Season Tickets

[Guest Guest]

Has anyone heard how sales are going? What is the Season Ticket fan base is going to be? What about the Students are they fired up? The general public seems to be more interested.

[Guest Dump Akron Football]

I bought my season tickets last Wednesday over the phone. Don't waste your money on the loser football program - come watch Akron hoops and the next big thing in town.

Dump Akron Football - what a joke

Pump up the volume on Akron Basketball

[2005PANTHER]

What if Akron hoops has a bad season? Are you going to be saying that too?

[zff]

Hey Dump Akron Football Dick!!!!!!!

F Off

[Guest Guest]

FLoors are sold out...Lower Seating on both sides expected to sell out soon...Upper Chair Backs selling well too...Lots of excitement!!

Campus looks great and students have more pride lets hope it spills over to attendance at the games!

[Captain Kangaroo]

FLoors are sold out...Lower Seating on both sides expected to sell out soon...Upper Chair Backs selling well too...Lots of excitement!!

Campus looks great and students have more pride lets hope it spills over to attendance at the games!

I hope that translates to some wins.

Dragging my wife down route 8 every week in 20 degree weather to watch the Zips get beat like a drum over the past several years really got old. My memories of the few fun games during the Bosley/Ball era are fading...it's hard to remember what its like to be a "favorite."

Restore the Roar, Dambrot!

[GoZips]

Beg pardon. There are still seats available in the lower bowl. I purchased my season tickets yesterday. I was able to change my seat location. There were a number of open seats to choose from. Be prepared to pay the "juice" money if you desire lower bowl seats. Mine were $100 per seat as I sit on the ends. Expect $300-500 for middle seating. That's PER SEAT.

In conversation with coach Dambrot I learned that he intends to hold OPEN practice.

Coach also stated that this year is one to get the kids acclimated to his style. He expects that NEXT year the Zips will begin their rise.

You are going to love the conditioning of the kids. Matt Futch and Jerimiah Wood have shed their baby fat. Rob Preston is a solid twenty pounds heavier. Nick Meyers looks solid. Bubba Walther is fifteen pounds heavier (thank God).

The goal is to build community (family) then turn them loose.

[2005PANTHER]

Even though he has gained lbs he is still going to look like a flag pole..

[Guest Sonny Gladstone]

Bubba is up to 40 lbs? Whata gain.

[Hilltopper]

We finally got tired of the constant turmoil invovled in knowing how much the "donation to the Zip atheltic club" would be each year in order to maintain our same seats that we have had since the day the JAR opened. When we finally got the order form and brochure, it informed us that for the honor of staying put it would cost us $525 per seat and $56 per parking pass!!!!!! $2212 for four seats and two parking passes!!!!!!!!!!!!! We've been season ticket holders for over 30 years in basketball and football. This is not the NBA folks. These guys are trying to charge champaign prices for cheap draft beer. The end result is that we moved up to the upper reseve area, total cost for 4 seats and parking passes: $512. Net loss to the university: $1700. These guys who run this have no idea what they are doing. Hell of a way to do business.

[Captain Kangaroo]

We finally got tired of the constant turmoil invovled in knowing how much the "donation to the Zip atheltic club" would be each year in order to maintain our same seats that we have had since the day the JAR opened. When we finally got the order form and brochure, it informed us that for the honor of staying put it would cost us $525 per seat and $56 per parking pass!!!!!! $2212 for four seats and two parking passes!!!!!!!!!!!!! We've been season ticket holders for over 30 years in basketball and football. This is not the NBA folks. These guys are trying to charge champaign prices for cheap draft beer. The end result is that we moved up to the upper reseve area, total cost for 4 seats and parking passes: $512. Net loss to the university: $1700. These guys who run this have no idea what they are doing. Hell of a way to do business.

Welcome to the Upper Reserve! I love it 100X better than down below.

You are 100% correct with your rant. I've had hoops season tix for about 8 years. The University should have paid me to watch those horrid teams in the cracker box that is the JAR. Why they choose to try and rape the people that have stood by the program through such thin years is beyond me. I'll never understand it.

Thankfully the upper reserved remains an option. Once that goes, I'm back to general admission.

[Guest ***GUEST_Zipper]

You guys are right. People who currently donate thousands of dollars to athletics should get the far upper seats, and if even those are all taken then they should get general admission seats, and you should be rewarded for your loyalty over the years with the best seats. I'm sure those who are able to donate such large amounts want you rewarded for your loyalty, as well, and happily will take worse seats and yet continue to feel appreciated for their much larger (and current) gifts. Yeah right.

Look, this is the way it is today all across the country. I recently had this explained to me, and now I get it and am on board with the system. Our seats are not our seats - they are the university's seats and their LOCATION has value. You must agree that they have value or you wouldn't be upset over this (as I once was, I admit).

The location choice rewards people for the value of their CURRENT donation, not the donation they made....maybe....several years ago (or not at all). It's the value of today's gift, today's dollar, that gets you a better seat. I don't think it's fair - or financially prudent - for the athletic department to do otherwise. This is why most schools in the country have gone to this. They need donations, and this is one way they can give something back to its donors: seat choice according to the level of your gift.

Think about it - people get their names on buildings for extremely large gifts. Others get their names on plaques or bricks, and get seats of honor at banquets and other events. Gifts at all levels are rewarded with various perks. This is no different - it is something Akron U can offer its donors.

I heard the donation for the floor seats is around $1500 per seat plus the price of the tickets and also heard they're sold out. Heard sales are up for the lower seats, as well. We should all be happy about this, because that means more money for the athletic department, which as we know they need. So apparently, Hilltopper, there is no loss to the university by you deciding to take an upper seat. Just don't be bitter about your decision. Or hey - make that donation to the U if you can, and enjoy your seats. You also get the tax deduction, of course. But none of us should expect something for nothing, especially if others are willing to pony up more.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Guest Zipper...The Spin Doctor! The Tazmanian Devil doesn't spin that much? Quit your day job and work PR for The University!

Renewed my upper reserved season tix today. $99.00 ea. I park behind the natatorium...free. Such a deal!

[Guest ***GUEST_Z.I.P.]

Cap'n, you're a Chinaman after my own heart!

Let's be quite clear about this now. Yes, schools "all over the place" are doing this now -- charging outrageous fees for the privilege of purchasing season tickets. But, that doesn't make it proper or sustainable. First, those floor and lower seat fees at UA are, I suspect, equal to BCS conference (Hi Major?) school fee rates. When the UA becomes a major player, they will be able to charge those rates and sell out their 1980 era arena. Until then, they will depend on general admission walk-up sales to fill the place, and will not average over 3500 this season, unless Keith is a miracle worker.

Second, the fact is, the large majority of University of Akron graduates are in no financial position to place a second mortgage on the abode to purchase nice Zip bb ducats. Hell, I can't even afford the $2.99 to download the new JIBJAB cartoon. On the MAC Sports listserve, I once replied to a call to Miami boosters to contribute to their student aid fund with a response that at Akron they should have an Alumni Aid Fund. I ain't makin' this stuff up folks! Here's all I can afford:

[Guest ***GUEST_Zipper]

Captain, it's not spin, it's just fact. You have a choice and you exercised the one that works best for you. No one should expect you to do any different. You're young, you have young kids and we've all been there. But for you to expect much bigger donors (and I am not one of them) to sit in worse seats than you just because you were there first makes no sense. You being the reasonable and objective guy you seem to be, I thought you'd agree once you heard the arguments for the other side. I'm going to give it one last try,though

Z.I.P., my guess is our floor rates are NOTHING NEAR what bigger basketball schools actually get for their seating choice rights. I believe you are completely underestimating what people can afford to do and what people choose to do - especially at a school where they're accustomed to the system.

And you've still got it wrong: schools are NOT "charging outrageous fees for the privilege of purchasing season tickets." They are requiring a donation to make a season ticket seating LOCATION choice. And I think it would be considered pretty foolish to wait until we win big to ask more for the seats - what are you going to do when we have a couple of off rebuilding years, drop the rates again? The game either has value or it doesn't. You don't set your rates by your season. This is not retail. You get the entertainment value whether YOUR team wins or loses.

The point is it's still a free country and what you do with your money, whether it be buying beer every week, buying a car that eats gasoline, or donating to the U, it's your money and your choice how you spend it. Everyone makes those choices. No one is forcing you to make a donation to get into the place and watch a game. And as it was represented to me, the U is making more money this way than before, with no drop off in numbers at the games. So I say good for them.

Last, speak for yourself: "the large majority of University of Akron graduates are in no financial position to place a second mortgage on the abode to purchase nice Zip bb ducats." Thanks for reinforcing the stereotype that a degree at Akron U isn't worth the paper it's printed on. Mine has worked out pretty well for me, thanks very much. And I STRONGLY disagree that "the large majority of University of Akron graduates are in no financial position... [to get season tickets]". You don't think much of the U, do you?

[Hilltopper]

As we were in the process of changing our seat location, the young lady at the ticket office told us we wouldn't know the location of or new seats until the ticket manager had time to go through the dozens of other requests from other ticket holders. Guest zip, do you understand anything about economics? Price is a function of supply and demand, when demand goes up so does price and vise-versa. Seeing as how the JAR is not exactly packed for most games it seems to me that the net effect of this policy will a loss of revenue to school. There is an axiom in business that costs much more to get a new customer than to retain an old one. MY prediction, lots of empty blue seats in the lower level unless they give them away.

[Captain Kangaroo]

MY prediction, lots of empty blue seats in the lower level unless they give them away.

I could write a novel on this topic...maybe I will when I get the time one day. I think the last sentence you wrote comes closest to my nain "problem" with the lower reserved seating:

I contend few people down below actually pay the PSL's. Many of these seats are given away to large donors, sold to faculty at a discount, etc. That is why we've seen these seats sit empty over the past several years. "Someone," or some company has the tickets, but doesn't use them. Compare that to the upper-reserved seats, purchased by individuals. They are, percentage-wise, much fuller. This is because those fans have more of a vested interest in the program.

Yes, there are individuals sitting below that fork out their own money for PSL's. If I worked for the Buchtelite I'd love to do an investigative piece on the breakdown of who pays the PSL, and who doesn't. In my opinion, the PSL's MAY bring in extra, much needed money to the program. Or, they may be like the "retail price" for jewery. The University doesn't get retail from the guys below...they may be keeping some big clients happy by giving them tickets "worth thousands of dollars." But essentially what has happened is the individual fan has been pushed to the rafters, and empty seats and casual fans sporadically "fill" the bottom level.

When I was in school, it was actually worse. They didn't allow the students on floor level. Even the end-seats were sold to the general public.

I like my seats, I like my price. I like going to the games. No complaints.

I don't like the PSL policy of the lower reserved seats. If others do, and the University is making money at it...good for Akron. I still don't like it, and I think there are some very real, negative ramifications of the policy that don't show up in the profit spreadsheet.

[Guest ***GUEST_Zipper]

http://olemisssports.collegesports.com/spo.../062901aaa.html

http://www.boisestate.edu/baa/seating.asp?type=BB

http://www.athletics.wsu.edu/wsuaf/benefits/default.htm

http://scarletr.org/point_system.htm

http://www.goutsa.com/donor/rrc3.asp

http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/info/mem...ints_system.asp

http://www.virginiaathleticsfoundation.com/giving_levels.htm

http://www3.sdstate.edu/Athletics/TicketIn...oints/Index.cfm

http://utrockets.collegesports.com/marketp...RocketFund.html

And yes, even Youngstown State: http://www.ysu.edu/sports/penguinclub/membershiplevels.htm

This is only the tip of the iceberg.

[Dr Z]

And yes, even Youngstown State:  http://www.ysu.edu/sports/penguinclub/membershiplevels.htm

This is why, when you listen to the game on the radio,

you can hear the gym door open and shut every time a

cheerleader takes a squirt.

[Captain Kangaroo]

http://olemisssports.collegesports.com/spo.../062901aaa.html

http://www.boisestate.edu/baa/seating.asp?type=BB

http://www.athletics.wsu.edu/wsuaf/benefits/default.htm

http://scarletr.org/point_system.htm

http://www.goutsa.com/donor/rrc3.asp

http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/info/mem...ints_system.asp

http://www.virginiaathleticsfoundation.com/giving_levels.htm

http://www3.sdstate.edu/Athletics/TicketIn...oints/Index.cfm

http://utrockets.collegesports.com/marketp...RocketFund.html

And yes, even Youngstown State: http://www.ysu.edu/sports/penguinclub/membershiplevels.htm

This is only the tip of the iceberg.

Hey,_Guest_Zipper…those are some great sites. I have a few you should take a look at:

Washington_State

www.We_play_in_the_freaking_PAC_10_with_home_games_vs_UCLA_CAL_Washington_and_Or

gon_State_and_Arizona_We_play_in_a_beautiful_10000_seat_arena_How_much_would_our

fans_pay_in_PSLs_to_see_that_schedule_and_venue_swapped_with_the_likes_of_Buffal

_Marshall_Eastern_Michigan_and_Central_Michigan_at_the_JAR?_hardy_freaking_har.com

Boise_State

www.We_have_home_games_versus_Tulsa_UTEP_Hawaii_and_San_Jose State We_have_a_12,300seat_state-of-the art_arena. We_are_the_only_major_sport_within_500_miles_of_the_campus._We_were_23and10_last

season._We_ride_the_coat_tails_of_our_Top_20_football_team_Get_a_freaking_clue._

ow_can_you_compare_Boise_State_to_Akron._It_is_a_joke.com

Rutgers

www.While_you_sat_there_watching_dan_hipsher_lose_year_after_year_we_went_out_an

_hired_Gary_Waters._We_played_in_the_NIT_the_past_two_seasons._We_offer_our_fans

home_games_versus_Noter_Dame_UVA_Pitt_BC_Temple_Syracuse_and_Georgetown_while_yo

_schedule_D-3_Schools._Our_local_population_base_is_2million_people._Our_arena_was_renovated

in_1998_unlike_your_piece_of_garbage_JAR._That_is_why_our_fans_pay_PSL’s.com

Pitt

www.We_have_a_palatial_new_arena_in_downtown_Pittsburgh_and_we_play_in_the_NCAA_

ourney_with_regularity._We_win_20+_games_per_year._Our_fans_are_treated_to_Notre

Dame_Georgetown_Syracuse_Rutgers_etc_at_home_every_season._That_is_why_we_charge

PSL’s.com

Virginia

www.We_play_in_the_brand_new_John_Paul_Jones_15000_seat_arena._We_treat_our_fans

to_Duke_North_Carolina_Maryland_Georgia_Tech_etc_at_home_every_season._That_is_h

w_we_justify_PSL’s.com

Toledo

www.we_win_20_games_with_some_regularity_unlike_the_Zips_who_haven’t_won_20_ga

es_since_the_mid-80’s._We_scheduled_Nevada_at_home_for_our_home_fans_and_not_Wooster._We_win_mo

e_games_in_a_single_weekend_at_The_Gund_than_the_Zips_do_in_a_decade._We_give_ou

_fans_the_opportunity_to_say_“We_beat_a_Top_20_Team”_because_we_play_Duke_an

_Vanderbilt_in_2004_while_also_playing_in_the_San_Juan_Shoot_Out._How_dare_you_c

mpare_Toledo_Basketball_to_Akron_Basketball.com

Youngstown_State

www.How_does_any_self_respecting_person_discussing_collegiate_athletics_use_the_

rgument_of_“Youngstown_State_Basketball_does_it_so_we_should_too”_to_justify

PSL’s?_YSU_basketball_is_a_total_JOKE._YSU_GAVE_each_football_season_ticket_holder_men

€™s_season_basketball_tickets_because_they_were_so_desperate_for_attendance._Giv

_me_a_break.com

What has the University given the loyal Zips fans over the past 15 years? Nothing except a hand out for more money. The teams have been horrible. The arena blows. The pre-season strength of schedule is the weakest in the MAC aside from EMU, year-in-year-out. No wins at Seagate Center or The Gund …hell…we’ve only made it out of the JAR for post-season once. Countless home tournament losses…Bryan Hipsher playing meaningful minutes…I could go on all day…

Say I give Akron the PSL money. What will the money be spent on? A million dollar scoreboard that, for two seasons, has been used for nothing but a “rotating kangaroo head graphic” and “little kangaroos hopping from side to side”? Payouts to bring top-notch teams like Wooster, Hampton and Radford to town? How about a beautiful, 4-color, 16 page brochure that is required for me to understand the complexities of the ZAC policy? Maybe membership to that sweet Tommy Evans lounge that overlooks The JAR floor…oh, wait…it overlooks Buchtel Avenue...you can't see the court.

Once you've built something like Can't basketball has, you can start the PSL process. When you've built something akin to The Collegiate Washington Generals, as the Zips have been for a decade and a half, it comes off as pretty weak.

Again, for the record, I like my $99.00 upper reserved sets. Love the Zips. Hate the concept of mandating PSL money from lower reserved fans while providing nothing but "L's" in return. Then again...Youngstown State BASKETBALL does it...why shouldn't we?

[Guest ***GUEST_Zipper]

Oh where to begin.

Fallacy number one: You respond as if these were the only schools I could find to use as examples: these were just the beginning of what I could dig up in like five minutes. There are a ton more.

Fallacy number two: You don't like me using big time programs as examples because you think we're not big time enough, you don't like me using MAC schools as examples because the one I gave you is currently successful, and you don't like me using YSU as an example because it's too puny. You can't have it every way here - which is it? My point is that schools of all levels have gone to preferred seating...or will. In the past you have clearly been on board for Akron to think of themselves as Division I big time yada yada.....or is it only unless you are personally affected, and then it's all bad and we're back to a JV mentality??

Fallacy number three: only historically winning teams should have preferred seating. Captain, are you telling me it's only worth more money as entertainment if we have winnning seasons? And where would you draw the line? 15 wins? 20? NCAA appearance? And, as I asked before, are you saying Akron can charge a lot more after a winning season, then during a rebuilding season they discount all tickets? I know that you know that doesn't work.

Preferred seating is at almost every school already, or will be shortly, and it's here to stay. For once our glorious Zips are ahead of the game instead of always playing catch up with Division I, and you're complaining.

Now, Captain, let me be completely clear. I don't think you or anyone else should make a donation to the Zips for better seats if you don't want to. Akron's basketball arena isn't that big to begin with, and those "upper" seats are pretty good and would be in the range of lower seats at most larger arenas. You've got good seats now that you like and you can afford, and that's great. But you are missing the boat here. It's still a free country, supply and demand, we all make choices on spending and all that, and if people are willing to pay and the U makes more money for athletics, I can't believe you criticize them for it. From what I was told, they make a good amount of money to help athletics with this program. Would you rather they raise student fees? It has to come from somewhere, and if they're examining other programs, thinking outside the box, and it works, I'm in, and you should be, too.

That's all, thanks for listening, you can have the last word if you want it.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Since you offered the last word, I'll accept.

My main problem with mandating the PSL's is obviously not that I want to perpetuate the "JV mentality" that's been SOP for years. My problem isn't even with PSL's. You are correct in your assessment that the majority of Division 1 schools mandate such fees for their "better" seats. Furthermore, there appear to be many fans in the lower bowl who feel the seats merit the price? If I'm U of A, sure I'm going to get market value for my product!

My problem is:

We have had a horrible basketball program for 15 years. The MAC is a two-bid-once-ever-5-year conference. The MAC upper echelon plays good ball, the bottom doesn't...and Akron has been at the bottom for seemingly forever. In those 15 years virtually all MAC teams have wins vs. ranked opponents, conference championships, post season wins, tourney berths and wins. I needn't go on. The Zips have 15 years of "nothing." Down the road, Can't fans are having a blast.

I wouldn't mind a PSL if the team was a contender. I wouldn't mind PSL's if we played an exciting non-conference home schedule. But, we haven't been a contender, haven't beaten any big nonconference teams, and bring no major teams to the JAR. The few decent teams we've brought to town: Wyoming, Purdue, Cincinnati, didn't draw well because we were so non-competitive. We've seemed like we want to match the "big boys" in ticket policies without making the commitment to match them on the court.

The filling of the lower bowl has been a problem. Empty seats have been pretty commonplace for the past 15 years. Does cost play a factor? I bought 3 upper-reserved season tickets this year, because the cost was only $99.00. With my son being so small I probably didn't need to do that. But for $99.00, it was worth it. Planning ahead, he'll need a seat next season. If there were no PSL's in the lower seats, would more of them be sold? You know better than me.

Now forget everything I just said.

2004-5 is a new season. Hope springs eternal with the new coach. Players seem to be in shape. The "motion" offense is dead!! Bryan Hipsher is 1,000 miles away. The future looks so bright, I need to wear . The PSL issue will fade about 32 seconds after opening tip-off of game #1. I'm ready to see what we've got with Dambrot and Co!

In closing, I'll say:

No one else has chimed in on this topic. That leads me to believe that the vast majority don't care about the PSL's, or actually prefer them.

People click on this site to see what's on other fan's minds. University employees do too. They should, it is a free way to get a pulse for what fans are thinking & needing. Since the fans are the customer, I'm sure the feedback is welcomed..be it positive or negative. If this season's team does well, the tiny JAR will sell out. I guarantee it. That will also lead to future PSL's for the upper-reserved? Betcha it would. And you know...I'd pay it in a heartbeat if we actually got to that point.

Lunch is over. Thanks for your ear.

[Guest ***GUEST_Z.I.P.]

Quoteth Guest Zipper:

"From what I was told they make a good amount of money to help athletics with this program".

This statement, and its truth or falsehood is the bottom line. The decision on the part of the U of A, and basically every university in Div. 1, 2 (South Dakota StateU) and maybe 3, NAIA, etc. is whether they want to include a larger base of fans with more reasonable prices that are within the range of average working families, or if they want merely to cosy up to the much smaller population of those who can afford very large tax-deductible contributions to the university (and research shows fewer than one in three taxpayers make enough $$ to itemize on their tax returns, therefore cannot deduct ANY contributions).

What is the result of this system? The results are many, but among them are these:

A growing gap between college athletics 'haves' and 'have-nots', both universities and fans. Those universities that cultivate the big spending donors are able to purchase the best athletic programs, though coaches, facilities, etc., etc. The rest of the schools play at places like JAR or Beeghley Center and are coached by the Dan's (Hipsher and Peters) of the world. [apologies to GZ]

A second result of the current economic system in college athletics (and even more so in professional sports) is that the millionnaire playboys who sport those pastel jackets in luxury boxes are paying for them in large part with our tax money. Attention should be paid to the percentage of season ticket revenue that comes from corporations as part of the financial deals for sponsorships. And, as we should all know by now, corporations are able to deduct billions of $$ ever year for these expenses through the IRS rules on "entertainment" and "advertising".

So, the political and economic system skews decision-making on the part of university athletic and development officers toward arranging their priorities to grab as much of the top cream as possible, with increasing disdain for average community members and university alumni. The University of Akron I attended form 1977-82 was one at which the majority of students were the children of the working class and rubber industry that made Akron the great city it was. While we may have joined the middle class of teachers, nurses, bureaucrats and middle managers I will repeat that most of us are NOT in the class that is able to afford 4-figure PSLs for front and center seats at the JAR Arena.

But then again, I left Akron twenty years ago (when I was part of the one in five unemployed), so maybe it has changed more than I think. But by Guest Zipper's attitude, one could assume "W" will carry Summit County with 75% of the vote. Please, please, please friends, make his prediction "W"rong, "W"rong, "W"rong!

Well, off my soapbox.

[zipper]

Now I'm jumping in on this. I can't believe you turned psl's into a political debate. You're losing it at election time, my friend. Instead of Wrong Wrong Wrong you sound like Waaah, Waaah, Waaah.

Do you believe Akron should give good seat choice to those who have had season tickets the longest? Is this your criteria for seat selection?

Assuming some good years are a-comin', you believe those top donors should be up in our equivalent of the nosebleed section? That'll keep 'em giving. I have a better idea. Since you think the almighty dollar is what's ruining the place, let's just not have athletics! Then there will be NO dollars spent, and NO need to solicit outside help (read donors) for the athletics programs. Because most university athletic programs are not self-supporting, and need private and corporate monies to help the programs exist.

You just don't think there should be any inducements for the donors, right? WHAT PLANET ARE YOU LIVING ON???

[Hilltopper]

So let me get this right Zipper, any johnny come lately who is willing to spend a $1 more than me this year should have the ability to knock me out of the seats that I have paid for the last 25 years. Never mind the fact that I have spent and contributed many thousand $ during that period. The bottom line is that they are throwng mud on the people who have made it possible to have the program we have today. Just because someone at the university thinks they have a hot ticket now doesn't mean it will happen. People will vote with their wallets. Captain K has hit the nail on the head. You build fan bases with average people, not corporate "donors".