New season tix survey.

[T_Levine]

I think we all knew what was coming. Any ticket within the 20’s on the home team side will be club type seats. With amenities but the season tix will go from about 350 for 2023 to 2100-4200 per seat in the new Ryan field.

Some sections they will be asking for a minimum of four season tix.

My gut tells me 60-75% of season tix holders will bail.

 

[winnetkat]

I think we all knew what was coming. Any ticket within the 20’s on the home team side will be club type seats. With amenities but the season tix will go from about 350 for 2023 to 2100-4200 per seat in the new Ryan field.

Some sections they will be asking for a minimum of four season tix.

My gut tells me 60-75% of season tix holders will bail.

Remember that surveys are a preliminary part of gauging interest to pay, not what we'll actually see. Some people (or companies) will be very interested in the premium-priced "Wilson Club" game day experience, and Northwestern would like to estimate how many of those there will be so it decide where, approximately, the boundaries for such a section ought to be. NU also knows that it can't fill even a 30,000-person stadium with those sorts of folks. There will almost definitely be other ticket offerings much closer to existing prices, unless the on-the-field results improves a lot!

Go 'Cats!

 

[T_Levine]

The best seats within the 20’s will not be close to the current lives. In on the 48 yard line. My season tix would go from 375 per to 4200 per under their survey proposition.

 

[Darren72]

Oh come on Cats. You send a survey in which if you hit the 'back' button, you have to start the survey over again. Come on.

And please don't interpret the questions in the survey as final prices. They are gathering information.

 

[T_Levine]

Oh come on Cats. You send a survey in which if you hit the 'back' button, you have to start the survey over again. Come on.

And please don't interpret the questions in the survey as final prices. They are gathering information.

Of course they are gathering information. But even if they are off by 100%.

375 season tix will still go to 1100 per tix

Can anyone imagine a northwestern game ticket costing $250 per game?

 

[jne381]

I like to think I make a decent living, but those surveys make me feel poor.

 

[winnetkat]

Of course they are gathering information. But even if they are off by 100%.

375 season tix will still go to 1100 per tix

Can anyone imagine a northwestern game ticket costing $250 per game?

There are a fair number of 1 percenters in the North Shore who will pay $250/game for a special experience for clients. There are people who enjoy providing a luxury experience for their friends and family. The Wilson Club-type thing is meant to be a completely different type of experience than your $375 sitting on a cold metal bench-type season ticket.

I suspect the 20k+ tickets which remain when they've tapped out that crowd will be much closer to the current pricing.

 

[T_Levine]

There are a fair number of 1 percenters in the North Shore who will pay $250/game for a special experience for clients. There are people who enjoy providing a luxury experience for their friends and family. The Wilson Club-type thing is meant to be a completely different type of experience than your $375 sitting on a cold metal bench-type season ticket.

I suspect the 20k+ tickets which remain when they've tapped out that crowd will be much closer to the current pricing.

That price is the per game season tix price. Will they pay 2000 per season tix to got to one game?

 

[winnetkat]

That price is the per game season tix price. Will they pay 2000 per season tix to got to one game?

Surely, some will. If I had to guess, based only on the size of the Wilson Club and relative ticket sales between basketball and football, I'd say around 5000 would... probably a few more if you factor in corporate box-type arrangements.

How many, though, is probably the main question the survey was designed to answer. And riling up a few loyal I-just-wanna-sit-on-my-bench-and-watch-footballers is probably an afterthought. After they get an estimate of how many big spenders they can shake down, then they'll try to get the rest of us to show up.

Go 'Cats!

 

[docrugby1]

I understand that The Wilson Club is SRO with enthusiastic NU fans. It seems like a great model for NU FB to follow.

 

[winnetkat]

I understand that The Wilson Club is SRO with enthusiastic NU fans. It seems like a great model for NU FB to follow.

Our football and basketball programs have plenty of challenges. The existence of people who like NU enough to pay more than average to watch games should be pretty far from our biggest worry.

Go 'Cats!

 

[phatcat]

The last question on the survey was if there was anything else I wanted to tell them. I told them I like the old stadium and I would prefer a renovation

 

[GrandRapidsCatFan]

Of course they are gathering information. But even if they are off by 100%.

375 season tix will still go to 1100 per tix

Can anyone imagine a northwestern game ticket costing $250 per game?

Can I imagine it, yes. And boy, was that run to the national championship glorious, that's also a necessary part of this imaginary scenario

 

[NURoseBowl]

I like to think I make a decent living, but those surveys make me feel poor.

+1

 

[IGNORE2]

Of course they are gathering information. But even if they are off by 100%.

375 season tix will still go to 1100 per tix

Can anyone imagine a northwestern game ticket costing $250 per game?

Wait, they are going to pay you $1100 to suffer through NUFB? Do you have to stay in the stadium for the whole game?

 

[BosCat]

Can I imagine it, yes. And boy, was that run to the national championship glorious, that's also a necessary part of this imaginary scenario

I was there!! National Champions of Ireland☘️

 

[Eurocat]

If anyone thinks the type of people who will pay thousands for tickets are the types who will yell and scream and get rowdy and a bit kooky for the games, you are wrong. The new stadium will be a mausoleum if those are the prices. Like a columnist wrote after we opened up the renovated press box club seating and the columnist (Telander?) said the opening game left the NU fans in the pricey seats "rattling their jewelry with displeasure". And now they will dominate the stadium.

Chicago's Big Ten team? You gotta be kidding me....

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

R-E-L-A-X. It’s a questionnaire not final pricing.

I could care less what they initially charge. The laws of supply and demand will prevail if they set the prices too high.

 

[JoeWildcat]

If anyone thinks the type of people who will pay thousands for tickets are the types who will yell and scream and get rowdy and a bit kooky for the games, you are wrong. The new stadium will be a mausoleum if those are the prices. Like a columnist wrote after we opened up the renovated press box club seating and the columnist (Telander?) said the opening game left the NU fans in the pricey seats "rattling their jewelry with displeasure". And now they will dominate the stadium.

Chicago's Big Ten team? You gotta be kidding me....

Winnetka’s Big Ten Team.

 

[NUCat320]

Winnetka’s Big Ten Team.

Not necessarily….

After they get an estimate of how many big spenders they can shake down, then they'll try to get the rest of us to show up.

Go 'Cats!

 

[WaveJumper]

I had to laugh when I took the survey. Thinking where this program is right now, and then asking long term season ticket holders if they're willing to fork over $2,000 per seat with a minimum of 4 seats really is a laugher. Their attendance target with those prices must be under 5,000.

So rather than being upset, I'm laughing

 

[docrugby1]

I did not receive the "Survey". Was it sent by mail or email to season ticket holders. I called the ticket office today to renew 2 of my 4 tickets. They had no knowledge of the survey's existence.

I still favor rehabbing Ryan but waiting till the new Bear's Stadium is available for use during the rebuild makes more sense than going off campus for 2-3 years in a down period of performance. Rebuild and rejuvenate the program , then transition to a rebuild if necessary

 

[T_Levine]

I did not receive the "Survey". Was it sent by mail or email to season ticket holders. I called the ticket office today to renew 2 of my 4 tickets. They had no knowledge of the survey's existence.

I still favor rehabbing Ryan but waiting till the new Bear's Stadium is available for use during the rebuild makes more sense than going off campus for 2-3 years in a down period of performance. Rebuild and rejuvenate the program , then transition to a rebuild if necessary

It came to me as a season tix holder I assume. Last week

 

[Styre]

We probably had threads very similar to this one when they sent out surveys for the Welsh-Ryan renovation, and most of the stuff they asked about in the surveys wasn't even implemented. In the end, there will be plenty of good, affordable seats available, but the absolute best seats in the stadium will be significantly more expensive than they are now.

 

[T_Levine]

We probably had threads very similar to this one when they sent out surveys for the Welsh-Ryan renovation, and most of the stuff they asked about in the surveys wasn't even implemented. In the end, there will be plenty of good, affordable seats available, but the absolute best seats in the stadium will be significantly more expensive than they are now.

That’s understandable.

But 27 years c $750 is already a 20k spend and this isn’t the nfl. A little loyalty back from the university to the small number of season tix holders would be a solid.

 

[Pasadena Bound]

I did not receive the "Survey". Was it sent by mail or email to season ticket holders. I called the ticket office today to renew 2 of my 4 tickets. They had no knowledge of the survey's existence.

I still favor rehabbing Ryan but waiting till the new Bear's Stadium is available for use during the rebuild makes more sense than going off campus for 2-3 years in a down period of performance. Rebuild and rejuvenate the program , then transition to a rebuild if necessary

Doc…my guess is that we are using Pat Ryan’s timetable. If Pat wants it done now, LFG.

 

[zeek55]

I did not receive the "Survey". Was it sent by mail or email to season ticket holders. I called the ticket office today to renew 2 of my 4 tickets. They had no knowledge of the survey's existence.

I still favor rehabbing Ryan but waiting till the new Bear's Stadium is available for use during the rebuild makes more sense than going off campus for 2-3 years in a down period of performance. Rebuild and rejuvenate the program , then transition to a rebuild if necessary

Given how sporadic CFB results can be, you sort of just want to get this over with ASAP and then work on performance + rebuilding.

We had 2 division titles and bad seasons in-between/after...

Basketball is fairly instructive. We had a bunch of lean seasons, but this one was the one that finally made renovated WRA feel like home with a terrific home crowd in February and student demand through the roof.

My point is basically that the first really good season in new Ryan Field will make it feel like home as the crowd grows with wins. No point in trying to predict when that will happen, so just get the rebuild done ASAP.

 

[dillonpgp]

This thread depresses me on several levels.

It is increasingly evident that those in the athletic office may write stories of wanting “fans” in the seats (Northwestern fans, and not of those supporting the opposing school), the questions being reported in this survey are going to result in “spectators”.

Spectators are going to be more prone to whims such as the weather forecast and prestige of the opponent. By paying a higher fee for tickets (or the right to buy in that section) inevitably comes the sense of entitlement to determine appropriate behavior of those around them (standing or yelling), leading to an experience that usually sinks to the lowest common denominator (sitting passively, perhaps continuing that business negotiation from last Wednesday with another disinterested spectator).

The flip side to those higher fees is to either cash in on marquee games to the highest bidder (with the University a likely profiteer), with no accountability for the party purchasing the seat and will have no interest in the lowest common denominator of fan behavior and will bring their own entitlement to inflict on those around them) -or - simply not caring to come at all, leaving massive gaps in attendance for those couple of awful non/conference and games against Rutgers or Minnesota.

I think (I’ll try to look it up) there was a recent article about the declining “home field advantage” (winning percentage) for pro teams that had traded in fan loyalty for the almighty dollar and replaced fans with spectators,

 

[Zootcat]

I think this is a survey intended to skim off the higher paying seats to determine what that experience should look like, and how many seats/fans it will attract. They can always survey fans who want to pay less, later. It's harder to go the opposite direction (start with surveying for the least expensive seats and work your way toward the most expensive options).

I'm sure we'll pay more, but I'm confident there will be options close enough to what we pay now. Now, where those seats are located.............................

 

[Styre]

It is increasingly evident that those in the athletic office may write stories of wanting “fans” in the seats (Northwestern fans, and not of those supporting the opposing school), the questions being reported in this survey are going to result in “spectators”.

Again, this is exactly what was said about the Welsh-Ryan renovations, and then when the team got good this year everyone was raving about what a great atmosphere it was.

Also... has anyone here, at some point over the years, not been yelled at by our own fans to sit down when they've stood up to cheer? Where are these hordes of raucous, screaming NU football fans you're worried about kicking out?

 

[zeek55]

Again, this is exactly what was said about the Welsh-Ryan renovations, and then when the team got good this year everyone was raving about what a great atmosphere it was.

Also... has anyone here, at some point over the years, not been yelled at by our own fans to sit down when they've stood up to cheer? Where are these hordes of raucous, screaming NU football fans you're worried about kicking out?

Yeah, all it takes is the first season that the team is good in new Ryan Field and we'll see the same thing happen.

The first year where we're getting wins early and looking strong, you'll see student demand reach several thousand students for a big game and a mostly purple crowd that's electrifying if the game is close.

The design choices means the new stadium with a crowd of 35k will sound much louder than a full current Ryan Field if the crowd is on its feet.

The main thing is to avoid the early down years as happened to hoops in the renovated WRA. Really want to just start off showing what a great place the new stadium will be.

 

[rogerkim]

I think an important factor is the data that the NU Ticket Office has about their current season ticket holders in Ryan Field's current premium seating options. It's hard to find solid info on this, but here is what I've managed to piece together: NU website's description is in italics. The rest is what I've been able to figure out, mostly based on carefully looking at empty stadium photos and other sources.

Box Seats:

Box seats are located on the east and west sides of Ryan Field between rows 21-23. Box seats are outdoors and feature chair-back seating close to the action. This location is only available on a season ticket basis and sold in multiples of 2 seats.​

​

8 sections have box seats (107, 108, 109, 110, 127, 128, 129, 130). Each section has 5 boxes: 3 with 4 seats (spanning two rows) and 2 with 8 seats.​

​

Total number of box seats: 224​

​

Wildcat Den:

“Den” seats are located on the west side of Ryan Field below the press box. These chair-back seats are open to the atmosphere of the stadium, but feature protection from inclement weather, above heaters, all-inclusive food and beverage, and private bathrooms. This location is only available on a season ticket basis.​

Consists of the back rows of sections 228, 229, 230, along with the small portions of sections 227 and 231 that are located under the press box. The 3 center areas appear to be 4 rows deep, with 18 seats per row. The two smaller areas appear to be 4 rows deep, with 4 seats per row.​

​

Total number of Wildcat Den seats: 248​

​

Stadium Club:

Located on the west side of Ryan Field, the Stadium Club is a climate-controlled indoor club and seating environment which features soft, cushioned stadium seating, private restrooms, flat screen televisions, all-inclusive food and beverage options, and two bars. This location is only available on a season ticket basis.​

Griskelis Young Harrell has the only info I've found on the Stadium Club capacity.​

​

Total number of Stadium Club seats: 325​

​

I don't know anything about the current pricing and required donation level for any of the premium seating options, although I'm sure someone on this board might have some knowledge. The only other data point that I can offer is that I put myself on the wait list for Box Seats in July 2021 and have not heard anything back, so there is at least some unmet demand for that tier of seating. (although I think NU is being very generous in the term "premium" when it comes to Box Seats.)

My point is that I think the decisions on the number and pricing for premium seating will be informed by multiple data points: the survey responses, historical demand/pricing for the current premium seating options, and projections based on Welsh-Ryan ticketing data, to name a few.