wheelerdog
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How ridiculous.
Season Ticket Renewals
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I was dropping my men’s tickets in Storrs and called because I couldn’t edit my application. The guy said he would note it and the online application would be updated in a couple of days. After one week of no change, I called back and they said no I would have to speak with someone, the application would not be updated online
I think the biggest miscalculation was the reduction in seats per ticket holder. Eliminating a venue for a ticketholder who had seats at both locations or reducing seats at a particular location. When you think about it, that’s a great negative multiplier effect.Would love to know how the price increase thing is going for them.
The other thing is it is very inefficient. Someone has three seats at a location and they drop one but the seat next to it is kept by someone. That leaves one seat at a great location to have to try to sell next to “seats for life” or it remains open.
As things stand today, this price increase is running into both inflation and stock market correction head winds, things many of the younger consultants that UConn engages have the institutional experience to factor in. The inflationary environment is the worse in 40 years. The stock market collapse has been a grinding type with negative markets for many, many weeks rather than a sharpe decline followed by an immediate rebound. Therefore, it wears consumers down over a period of time. In recent days there has been some improvement in the # of stocks advance/decline line graph. Often that's a leading indicator of change but by 6/17 it is unlikely anything positive will be reflected in consumer sentiment.
Finally, this isn’t a one year hit. As things are currently baked in, season ticket holders are going to feel the cumulative impacts over the next 3 years as there are similar ticket /donation increases each season. The fact that the consultant in their comparisons did not appropriately adjust in their benchmarks with other schools the fact that a 75% seat donation increase with someone with a $1,000 a seat donation is really a $1,500 increase not a $750 one if a team plays their home games at two locations. So without an adjustment factor comparing us to schools playing at one location, the conclusions they drew lacked wisdom.
The good news is this is going to put real pressure on Danny to win and perhaps force him out of stubbornness about certain things that would work at lower level Wagner/URI but not here. Winning does solve many problems/challenges.
However, even more winning (if it does happen) is partially offset by having to fight the Federal Reserve Board’s interest rate increases on consumers over the next two years at least. A difficult headwind. Additionally, now there is greater pressure for better OOC home games, which makes wins more difficult.
zls44
Your #icebus Tour Director
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How about the email the other day about PK 85.
97% of the fanbase isnt online morons like us. So imagine being a regular fan, getting the price increase, then getting an e-mail last week that your big home game is TBD, finding out its Oklahoma State, now UConn reaches out to tell you how actually the good OOC games are 3000 miles away and theyd love you to pay extra to go fly across the country on Thanksgiving week to watch them.
They're pushing people away. They think they can replace them. In this economy.
Good luck.
August_West
Conscience do cost
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There is a really troubling side to this. We laugh (and cry) about how dumb this all is, but the thing is; they are not actually stupid. So if you know that, and then start thinking about the "why" they are doing this, the answers it leads you to aren't pleasant to think about.
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I am very much still considering the “stupid” option.
Money doesn’t flow in over the waterfall when you alienate your best customers over and over again.
They may think they are following the money trail but they don’t execute that well. Actually, very poorly - Exhibit A- $47 million deficit!
August_West
Conscience do cost
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I see it as they know better than anyone how much trouble we are in and this is a last ditch cash grab attempt before the whole house of cards entirely collapses. The shameless nakedness of the actions speaks to a desperation that we have not yet seen. This is just my view from afar, ymmv, but I just don't get a warm fuzzy feeling about what it connotes.
They found the money to double David Benedict’s compensation while everyone else is expected to contribute and sacrifice to keep the athletic program from collapsing.
An interesting dichotomy.
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My XL "forever" seat tier changed this year and tripled in price. I won't be renewing the XL tickets. As others have mentioned their online portal won't let you renew just one venue and not the other...a pretty shiesty move to try to get people to just buy both. I'll be calling the ticket office on Tuesday. Let's just say my friend who is very high up in the UConn Athletic Dept will be hearing from me. Not his fault, but this department needs a wake up call. I have a feeling our XL games next year will be only half full which should be a great home court advantage come league play.
You need to win first before you make this kind of money grab move. UConn instead escalated their prices into the stratosphere with only the hope of winning something meaningful some day. A high risk strategy for them and a betrayal of their most loyal and generous fans.
If they have a disappointing season next year, they are going to be in a really bad spot. They can no longer beg the fans for loyalty as they did in the Covid fan free season, when season ticket holders were asked to make at least 1/2 their seat donation anyways.
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wheelerdog
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It’s going to be very interesting to see the renewal rate when all is said and done. I also believe most of the “new“ STHs are simply new accounts replacing existing STHs that moved to lower donation levels while those seats, i.e. Gample chairbacks were available.
Good point, I personally know several people either cutting back on seats, dropping a location or not renewing. I don’t honestly know of any new ticketholder. I am sure they exist but I don’t know them.
I also don’t have a handle on the WBB /MBB dynamic.
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My take is they will lose a good amount of ticket holders. But it will probably come most from the “cheaper” sections or people who have multiple sets of tickets.
I can’t imagine they lose many of the higher end people where the donation only went up $200ish a seat for next year.
I can’t imagine they lose many of the higher end people where the donation only went up $200ish a seat for next year.
There are new ticket holders. They are the ones that were given a chance to grab all of the best remaining Husky value seats prior to current season ticket holders that were bounced from Value seats to a much higher tier.
Total garbage.
And yes, I'm still very very bitter. And still not renewing.
It was a colossal miscalculation by Dave Benedict in every way. He owns the decisions of the Consultants he hires. To them it was a just another pit stop they failed to do proper due diligence on, They applied their template but did not factor in the local idiosyncrasies (2 buildings, WWB too, recent Covid donation sacrifice, no recent accomplished seasons, etc). Then they were tone deaf on the macro picture (highest inflation in 40 years, a stock market in decline, housing/rent costs and availability for young people).
Where was the Adult in the room? Unfortunately, no one on Dave’s management team had a combination of knowledge, intelligence or courage to speak out. Instead, they now have a house of cards, but they have no face saving alternative than to put lots of lipstick on that pig. For a variety of reasons, it’s not easily reversible by anyone who should “own the mess”. When you agree on anything “for life” just 3 years earlier, breaking that trust and re-gaining it won’t be easy.
For some it’s about affordability, but for others it’s more about principle and character. Fans who are more imiacted through that len will be more difficult to win back. The trust is broken.
Where was the Adult in the room? Unfortunately, no one on Dave’s management team had a combination of knowledge, intelligence or courage to speak out. Instead, they now have a house of cards, but they have no face saving alternative than to put lots of lipstick on that pig. For a variety of reasons, it’s not easily reversible by anyone who should “own the mess”. When you agree on anything “for life” just 3 years earlier, breaking that trust and re-gaining it won’t be easy.
For some it’s about affordability, but for others it’s more about principle and character. Fans who are more imiacted through that len will be more difficult to win back. The trust is broken.
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This all reminds me of years ago when our seats kept getting pushed back further and further. Finally got pissed and stopped getting season tix. Started up again with the Hurley era and fixed seating. The other difference between then and now is now I have money. Still pissed about the increase but at least they’re not moving my seats on me. Paying the upcharge but can see where many can’t or just won’t.
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wheelerdog
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Are you referring to the days when the geniuses running the show believed a center court seat in row S was better than a baseline seat in row E. That's what happened to me in Hartford.
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The same days where if you knew who doing the seat process they would seat you over people with more priority points.
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My biggest issue is still there are absolutely zero perks to being a Season ticket holders. As someone who has not renewed yet (because my tickets were among the highest price increases) why should I renew? Instead of paying for a Grambling State game, I can just pay slightly below double face value for Nova and it comes out cheaper since who cares about seeing Grambling State play.
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oh so that's what happened. LOL. Nah we started out with great seats and even though we donated a lot, we kept moving back, back, back. Until it was better to just watch on TV. I don't pay for crappy nosebleed seats to anything any more. Concerts, it's up front or nothing.
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I’m among those that had been on the fence (and have now decided I won’t) renew. So, that’s five lower bowl XL seats UConn can count as out. The disrespect from AD David Benedict and the lack of product value to STHs already discussed in this thread at length pretty much sums up my reasoning.
This is by no means a complaint, but one thing that surprises me, is the lack of outreach from the AD. Again, not a complaint, I dread seeing an (860)486 number show up on my phone since it always means they want money - but I am surprised not to receive a single call about renewals. Maybe a flurry is coming in the last week before the deadline? Anyone have them proactively reach out?
This is by no means a complaint, but one thing that surprises me, is the lack of outreach from the AD. Again, not a complaint, I dread seeing an (860)486 number show up on my phone since it always means they want money - but I am surprised not to receive a single call about renewals. Maybe a flurry is coming in the last week before the deadline? Anyone have them proactively reach out?
I am deciding next week. The decision may be tied to a NIL deal or not?
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Also, are they counting switched seats of prior season ticket holders as "new"? I moved my gampel seats to a lower cost option. Curious if they count that as new or not.
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I hope the new people realize that forever lasts a couple of years.
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This "forever" is better than the old "gimme the $$$ and WE decide where you'll sit next year, sucker"
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What were the season ticket numbers for last year?
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