Parking? I'll pass

[liljc]

Did all of you season ticket holders receive the same letter that I did today? $525 to park in the same lots that used to cost $25? Let the gouging begin! Has Patrick J. Kreger, Associate Athletics Director-Development lost his his freaking mind? Whatever dude, I'll park on Hillman or Stanley and walk over to the Bowl. Kinda puts a damper on all of my tailgating plans, though, DAMMIT! Bring back Mike Thomas and Mike Waddell! Go Zips!

[zff]

The regular tailgate area which is the lower bowl by he air dock is $25 for a season pass or what ever the per game charge will be. PArk down here this is where the party is at.

[fear the brown roo]

i'll just walk past the mostly empty priority parking lots from my house to my seat that's not yet a priority seat. way to take care of the loyal fans, kreger. great idea building a fan base off of a bad schedule (which i know is not the university's fault) by gouging the long time fans. have season ticket sales gone up, i wonder? christ, how much a diet pepsi is going to be this year. this is the administration that's going to get us a new stadium? get used to the rubber bowl, we're going to be walking there from the side streets for a long time.

[GoZips88]

Just threw most of today's mailing into the trash...no wine-and-cheese parking for me. Yeesh!

[UADavid]

My increase is 2916% from last year and years past. :blink: When is the national championship game?

[liljc]

The regular tailgate area which is the lower bowl by he air dock is $25 for a season pass or what ever the per game charge will be. PArk down here this is where the party is at.

You're right. That IS where the party is and it's great fun to be over there. I will WALK over and join the parties this season. See you on 9/23! Go Zips!

[iheartkarriker]

Did all of you season ticket holders receive the same letter that I did today? $525 to park in the same lots that used to cost $25? Let the gouging begin! Has Patrick J. Kreger, Associate Athletics Director-Development lost his his freaking mind? Whatever dude, I'll park on Hillman or Stanley and walk over to the Bowl. Kinda puts a damper on all of my tailgating plans, though, DAMMIT! Bring back Mike Thomas and Mike Waddell! Go Zips!

Folks this is the cost of building a successful promotion. I do agree that $525 is high, however, money is needed to be raised. I'd be in favor of a lower price. None of you can tell me that a season ticket over the past 3-4 years broke your bank. The price that was paid was next to nothing. Is that why you want Thomas and Waddell back? It's not going to happen and I think if you do your research, "they" will be doing the same exact thing at Cincinnati.It is my belief that anything was done to get folks in the stands and the money factor wasn't even in their heads. We the fans must be trained to pay more for excellence and for a new stadium. Do any of you honestly think that the ticket prices for the new stadium are going to be cheaper than they are now... not a chance.If you think it's over, then wait until basketball season with less than 5500 seats. I expect to see a PSL requirement to keep your tickets. It is Pat's job to make money, if he doesn't make money the athletics department can not and will not grow. How do you think we're going to keep J.D. and Keith???

[UADavid]

It is Pat's job to make money, if he doesn't make money the athletics department can not and will not grow. How do you think we're going to keep J.D. and Keith???

That won't happen.

[iheartkarriker]

It is Pat's job to make money, if he doesn't make money the athletics department can not and will not grow. How do you think we're going to keep J.D. and Keith???

That won't happen.

Which won't happen, Kreger being successful or keeping J.D. and Keith?If you don't think we have a chance to keep either then pack it in and nobody pays. We'll end up like Can't State. Someone, somewhere has to have the vision and the guts. I believe that the current admin. has it.They all are proven in their areas. Let them lead.Lead, follow, or get out of the way.

[bobbyake]

what wont happen is making money by raising prices, it's economics. The demand is simply not strong enough. You have to be kidding me if you think the people around here are going to pay over $500 to park for a ZIPS game. Your denfending a bad idea. Akron has to stay cheap because it is the little guy in town competting with OSU. OSU dominates the Akron/Canton market. When you start getting above yourself saying, "we can charge more for such and such," people will turn their back to you because they don't feel paying outrageous amounts of money for University of Akron events is justified. Now what kind of games do you enjoy more? 7000 people or 33,000 people in a home game? It's like when I went to Cedar Point, I rarely saw anyone buying the pictures after the rides. It was $9. I think 80% of the riders would want to buy there pictures but no one wants to pay $9 for it. You're only going to sell to maybe 10% of that 80%. If they lowered the price to maybe $4, probably 45% of that 80% would buy a picture. They would make soo much more money if they made those pictures cheaper,. It's economics. You raise the price, demand goes down. You lower the price, demand goes up. Right now UAkron is struggling in the Akron/Canton market. Akron needs to create a demand. Everyone on this board is optimistic about this program and thinks this program is bigger than it is. The only way you can justify raising prices is offering more. Fireworks at the end of each game or for every touchdown???

[fear the brown roo]

It is Pat's job to make money, if he doesn't make money the athletics department can not and will not grow. How do you think we're going to keep J.D. and Keith???

That won't happen.

Which won't happen, Kreger being successful or keeping J.D. and Keith?If you don't think we have a chance to keep either then pack it in and nobody pays. We'll end up like Can't State. Someone, somewhere has to have the vision and the guts. I believe that the current admin. has it.They all are proven in their areas. Let them lead.Lead, follow, or get out of the way.

you can get up off of your knees now

[Balki Bartokomous]

has anyone stopped to think that the 525 was just another typo?

[ZipAlumn]

iheartkarriker said ..........Folks this is the cost of building a successful promotion. I do agree that $525 is high, however, money is needed to be raised. I'd be in favor of a lower price. ....... It is Pat's job to make money, if he doesn't make money the athletics department can not and will not grow.and bobbyake said ..........what wont happen is making money by raising prices, it's economics. The demand is simply not strong enough. You have to be kidding me if you think the people around here are going to pay over $500 to park for a ZIPS game. Your denfending a bad idea.I have to agree with bobbyake, this is a tremendous increase in price and very few fans will accept it. I used to have six season ticket for football and basketball every year for years until "The Great Faust" graced our campus and football program. Prices went up dramatically, donations were then required, and membership to the Zips Athletic Dept was required. Now I donated to the University, and the price increase wouldn't have bankrupted me, but I dropped all my season tickets and donations and the only thing I've bought since are single game tickets. Call me stupid ... I don't mind sex, but I'm really not found of rape.

[iheartkarriker]

It is Pat's job to make money, if he doesn't make money the athletics department can not and will not grow. How do you think we're going to keep J.D. and Keith???

That won't happen.

Which won't happen, Kreger being successful or keeping J.D. and Keith?If you don't think we have a chance to keep either then pack it in and nobody pays. We'll end up like Can't State. Someone, somewhere has to have the vision and the guts. I believe that the current admin. has it.They all are proven in their areas. Let them lead.Lead, follow, or get out of the way.

you can get up off of your knees now

This is what I wrote. This is what I wrote and I quote, "Folks this is the cost of building a successful promotion. I do agree that $525 is high, however, money is needed to be raised. I'd be in favor of a lower price. ....... It is Pat's job to make money, if he doesn't make money the athletics department can not and will not grow." At no point did I say it needed to be $525. I agree... $525 is too high...Brown Roo, that was an unjust comment. Every administration has faults, but the folks that are there now want to make money. Before it was all about getting folks to the game by any means necessary.To be honest, UA Athletics in particular a department gave a ton of tickets away and SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED the opportunity of fans that would purchase tickets. Why? Because they knew they could get free ones. I've over heard people say at games that they got tickets from some friend of the program who received STACKS of tickets to give away to lots and lots of games. What did that do for attendance?? not much. You talk about supply and demand, read the statement I just wrote. Tickets were like water the past 3-4 years. At least, athletics is trying to make some money for it. Which situation would you rather have... I didn't go to the Zips game because:A) I didn't have the extra $5, $10 etc.. to attend... (Price can be over come)or I didn't attend because I didn't get a free ticket.... (Expecting freebees is very hard to over come)B periodYou've got to make ticket revenue/donations somehow.

[iheartacme]

iheartkarriker shows their extreme ignorance of Akron sports when she states that "tickets were like water the last 3-4 years". Look back 20 years to the four tickets for $1 promotions for some true dilution of the product. Tons of tickets were given away, especially during the 2004 season in order to meet the NCAA guideline of 15K per game. Failure to meet that number at "that" time meant that Akron would have lost 1A status. Rules change, but the crowd number was met and the end result was a full house crowd for a national TV game. Alternative? Empty crowd on national TV = bad recruiting message = more of the status quo.

[Dr Z]

Did any of you park in the priority parking last year?

[liljc]

I have parked for years in what is now being called lot number 1. It is the most convevient place for me to be, and it was a great deal for $25. That was probably too cheap, I admit, but $500 is not happening. Anyone who defends an increase of this magnitude cannot be reasoned with. YOU GO PARK THERE! I am walking over to the Bowl from the other side of Tripplett Blvd.

[zipboy]

I have not seen the mailing yet Seems that I always get dropped off the mailing list each year and have to call to get back on.I must say that I was a little shell shocked when I read this topic and the cost of the increase. The first 2 things that jumped in my head were 1. $525 What are they thinking?- if I pay that, I definitely drop my annual donation to the University Foundation (which is about half of this parking fee). 2. GP1's comment in my head of don't be cheap if you want to build a program. Football ticket prices will be the lowest in Div 1A this year. Many times I go alone but I still buy 3 season tickets to support the program. If I am going to shell out $50 to park per game, it would be nice to have a special meet and greet with the coaching staff, etc to feel like I got something. Or at least be able to make this a write off for taxes. Clearly they are targeting a group of loyal boosters here. They could have passed this cost on to ticket prices but want to keep prices low to attract more people. Isn't Toledo's tickets around $30 per game? People here would go ballistic if they saw that. In Toledo, they just draw 25K every year. Granted the quality of the stadium vs Toledo leads a lot to be desired but the quality of what you are watching on the field is the same.My guess is 10% of these long time boosters of which many of us are included pay it and don't think twice. Another 25% grumble and complain but pay it. And the rest of us say no way. It is a steep price increase. If I had kids and was thinking about college, I could not justify giving that much away for a parking spot regardless of my love for Akron. But it is just as easy to walk an extra half mile, pay the cheap price and still be jazzed for the season. And if this means getting money to pay JD, then I applaud the effort. I agree with the bball comment as well. We already have some form of PSLs. A small segment of people are willing to pay that. As long as you keep a good portion of tickets available for all at cheap prices, you can markup a certain percentage. By increasing a few hundred parking spots $500 in football does nothing to hurt the common person who may try coming to a game this year but still allow the university to make money.

[fear the brown roo]

i parked in "lot 1". hell, we were the only ones up there tailgating during the thanksgiving blizzard. we took turns holding the canopy down and eating. tailgating up there was something i was really looking forward to this year but there is no way i am going to be extorted into paying $525 to do it . we'll tailgate at my house and walk two blocks over to the rubber bowl. just another great idea by this crew, kinda like moving zips live from a nice place like the lizard to a dump in the valley. maybe next year they can move it to the "bottoms up" on grant street.

[UADavid]

Dr Z Posted on Aug 5 2006, 05:53 AM   Did any of you park in the priority parking last year?

Not just last year, but many years. That's where the best tailgating at the bowl (in my biased opinion) took place. At the thanksgiving blizzard game we had 20 people and still served hot food. The university has made exceptions for ticket holders in sections 4 and 5 who should donate to the zef (zip extortion fund). Shouldn't they be expected to "support the team"? Why are they allowed to keep their seats? They are stealing prime real estate for all the zip fans lining up to buy those seats.

[UADavid]

Which won't happen, Kreger being successful or keeping J.D. and Keith?

If this badly thought out plan is his, Kreger is an idiot. As with anything in life you have to moderate change or suffer the consequences of your actions. As for JD and Keith, I don't think they will stay. We couldn't keep a soccer coach with one of the best teams in the country coming back. It's time for you to wake up for school, you're going to miss the bus.

[Sloopy]

So I get a call telling me I paid too much for my tickets but now I get a letter telling me that I have to pay more for my parking? At least I got kissed before they gave it too me in the ass. This is the kind of action that either unites a fan base behind the team or fractures it for a generation. I think this is the 2006 equivalent of firing Jim Dennison and hiring Gerry Faust. Every time we get to a good place someone has to come in and screw it up at here it happens every 20 years. 1986 - 2006. This is pretty easy to sidestep because I will just pay my $5 and park 50 feet farther away. We get nothing for our money out of this deal but to save 50 feet of walking. I don't mind the extra exercise and will down more homebrew in the grass to make up for the extra walking.The funny thing will be seeing all of the empty spaces around the top of the bowl where these big time parking spaces will be bare. My money says we will get a letter from Rhodes this week telling us this is another typo just like the kids ticket was on the order form.

[UADavid]

My money says we will get a letter from Rhodes this week telling us this is another typo just like the kids ticket was on the order form.

Unfortunately, this was a calculated move to sell season tickets before the fallout over the parking fees. I've never had to purchase the two seperately. Somehow I don't think UAM would have allowed this to happen. He had the pulse of the fanbase. We need to raise more money, but not at this pace. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Mack is getting bad advise.

[bobbyake]

learly they are targeting a group of loyal boosters here. They could have passed this cost on to ticket prices but want to keep prices low to attract more people. Isn't Toledo's tickets around $30 per game? People here would go ballistic if they saw that. In Toledo, they just draw 25K every year. Granted the quality of the stadium vs Toledo leads a lot to be desired but the quality of what you are watching on the field is the same.

You don't want to take your loyal boosters for granted though and step on their toes. Of the 214,000 people that live in Akron, and the 600,000 plus that live in the Greater Akron area, how many of those people prefer the Zips over OSU? I'm willing to bet you'll find more OSU fans. That is a challenge the Zips are faced with and need to address. I remember when I had a bunch of tickets to give out in 2004 at Wing Warehouse, I gave out a lot. I loved it because I wanted to bring people to the rubber bowl that never ever thought about a Zips football game as entertaining. You have to remember that a lot of people have tight budgets and aren't going to go out and spend $40 all together for their family to watch an Akron Zips game. I understand paying for quality but right now Akron hasn't achieved this mark. Sure we won the MAC championship and went to the Motor City Bowl. But we only went because we were lucky to be in a 3 way tie, plus we lost to Amry at home. Imagine if you paid to go watch the Army game last year, You'd be thinking 'crap on Akron' and never go to another game. Akron is not the same quality as Toledo. Toledo has given its fans so many games where they were ranked. Imagine going to watch your team at home while they're nationaly ranked. Toledo doesn't have to imagine this. That's why they pay extra money for tickets and still get 25,000 people. Let's be realistic here and understand Akron is still on the rise. We're not at the top yet. So why get ahead of ourselves when it could backfire with ugly results?I'm willing to bet they wont sell out half of the parking spaces at $525. (unless all you boosters and alumni are living in Hudson or Bath Township). If my bet is right, why not cut that price in half or more so you can sell out that area and make about the same or more money while more people are happier. The University should never take their die-hard loyal fans for granted and take advantage of them when they don't have that many to begin with.I'm only a student and go to the games for free, I'd never pay more than the cheapest parking price which I think is stupid because I have to pay $130 something for a parking pass each semester. So I guess I have no room to complain about you loyal Alumni paying 525 to park. But I understand that you guys are the backbone of the Zips and think it's wrong if the Univerisity of Akron tries to take advantage of that.Are students still allowed to bring a friend for $1???? I really hope they don't do away with that. I'm on a mission to turn OSU fans into Akron fans. The $1 tickets makes it easy to persuade a friend into coming to a game.

[zff]

Here is the reason they had to refund money to early season ticket buyers. The out going administration setup the season ticket packages even though they were leaving and then put out on gozips.com. So when the new people came in the decided to charge a cheaper price.....So don't blame the refund on the new people....