Let's start to establish the ticket market

[Sec.112]

The exhibition ticket thread reminds me about ticket prices.

For me, this is a new world. Most of the ticket cost is in the donation. Also, for now, it sounds like there won't be many tickets available to the general public for bigger games. So there may not be an established box office price either. And even if there is an established price, it's all over the place with dynamic/flexible ticket pricing.

So what is a reasonable cost to get your money back for tickets you won't use? For purposes of the discussion, let's say you simply want to get your money back from a co-worker who you don't want to screw, but is also not your best bud.

Where do you start with cost? Let's start to establish the market.

Also, let's eliminate the bad games from this discussion. For crappy games like Binghamton, Chicago State, etc, you'll have a hard time giving the tickets away. It's the price of doing business. You should consider yourself lucky to get $20 if things remain the same. I'm pretty happy to get $10 from a good fan. And I wouldn't be caught dead selling them to a scumbag scalper for even a couple bucks. I'd rather eat the money, but that's my preference. I don't blame people for getting their money.

MSU, Indiana and Illinois are beasts unto themselves, and should also be eliminated from the discussion. We should be able to get to get money back, even at the ticket-plus-donation prices.

And then there's all the other games in between. What's your price?

Here's what I understand the per-ticket cost to be for each level for 19 games.

Wilsons - $168
Level 1 - $92
Level 2 - $63
Level 3 - $36
Level 4 - $30
Level 5 - $23
Level 6 - $21
Level 7 - $18

Levels 5-7 have a minimum donation so I think that's generally the price.

But if I'm in Level 1, I'm NEVER going to get $92 a ticket for Oklahoma, DePaul or Minnesota while this is a - let's be generous and optimistic - once-every-four-year tournament team.

I may be in my own world, but I'm thinking 2/3rds of the per-ticket cost. $60 for DePaul at midcourt? $41 behind the benches, and $30 in the upper level? Eh ... maybe a little high, but I don't think it's that far off.

And let's just get one thing out of the way. Please don't tell me they should be $25 like they were two years ago. Those are the same prices I was paying in the early 90s. NU was awfully generous.

 

[willycat]

The exhibition ticket thread reminds me about ticket prices.

For me, this is a new world. Most of the ticket cost is in the donation. Also, for now, it sounds like there won't be many tickets available to the general public for bigger games. So there may not be an established box office price either. And even if there is an established price, it's all over the place with dynamic/flexible ticket pricing.

So what is a reasonable cost to get your money back for tickets you won't use? For purposes of the discussion, let's say you simply want to get your money back from a co-worker who you don't want to screw, but is also not your best bud.

Where do you start with cost? Let's start to establish the market.

Also, let's eliminate the bad games from this discussion. For crappy games like Binghamton, Chicago State, etc, you'll have a hard time giving the tickets away. It's the price of doing business. You should consider yourself lucky to get $20 if things remain the same. I'm pretty happy to get $10 from a good fan. And I wouldn't be caught dead selling them to a scumbag scalper for even a couple bucks. I'd rather eat the money, but that's my preference. I don't blame people for getting their money.

MSU, Indiana and Illinois are beasts unto themselves, and should also be eliminated from the discussion. We should be able to get to get money back, even at the ticket-plus-donation prices.

And then there's all the other games in between. What's your price?

Here's what I understand the per-ticket cost to be for each level for 19 games.

Wilsons - $168
Level 1 - $92
Level 2 - $63
Level 3 - $36
Level 4 - $30
Level 5 - $23
Level 6 - $21
Level 7 - $18

Levels 5-7 have a minimum donation so I think that's generally the price.

But if I'm in Level 1, I'm NEVER going to get $92 a ticket for Oklahoma, DePaul or Minnesota while this is a - let's be generous and optimistic - once-every-four-year tournament team.

I may be in my own world, but I'm thinking 2/3rds of the per-ticket cost. $60 for DePaul at midcourt? $41 behind the benches, and $30 in the upper level? Eh ... maybe a little high, but I don't think it's that far off.

And let's just get one thing out of the way. Please don't tell me they should be $25 like they were two years ago. Those are the same prices I was paying in the early 90s. NU was awfully generous.

Sounds like the small seating size is not only hurting the casual fan looking to by a ticket for a game or two but will also hurt the ST holders because they were required to come up with a "donation" in order to buy a ST. and won't even come close to recouping their costs for a game they can't attend.

 

[ubercat]

My seats are in the 2nd row of the upper level, free throw line extended opposite the NU bench. A little closer than my previous seats in WR 1.0. Although I could have chosen seats in the lower bowl according to my donation level, I chose to keep seats with the same sight lines as before.

No donation was required. I think that's a bargain.

 

[willycat]

My seats are in the 2nd row of the upper level, free throw line extended opposite the NU bench. A little closer than my previous seats in WR 1.0. Although I could have chosen seats in the lower bowl according to my donation level, I chose to keep seats with the same sight lines as before.

No donation was required. I think that's a bargain.

How many off the 7,000 seats didn't require a "donation"?

 

[ubercat]

Virtually the entire upper level. I would guess at least 80 to 90 percent according to the Seat Selection Map.

 

[willycat]

Virtually the entire upper level. I would guess at least 80 to 90 percent according to the Seat Selection Map.

really? I know someone who says that she needs to take an elevator to her seats and yes she paid the required "donation".

 

[hdhntr1]

Virtually the entire upper level. I would guess at least 80 to 90 percent according to the Seat Selection Map.

More like 60% but your point is well taken. We got tickets in the corners where yours used to be ($600 donation required) and I will be checking out other areas when I get there for the future. This year had the added benefits in the donation so OK but for the future we will see.

 

[Mr Wickerpark]

The exhibition ticket thread reminds me about ticket prices.

For me, this is a new world. Most of the ticket cost is in the donation. Also, for now, it sounds like there won't be many tickets available to the general public for bigger games. So there may not be an established box office price either. And even if there is an established price, it's all over the place with dynamic/flexible ticket pricing.

So what is a reasonable cost to get your money back for tickets you won't use? For purposes of the discussion, let's say you simply want to get your money back from a co-worker who you don't want to screw, but is also not your best bud.

Where do you start with cost? Let's start to establish the market.

Also, let's eliminate the bad games from this discussion. For crappy games like Binghamton, Chicago State, etc, you'll have a hard time giving the tickets away. It's the price of doing business. You should consider yourself lucky to get $20 if things remain the same. I'm pretty happy to get $10 from a good fan. And I wouldn't be caught dead selling them to a scumbag scalper for even a couple bucks. I'd rather eat the money, but that's my preference. I don't blame people for getting their money.

MSU, Indiana and Illinois are beasts unto themselves, and should also be eliminated from the discussion. We should be able to get to get money back, even at the ticket-plus-donation prices.

And then there's all the other games in between. What's your price?

Here's what I understand the per-ticket cost to be for each level for 19 games.

Wilsons - $168
Level 1 - $92
Level 2 - $63
Level 3 - $36
Level 4 - $30
Level 5 - $23
Level 6 - $21
Level 7 - $18

Levels 5-7 have a minimum donation so I think that's generally the price.

But if I'm in Level 1, I'm NEVER going to get $92 a ticket for Oklahoma, DePaul or Minnesota while this is a - let's be generous and optimistic - once-every-four-year tournament team.

I may be in my own world, but I'm thinking 2/3rds of the per-ticket cost. $60 for DePaul at midcourt? $41 behind the benches, and $30 in the upper level? Eh ... maybe a little high, but I don't think it's that far off.

And let's just get one thing out of the way. Please don't tell me they should be $25 like they were two years ago. Those are the same prices I was paying in the early 90s. NU was awfully generous.

nobody makes their money back with a yearly psl. And if they would have known it wasn't going to be tax deduction, many wouldn't have paid what they did.

 

[ubercat]

More like 60% but your point is well taken. We got tickets in the corners where yours used to be ($600 donation required).

Actually the original seat selection chart appears to show a lot more than 60% of the upper tier seats being Group 7. But the ratio may have changed since it was originally put up.

Also, I never did have seats in the corners; they always have been 2/3 of the way up, in the purple seats, opposite the NU bench.

 

[ubercat]

really? I know someone who says that she needs to take an elevator to her seats and yes she paid the required "donation".

Reread my post. Nowhere did I say that all of the upper tier seats did not require a donation. If you then consult the Seat Selection chart, you will see that (in the upper tier) the front row, and the first few rows of the sideline center sections do require a donation. (Although not as numerous as the donation-free seats.)

 

[Sec.112]

nobody makes their money back with a yearly psl. And if they would have known it wasn't going to be tax deduction, many wouldn't have paid what they did.

If this is a middle-of-the-conference B10 team, levels 3 - 7 should be able to get their money back for a majority of the schedule. If you want to be a scumbag, you can not only get your money back, but make money.

At those levels, the increase isn't all that much more than the cost two years ago. It's still a good sporting deal for the Chicago area and the B10.

As for "many wouldn't have paid what they did" if the tax deduction was killed earlier, I think you underestimate the percentage of STHs who consider this pissing money.

Will they show up? Does that group increase the fan base? That's another story.

 

[willycat]

If this is a middle-of-the-conference B10 team, levels 3 - 7 should be able to get their money back for a majority of the schedule. If you want to be a scumbag, you can not only get your money back, but make money.

At those levels, the increase isn't all that much more than the cost two years ago. It's still a good sporting deal for the Chicago area and the B10.

As for "many wouldn't have paid what they did" if the tax deduction was killed earlier, I think you underestimate the percentage of STHs who consider this pissing money.

Will they show up? Does that group increase the fan base? That's another story.

Don't know about pissing money. Just heard about a couple of long time ST holders, who had about 6 seats behind the basket for over 20 years. One is a high school BB referee but they are no longer able to afford the prices. Sounds a little like the parking lot money grab.

 

[NJCat]

Don't know about pissing money. Just heard about a couple of long time ST holders, who had about 6 seats behind the basket for over 20 years. One is a high school BB referee but they are no longer able to afford the prices. Sounds a little like the parking lot money grab.

Seats on the main level behind the baskets are for students. You can get a seat in the upper bowl in rows 2 to 4 without a donation for $350, or about $18 a game. Hard to believe someone who previously had tickets can't afford that.

 

[willycat]

Seats on the main level behind the baskets are for students. You can get a seat in the upper bowl in rows 2 to 4 without a donation for $350, or about $18 a game. Hard to believe someone who previously had tickets can't afford that.

Are seats behind both baskets now reserved for students/ Some behind the west basket previously had quite a few ST holders.

 

[NJCat]

Are seats behind both baskets now reserved for students/ Some behind the west basket previously had quite a few ST holders.

Yes.

Check out the 3-D view.

http://www.seats3d.com/ncaa/northwestern_university/basketball/#/

Or the price breakdown:
https://jointhecats.com/seat-selection-process/explanation-of-seating-map.html

 

[ubercat]

Bottom line, there are plenty of good seats, reasonably priced, available for those who actually want to see games in person. And there are five elevators to enable those with mobility issues to reach the upper level with minimum inconvenience.

 

[Catreporter]

There was a portion of the seats behind the west basket (scene of the iconic Dererk Pardon layup to beat Michigan) that were sold to regular fans in the old Welsh-Ryan so that has changed. I lost my front row seats because of the new donation policy in my area so I moved to an area requiring a lesser donation. If that's the price to be paid for a new arena that will make Northwestern more competitive in the BIG, so be it. There still seem to be reasonably priced options for people who had to move due to pricing or the new configuration of the arena.

 

[hdhntr1]

Seats on the main level behind the baskets are for students. You can get a seat in the upper bowl in rows 2 to 4 without a donation for $350, or about $18 a game. Hard to believe someone who previously had tickets can't afford that.

He is talking same seats. Where I was two years ago (6 rows behind NU bench and required no donation) would now require at least a $1500 donation plus higher priced tickets and that is not just one year but every year. Not sitting there any more

 

[Mr Wickerpark]

If this is a middle-of-the-conference B10 team, levels 3 - 7 should be able to get their money back for a majority of the schedule. If you want to be a scumbag, you can not only get your money back, but make money.

At those levels, the increase isn't all that much more than the cost two years ago. It's still a good sporting deal for the Chicago area and the B10.

As for "many wouldn't have paid what they did" if the tax deduction was killed earlier, I think you underestimate the percentage of STHs who consider this pissing money.

Will they show up? Does that group increase the fan base? That's another story.

Group 6 or 7 maybe but group 2??
Isnt that right next to the wilson club? The donation in that section, according to your map, is $1,500 for 2 plus $450 per seat. Total yearly contribution is $1200 per seat.
18 games with an avg seat cost of $75.
The first 8 ooc wont sell except for maybe $5 to see American U and chicago st, etc. So basically, the 10 big ten games gotta bring in $120 just to make money.
With a very small arena that has 60% of the lower bowl reserved for students and wilson club, maybe you could get $300 for indiana and $200 for purdue and $150 for illinois. PSU may get you $50, Minny $25, etc so if you break even overall that would be good.
There just isnt a market for NU. Ive never had a problem on game day just getting free tickets or paying $5.

 

[Mr Wickerpark]

with wilson club hogging up almost the entire lower bowl south, and students and band and media, are there really going to be more than 5,000 non premium seats after figuring out handicap and loge as well?
And judging by the 3-D map, the upper level isnt that high plus it looks to hang over the lower bowl (concourse around its backside) instead of continuing a fade away from the court. So why bother with higher piced lower bowl seats when upper bowl is so close to the action?
Upper bowl tickets $10 or $15 is all I ever paid.

 

[Max_Power]

I talked to some NU folks about the whole pricing strategy and one issue that NU had with the cheap ticket prices is that people kept renewing season tickets at the same quantity without consideration of actually attending the games. They had fans in the purple seats who had moved years ago but bought the seats as a contribution even though they now lived 1000 miles away. One hope they have is that by raising ticket prices it will actually increase usage. (they studied usage rates for individual season ticket holders and many were under 40% if I am remembering correctly). The idea NU has is that if someone had 6 seats but used 2 for most games, with the increase in prices they likely now only buy 2 seats and those 4 extras can be sold to someone who NU hopes will have a higher usage rate on the tickets. This plan apparently worked and while NU may have the same number of sold tickets this year they have many more individuals who are now season ticket holders.

I was very impressed with the analytics that went into the strategy NU is using for ticket sales in the new arena.

 

[Sec.112]

Group 6 or 7 maybe but group 2?? ... 18 games with an avg seat cost of $75.

There's a reason I didn't reference group 2. I don't disagree with you. It will be difficult to get $63+ a ticket for a large percentage of games - even if the team is regularly middle of the conference.

That still leaves 40% of the Welsh (if I believe your estimate) remaining at nearly half that price or less.

But then I'm not the one who said "nobody (key word) makes their money back."