Patriot Bowl Ticket Sales

[K-Roo]

anybody heard how it is going??? NIU-Iowa at Soldier Field is at 45k already.

[ZachTheZip]

I haven't heard any figures, but I know that the people in charge of this thing think there will be at least 40,000 in attendance. I think that is wildly optimistic, myself. We don't have the draw of a Big-10 team coming to play us, plus this thing is in Cleveland, where most people think UA is D-III and the city of Akron is so small that it has only one zipcode.

[skip-zip]

Plus...Chicago is only about a 3 hour drive from Iowa's campus.This just ticks me off even more now. We are in the same conference as NIU, and they were able to get a Big-10 school to play them in their own back yard. And if they've already sold 45,000 tickets, they'll pack Solider Field by game day.Meanwhile, we have one of the worst teams in D-1A coming to play us in Cleveland, and I'll be surprised if we exceed 15,000 by game day. And last year, Bowling Green got Wisconsin in Cleveland Stadium.It's just dissappointing.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Plus...Chicago is only about a 3 hour drive from Iowa's campus.This just ticks me off even more now. We are in the same conference as NIU, and they were able to get a Big-10 school to play them in their own back yard. And if they've already sold 45,000 tickets, they'll pack Solider Field by game day.Meanwhile, we have one of the worst teams in D-1A coming to play us in Cleveland, and I'll be surprised if we exceed 15,000 by game day. And last year, Bowling Green got Wisconsin in Cleveland Stadium.It's just dissappointing.

I think your missing the point that the game is to showcase a MAC school vs a Service Academy on Labor Day weekend. That is the draw: Patriotism on Labor Day Weekend + a Service Academy + a local D1 school.People will show up for is in very respectable numbers. No chance in hell it draws only 15k. There will be 15k supporters of Army at minimum. As long as U of A Athletics Marketing does their job, there will be another 15k Zips supporters too. Another 5k or so general onlookers will put attendance around 35-40k. The Zips are playing in an NFL stadium on Labor Day weekend 40 miles from Akron in a very winnable game against Army. I have no clue what there is not to like about that? If Iowa brings 50,000 fans to watch their team club NIU in front of 20,000 Huskie fans, who cares. The Patriot Bowl is a great idea. Unless it is a downpour like @ Happy Valley last year, it will be a blast and highly successful.

[ZachTheZip]

I just crosschecked Patriotbowl.com and Ticketmaster. Apparently they are still selling seats at the 50 yard line in the first five rows of seating. Everything else is still available, so that tells me that barring some blocks of seats picked up by businesses, they haven't sold more than a few hundred tickets. We'll be lucky to fill up four sections with actual people in the seats.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I just crosschecked Patriotbowl.com and Ticketmaster.  Apparently they are still selling seats at the 50 yard line in the first five rows of seating. Everything else is still available, so that tells me that barring some blocks of seats picked up by businesses, they haven't sold more than a few hundred tickets. We'll be lucky to fill up four sections with actual people in the seats.

In mid June, whom do you expect to be purchasing September Akron/Army tickets?

[ZachTheZip]

I just crosschecked Patriotbowl.com and Ticketmaster.  Apparently they are still selling seats at the 50 yard line in the first five rows of seating. Everything else is still available, so that tells me that barring some blocks of seats picked up by businesses, they haven't sold more than a few hundred tickets. We'll be lucky to fill up four sections with actual people in the seats.

In mid June, whom do you expect to be purchasing September Akron/Army tickets?

Akron fans? Army fans? Local businesses?I know that nobody from Cleveland, the casual fans who just want to see a game, will buy anything until they arrive at the ticket window. If NIU/Iowa can sell 45,000 tickets in a month, why haven't we even broken 5,000 yet? I really want this thing to succeed, but I am having a hard time being optimistic about it. I hope I am proven wrong once Labor Day rolls around.

[zen]

I have no doubt that this thing will go just like everything else.... after it's over, people will be coming up to me and saying "Oh, I didn't know the zips were playing in Brown's stadium yesterday. I was downtown in the morning and never heard about it. I might have gone if I had known."

[Captain Kangaroo]

I have no doubt that this thing will go just like everything else.... after it's over, people will be coming up to me and saying "Oh, I didn't know the zips were playing in Brown's stadium yesterday. I was downtown in the morning and never heard about it. I might have gone if I had known."

Hence my qualifier:

As long as U of A Athletics Marketing does their job,

[GP1]

I noticed Saturday night that the exterior electronic message boards on both ends of Browns Stadium are running continuous adds for the game. That's a good sign that even the Browns are supporting the game. We'll see.

[Captain Kangaroo]

If NIU/Iowa can sell 45,000 tickets in a month, why haven't we even broken 5,000 yet?

If Cleveland were a 3-hour drive from the U of Iowa campus...and we were playing the Hawkeyes...then we would be seeing 45,000 ticket sales in June. But it isn't, and we're not.Comparing the marketing and demographics of the two games is like comparing Eskimos and moth larvae. There's no correlation.

[skip-zip]

Kangaroo. I give you credit for your optimism. However, the fact that the game is on Labor Day weekend is a negative, and not a positive. In addition, regardless of the fact that the game is in a pro stadium, the high ticket price comes along with that, which will make it that much more difficult to persuade the marginally-loyal Akron fans to make the trip. The ticket price will also keep the "general onlookers" away.

[bobbyake]

Akron might as well be Cleveland's college football team, the city of Akron is a part of the Cleveland market . I honestly think this game will sell. Look for over 35kThe questions are:Will students get in free?Is the University planning transportation for on campus students?Why would anyone complain about this? The Zips are playing at Cleveland Browns Stadium.And for the most important question:Where will be the best place for tailgating?

[eguins]

I don't know enough about this game to really say how many people I think will be there. One good side for you guys it's Labor Day weekend and a lot of NEOHIO veterans may want to check this game out with their families.The bad news is you guys have trouble putting 20,000 in your own place; and it would be hard for me to believe you can bring 15,000 up to Cleveland for that simple reason.When it's all said and done, perhaps 25,000 will attend the game. That is a rough guestimate and I am not smacking!

[johnnyzip84]

It nearly sickens me , but I think I actually agree with the YSU intruder. I'll put my estimate at 25-30K. Hey, that JUST happens to be the reported capacity of the new stadium

[skip-zip]

equins....We did have attendance numbers approaching 20,000 per game last year. But those were ticket sales. I'm too embarrassed to tell you how many people were actually in the stands at some of those games.I'll hope for this much for the Patriot Bowl...Let's hope that we can sell at least 25,000 tickets. Even if only 1/3 of those people actually go to the game.

[Captain Kangaroo]

equins....We did have attendance numbers approaching 20,000 per game last year.  But those were ticket sales.  I'm too embarrassed to tell you how many people were actually in the stands at some of those games.I'll hope for this much for the Patriot Bowl...Let's hope that we can sell at least 25,000 tickets.  Even if only 1/3 of those people actually go to the game.

Last year, when the University decided to sell the student seats at the JAR for the Nevada game, one of my friends wrote the University to complain. He actually got a response. It read something like "...we were told that the students typically didn't show up for games during winter break so we decided to put the seats up for sale rather than leave them empty."If I were Mack Rhoades, the lazy-ass person that said that would have been fired on the spot. When his/her replacement came in the door, the task would have been stated:"I am told the students typically didn't show up for games during winter break. That is totally unacceptable for a marquee game such as Nevada. I want that game packed. I want students at the game in droves. You find a way to do it." I also would have set this up a couple months prior to the actual game instead of simply waiting until a day or two beforehand.Why do I mention that story? Because, if the University still has the attitude that "NO one traditionally goes to Akron football games, so why spend the money to Market it?" the game will flop.I do not believe that will happen. The University is going to be responsible for filling a 30,000 seat stadium 6 times per year beginning in 2009. They can't afford to be lazy and unimaginative anymore. The bar has been raised. 8k for an Akron football game is no longer acceptable. If only 8k attended the Patriot Bowl heads should roll at The University of Akron. If less the 20,000 attended, heads should still roll. It would only be because of the world's worst Marketing effort that it could happen. And even the $5,000/year Parking Genius at U of A couldn't screw things up that bad.The city of Cleveland is pimping the game hard. The Browns are pimping the game hard. The University will soon be pimping the game hard. Those in NE Ohio associated with the Armed Forces will support the game heavily. Inexpensive tickets will be available, making the game affordable for just about anyone. And -- This is game #1 of a new tradition. It will only grow in the future. It is a great idea. It gets a "name" team, Army/Navy/Air Force, on a MAC team's schedule every year in a virtual (99%) "home" game.I remember all the whiners grousing about the MAC tourney moving from the Seagate center to the Q (Gund). "They'll NEVER justify it. It will fail. The MAC can barely fill the 8k @ the Seagate Center...there will be tumble weeds at the Q." Ask anyone involved with the MAC tourney if it has been successful in Cleveland. I has been a HUGE success. Thank God someone had the vision to see it while everyone else sold the MAC short. It will be the same with the Patriot Bowl.

[Big Zip]

I find it quite ironic that those with in the University use the same excuse for why students don't attend basketball games (commuter school) when class is in session as they do when they school is out of session. Listen if it's why they don't attend when school is in session you can't say they are too far away (essentially) to come when they are out of session for a marquee game especially.With the family pack being $120 and including tickets to the Patriot Bowl -- I can't even imagine why the University wouldn't market this as the right way to buy tickets to the Patriot Bowl. Get all the games for the price of three to the Patriot Bowl. I told this to a friend of mine at work and he asked me if it was $120 a ticket. I said "NO, for your family" he about fell off his chair. There should be signs all over town and marketing out the ass on this, but the University is shitting down their leg as usual on this.

[LosAngelesZipFan]

This is just OK-- not a homerun, but better than a game against Howard. What will really suck is next year when Toledo plays Ohio State in Cleveland. Cleveland should not be an "open" market--it should be Akron's. I have an issue with other MAC schools coming in.

[eguins]

equins....We did have attendance numbers approaching 20,000 per game last year. But those were ticket sales. I'm too embarrassed to tell you how many people were actually in the stands at some of those games.I'll hope for this much for the Patriot Bowl...Let's hope that we can sell at least 25,000 tickets. Even if only 1/3 of those people actually go to the game.

I'm well aware of the actual butts in the seats at your games and Can't games, I have family which are season ticket holders at each school and they inform me of whats up. YSU is fairly accurate on their ticket reporting. With the exceptions of one game last year when it rained and it said we had 15,000; every other game was just about on track with the actual numbers being reported.Labor Day weekend isn't going to be an easy sell for anyone to go to a game; but hell us YSU fans are about to take 6-8,000 [according to reports] fans down to Columbus on 9/1/07!Go Guins... Good Luck Zips

[AZipsCrazy]

Eguins...Labor Day weekend a bad time to have a football game in Cleveland???Let's think here for a bit...1. It's the "Patriot Bowl", and whether you want to believe it or not it WILL draw veterans2. It's Labor Day weekend and people (especially families) will be looking for an event or activity to attend3. As well the game being played in an NFL stadium is a draw for locals and the average fan because even if it's not that great of a game (in their opinion) not many avid football fans pass up the chance to watch a football game and drink beer. NE Ohio is supposed to be a football crazed area right???4. I don't care what you have to say about your attendance at Yunztown or your opinion of ours, we travel well to well publicized games... i.e. MCB in 06 sold out allotment and I realize it was a bowl game but it was also in Detroit which is much further than Cleveland (where alot of students are from and will be visiting for Labor Day Weekend)thanks for comin out

[skip-zip]

I happen to agree that Labor Day weekend will be more of a liability than an asset to ticket sales. I personally know several die-hard Zips fans that will not be able to attend due to being out of town that weekend, or having family visiting here from out of town. As for our travel to the Motor City Bowl:We had already WON something. A CHAMPIONSHIP. That brought everyone out of the woodwork. In fact, some very reliable sources admitted to me that many of those people that made that trip to Detroit would likely never be seen at an Akron game again, EVEN IN AKRON. AZipCrazy...you obviously don't know how few people actually travel to Zips games that are not in Akron, even though many of the MAC games we play are within a couple of hours of here. This doesn't mean that I believe that the game at Cleveland Stadium is not a better draw than a game at Ohio or Bowling Green, or Toledo. It is a better draw. But making a general statement that Akron fans travel well is just totally false.

[akronad]

I agree with you Skip-Zip. Fans have never traveld well for Zip games. Whether it has been for fb or bb.Will I be at the Patriot Bowl/ Yes, only because my niece canceled her wedding. However, the are other events going on in Cleveland that day. The Air Show, The Tast of Cleveland and the White Sox are in town to play the Indians. In today's econmy, you have only so may $ for entertainment and only so hours to be able to enjoy yourself with the family. Not everyone are die-hard Zip fans like those of here at the Nation.If we get 20k, I will be extremely happy.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I happen to agree that Labor Day weekend will be more of a liability than an asset to ticket sales.  I personally know several die-hard Zips fans that will not be able to attend due to being out of town that weekend, or having family visiting here from out of town. 

The same thing happens to me on Thanksgiving. I typically go home to see family, so I can't make any Thanksgiving Day/weekend games. But it seems like a lot of people around Akron like the concept of a Turkey Day game, so although it doesn't work for me, it seems to be a decent idea.I think it will be a "wash." Just as many people will be able to make it due to the Labor Day weekend time slot as those who will miss it.I don't buy the "I have relatives in town so I can't make the game" excuse. If I'm in Akron and the Zips are playing football in Cleveland, and I have relatives in town, I'm buying them all tickets and heading to the game. Out-of-town relatives are usually dieing for something to do aside from sitting around the house.

[Big Zip]

I think the key to it all is marketing the game to the alumni in the area. This can and should be an opportunity to get those folks living in and around Cleveland to a game --those that never attend in Akron.The better question is can the marketing department handle it and can they make it happen. I'm guessing they fail miserably and nothing happens to them at all.