OT: Across the SEC, football fans opting not to travel with their team.

[huskymedic]

Long read: Across the SEC, football fans opting not to travel with their team

>>A Gainesville Sun survey showed a marked decrease in attendance at games from visiting fans over the last five years. It’s a trend the league acknowledges — but without any apparent interest in changing it. “It’s not like we’re going to start marketing to opposing fans,” Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin said. “It would make no sense. We just have to accept that people aren’t traveling the way they used to.”<<

>>The commissioner believes a combination of factors has contributed to the decline in travel for games. “I’ve heard that observation that it’s familiarity with the opponents, but I don’t think it can be reduced to one factor,” Sankey said. “Geography can be a factor, but I’ve been in places that are hard to get to and they were sold out.”

Sankey also pointed to the immersive experience of today’s televisions, and the feeling of remoteness when watching the game from the distant rows of seats that now more often are allotted to visiting fans.<<

 

[Ldandy]

It's not rocket science. With every single game on TV for SEC or B1G Schools, and the cost of attending live events escalating every year more fans are making the easy decision to simply stay home.

The last time I went to Cbus it cost me close to a grand for 2 tickets, a 2 night hotel stay, and travel/food expenses. How many times can the majority of people do this a year?

I used to go to a lot of road games, but the distances of B1G Schools from my home makes it a chore. I'll get to sPitt and maybe that cess pool in PISScataway but that's probably it for me this season. Maybe someday I'll get to visit The Rent. I'd like to meet you all and share a few stories and Yuenglings.

 

[whaler11]

It's not rocket science. With every single game on TV for SEC or B1G Schools, and the cost of attending live events escalating every year more fans are making the easy decision to simply stay home.

The last time I went to Cbus it cost me close to a grand for 2 tickets, a 2 night hotel stay, and travel/food expenses. How many times can the majority of people do this a year?

I used to go to a lot of road games, but the distances of B1G Schools from my home makes it a chore. I'll get to sPitt and maybe that cess pool in PISScataway but that's probably it for me this season. Maybe someday I'll get to visit The Rent. I'd like to meet you all and share a few stories and Yuenglings.

Plus who pays face value from the school when you can buy on the secondary market for pennies? I’ve bought a ticket through UConn once.

I remember being at Michigan where I paid $50 to sit 40 rows up on the 50 from ebay and the UConn fans were 500 rows up in the endzone for double.

 

[Exit 4]

It’s also not rocket science that over the past 10 years we have really settled into a new era of stabilized dominance. All the teams in the bottom 50% of any of the P5 conferences are the same year in and year out. No reason to travel well when too many games are a forgone conclusion. Yes, there are still upsets in FBS, but not enough surprise seasons, just a few surprise games.

 

[UCFBfan]

Plus who pays face value from the school when you can buy on the secondary market for pennies? I’ve bought a ticket through UConn once.

I remember being at Michigan where I paid $50 to sit 40 rows up on the 50 from ebay and the UConn fans were 500 rows up in the endzone for double.

This is a very valid point. That Michigan game was the only time I bought through the school. Bought off secondary market for all the other away games I've been at. It's too expensive to buy through the school and attend many away games.

Maybe the schools, all of them, need to look at ticket prices. It's amazing anyone attends pro or college sports anymore.

 

[whaler11]

This is a very valid point. That Michigan game was the only time I bought through the school. Bought off secondary market for all the other away games I've been at. It's too expensive to buy through the school and attend many away games.

Maybe the schools, all of them, need to look at ticket prices. It's amazing anyone attends pro or college sports anymore.

The second Georgia Tech game in Atlanta there was a bar with free beer until kick off and someone handed us free tickets walking to the stadium.

Post game was second row behind basket for Hawks/Spurs for $6 each.

That’s why the threads around here crack me up about tickets. A weekday regular season college basketball game in Newark? Sweating tickets for that is crazy.

 

[Ldandy]

The second Georgia Tech game in Atlanta there was a bar with free beer until kick off and someone handed us free tickets walking to the stadium.

Post game was second row behind basket for Hawks/Spurs for $6 each.

That’s why the threads around here crack me up about tickets. A weekday regular season college basketball game in Newark? Sweating tickets for that is crazy.

There are enough spots in The B1G where you can pick up a cheap ticket to a game, although travel to these places is still incredibly cost prohibitive for fans living in the Northeast.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

That’s why the threads around here crack me up about tickets. A weekday regular season college basketball game in Newark? Sweating tickets for that is crazy.

Talking Florida State v UConn? I'm absolutely going, but the pre-sale was like $15 fee per ticket. No way you can't get into the game for around $20 come December.

 

[freescooter]

I went to Duke UNC @UNC last year. “ Total sellout.” Bought tickets For face value walking across campus from my daughters office to get lunch.

Actually the idea of sellout crowds is relatively recent across college athletics. When I was a kid we went down to Penn State to see a game and it was well attended but hardly a sellout. Went to many BC games since we lived in Boston. Sellouts were reserved for rivalries and big name teams. The goal was solid crowds.

 

[whaler11]

Talking Florida State v UConn? I'm absolutely going, but the pre-sale was like $15 fee per ticket. No way you can't get into the game for around $20 come December.

That and every other neutral site basketball game.

 

[freescooter]

Right. Pretty much applies to any neutral site game in any sport for teams not named Notre Dame and

 

[Husky25]

This is a very valid point. That Michigan game was the only time I bought through the school. Bought off secondary market for all the other away games I've been at. It's too expensive to buy through the school and attend many away games.

Maybe the schools, all of them, need to look at ticket prices. It's amazing anyone attends pro or college sports anymore.

The best seat for any sporting event is on my couch in front of my 65" Samsung and I won't cry too much if I'm forced to watch the 50 incher in the front room either, (Nor the 42" TV in the basement).

Like many others, I have had season tickets for football since Rentschler opened, but the game is not high on the list of reasons why I still have them (certainly not for the last 8 seasons).

Even during the period last year when we de facto cut the cord. The reddit feeds for the NFL were more than adequate. The only thing I didn't like was being forced to watch commercials. I love my DVR.

 

[freescooter]

It might be the best seat for viewing. But the family room tv lacks the atmosphere of a real game. If I can I’ll go any day. Plus there’s little chance my wife will interrupt and insist that the light that’s been out since April just has to be changed this second (usually just as some critical play is about to occur).

 

[Husky25]

Family room atmosphere pretty much eclipses being there over the last few seasons as well.

 

[Jax Husky]

Long read: Across the SEC, football fans opting not to travel with their team

>>A Gainesville Sun survey showed a marked decrease in attendance at games from visiting fans over the last five years. It’s a trend the league acknowledges — but without any apparent interest in changing it. “It’s not like we’re going to start marketing to opposing fans,” Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin said. “It would make no sense. We just have to accept that people aren’t traveling the way they used to.”<<
<<

Well, it doesn't help that every visiting fanbase in the SEC knows and discusses the jacka$$ Gainesville PD, who literally stand at the crosswalk checking the drinks of fans in opposing colors. Story after story of $250 tickets being written while drunken fans in Orange & Blue parade on by.

Also, most SEC towns are lame as hell for anything other than the game itself (Athens and Nashville excluded).

 

[huskymedic]

70k Season Tickets (102k + capacity) but struggling to fill rest of seats?

'Flex Pass?' What to expect from LSU's new plan to fill Tiger Stadium seats

>>LSU is offering a new option for buying football tickets, formerly one of the hottest commodities in Louisiana before high definition TV's and other changes shook up the ticket marketplace.

The offer, called the flex pass, costs $360 for seven vouchers that can be redeemed for any of the seven regular-season games in Tiger Stadium.

Seat locations vary, and only two vouchers can be used for the season's highest-profile games — Georgia on Oct. 13 and Alabama on Nov. 3.<<