support this plan came out in full force.

 

[starpka]

Are these seat donations amounts tax deductible?

 

[StepbackCity]

Probably only buying one venue and all of the big games for the other.

 

[Excalibur]

Are these seat donations amounts tax deductible?

No

 

[Chief00]

From what I've been told by people who have worked at the UConn club/ticket office. Before UConn got good in the late 80's early 90s it was easier to accumulate points. So since these people got so many points, it makes it almost impossible for people to catch them unless they make a huge lump sum donation.

In fact I'm friends with someone who I know hasn't given as much as us but gets better seats than us.

Priority Points until last year were primarily about cumulative donations. So I question your conclusion. I don’t ever recall a donation of $100 being worth more than a point after the current year bonus point expires.
What Chief suspects these people have better seats because they have given a slightly smaller amount annually than you but over more years, since priority points are cumulative. An Employer matching donation or football seat donations could be factors too.
As for what someone did in the 1980’s - that was 35-40 years ago and those people are dying off or moving south.

 

[Vuce]

Interesting replies here and thank you all for sharing. My ticket contact has offered to meet in person several times to explain all of this. I did renew my football tix which I wish I didn’t at this point and i don’t pay a seat fee with those. I specifically asked why the most successful women’s program of all time didn’t have to pay seat fees at same or at least some level other than the paltry $100 lower bowl in gampel thing. I asked why are you gouging football and men’s hoops. She couldn’t provide an answer. I was able to be in lower bowl in gampel last few years, end zone near the UConn bench. I am not paying $400 per seat fee for those. I wished her luck rolling out this new program because they are going to need it. I have been a season ticket holder for over 25 years since I was a student at UConn. My son is a student there now. This is the first time I am seriously considering options going into next year. For them to question the loyalty of ANYONE who buys a season ticket regardless of what they donate at this point is beyond the pale.

 

[San888]

Priority Points until last year were primarily about cumulative donations. So I question your conclusion. I don’t ever recall a donation of $100 being worth more than a point after the current year bonus point expires.
What Chief suspects these people have better seats because they have given a slightly smaller amount annually than you but over more years, since priority points are cumulative. An Employer matching donation or football seat donations could be factors too.
As for what someone did in the 1980’s - that was 35-40 years ago and those people are dying off or moving south.

I started giving in the late 80's and am 59 years old.....so I guess I should buy a plot or a house in Florida.

But all kidding aside when I first started giving there were other ways to get points like buying soccer tix and other things that didn't cost much money but got you points. I've given as little as $100 and as much as $5,000 and have only accumulated 500+ points.

The decision I'm facing is do I wan't to take advantage of this if people decide they are out and the Prime seats become available. I can tell you I would have never accumulated the points to get prime seat consideration using the current process. But the values they are charging are steep. To stay in my current seats will cost me $1,600 in seat donations. The seats that I would want would cost me $3,200 if they became available. That's a big commitment. If my son wasn't such a big fan now I would probably consider giving them up.

 

[Chief00]

I started giving in the late 80's and am 59 years old.....so I guess I should buy a plot or a house in Florida.

But all kidding aside when I first started giving there were other ways to get points like buying soccer tix and other things that didn't cost much money but got you points. I've given as little as $100 and as much as $5,000 and have only accumulated 500+ points.

The decision I'm facing is do I wan't to take advantage of this if people decide they are out and the Prime seats become available. I can tell you I would have never accumulated the points to get prime seat consideration using the current process. But the values they are charging are steep. To stay in my current seats will cost me $1,600 in seat donations. The seats that I would want would cost me $3,200 if they became available. That's a big commitment. If my son wasn't such a big fan now I would probably consider giving them up.

Most people are unable to make meaningful donations in their mid twenties. Chief is torn.

I am not inclined to enable predatory pricing. A great case can be made to go to the XL center games and use the $3,200 I would save at Gampel and individual purchase tickets for 2-3 games a season there and have change left over for a vacation somewhere warm. It seems like a poorly conceived desperation move and partly bureaucratic infighting between who gets credit the Athletic Dept (seat donations) or The UConn Foundation (donation for scholarships and priority points). It’s too bad the fans have to suffer because of this internal accounting infighting during tough budget times.

 

[whaler11]

The math is simple for me.

$115 to sit in the first few rows in the overhang over the bar is a great value.

 

[John]

Most people are unable to make meaningful donations in their mid twenties. Chief is torn.

I am not inclined to enable predatory pricing. A great case can be made to go to the XL center games and use the $3,200 I would save at Gampel and individual purchase tickets for 2-3 games a season there and have change left over for a vacation somewhere warm. It seems like a poorly conceived desperation move and partly bureaucratic infighting between who gets credit the Athletic Dept (seat donations) or The UConn Foundation (donation for scholarships and priority points). It’s too bad the fans have to suffer because of this internal accounting infighting during tough budget times.

We're thinking that we'll scrap all season tickets and cherry pick good games and treat ourselves to expensive high quality sests.

 

[Chief00]

The math is simple for me.

$115 to sit in the first few rows in the overhang over the bar is a great value.

They are always the best valued compared to view seats in the house.

 

[whaler11]

They are always the best valued compared to view seats in the house.

Yep. Buy the whole four seat row and you don’t even have to deal with other people.

 

[BY06518]

The thing they don't seem to be getting is that the season ticket holders are doing THEM the favor, not the other way around. Do they realize how soft the secondary ticket market it for UConn sports??? Heck, for football, we paid the seat donation AND overpaid for the product since I could have gotten similar seats for pennies on the dollar outside the stadium before the game. This is why I canceled the football season tickets this year, it's just not worth it anymore. Now, I did feel badly about doing so, however I no longer feel badly AT ALL due to this basketball bull they are pulling. In fact, we are now considering also canceling our 4 seats and going secondary market for basketball too. It's not like the program is even decent right now, and other than the random interesting OOC opponent, the schedule SUCKS.

For reference, I went to 6 games this year due to work and such but I went to Cornell, Arizona, Lafayette, Manhattan, and Temple paid a grand total of $173 for two tickets to each game and all in the lower sections.

 

[BY06518]

Oh they did. The exact wording was "we have two 4 Star and a possible top 20 coming next year. You will not be able to get tickets on the secondary market for less than what you would pay for lower bowl tickets."

Also said would you rather be playing the Creightons and Seton Halls like Providence?

It was a very interesting conversation. I would love to give out my reps name but that would be wrong. All I can say is he/she is delusional.

You mean play good basketball schools and old rivals...yes please.