Really good X thread on the fan base/temp stadium ticket situation

[Baz=Heisman]

We have to rectify this going forward. And quickly once the regular season concludes. We are losing casual/local fans who have/will pick up Northwestern as their “second team.”

Part of our fan base, because of our lack of success over the totality of the program and the size of the school/focus (academics) of the school, is going to be “fly by” casual fans and they are not going to pony up $85 each for the worst tickets in the house! We need to have a $45-50 each “basic” ST package that those folks will buy. The people on this board will be there no matter what but that’s not enough to sustain a major CFB fan base.

 

[ParisCat]

Cheapest get-in price yesterday on SeatGeek was about $160, drifted down to $130 by game time. No casual fan is going to pay that, but a hyped-up IU fan making a special trip would. I understand that it's basic supply and demand for a 12,000 person stadium, but it's very frustrating.

 

[Sheffielder]

I mentioned this in the other thread - Chicago will always be an attractive "let's make a weekend of it" destination for other Big Ten fans from the middle of nowhere, when in most seasons they expect to see a win over Northwestern. Those fans will also pay the "vacation tax" of inflated prices for one game, just like sports fans pay $15 for bad stadium beer.

Meanwhile, we obviously and admittedly have a thin fan base; that won't change without sustained success. But also...two years ago my season tickets on the 30-yard line with parking came out to less than $400 per person in my three-pack. This year those same (approximate) tickets with parking would be $1K per person...and that does not include the two Wrigley games.

If season tickets were priced this way years ago when I got my non-alum friends to agree to season tickets...they would have politely declined and I don't know that I would even be a season ticket holder at this point without them...we would just buy cheapies every now and then from the secondary market, and NU would get zero from us.

Mark Jackson & Co. need to make a conscious decision on whether they go for some extra revenue and sell out the home stadium to visiting fans, or employ strategy to keep it a little more purple. We have confirmed evidence of the former for this season. When so much of our revenue comes from tv rights, I honestly don't see why we'd sacrifice locking down the local fan base.

 

[Jaguar 88]

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We have to rectify this going forward. And quickly once the regular season concludes. We are losing casual/local fans who have/will pick up Northwestern as their “second team.”

Part of our fan base, because of our lack of success over the totality of the program and the size of the school/focus (academics) of the school, is going to be “fly by” casual fans and they are not going to pony up $85 each for the worst tickets in the house! We need to have a $45-50 each “basic” ST package that those folks will buy. The people on this board will be there no matter what but that’s not enough to sustain a major CFB fan base.

Too bad the people in the NU administration don't get that, yet anyway. $85 for bad seating for a program that has been struggling as of late, with an already relatively small fanbase isn't the way to go. If the seating was good, $85 is a deal considering the insane prices to see a game in the Big House are. But then again Michigan just won the natty and is the winningest program in history. I can see a game at Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti for less than $20, almost the same for Welcome Stadium in Dayton. Not the best seats, but good enough to enjoy the game. The administration needs to get some good PR going, get the University more involved locally or even statewide. It is a great school and the new stadium will be gorgeous! It will be sad to see it not filled up.

 

[jne381]

I live three hours away, and we didn't have anyone to watch my twin three-year-olds. As a result, my tickets went up for sale. In the past, when tickets were not as expensive, I would have given them away to friends, but with the high price this year, I needed to sell them.

I asked when I bought them if Northwestern has some sort of mechanism to to sell un-used tickets to other NU fans, and they only ever tell me about the donation thing they have. I am not looking to make more than what face would be if they are going to NU fans, but I am not giving away tickets at this price.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

View embedded media

We have to rectify this going forward. And quickly once the regular season concludes. We are losing casual/local fans who have/will pick up Northwestern as their “second team.”

Part of our fan base, because of our lack of success over the totality of the program and the size of the school/focus (academics) of the school, is going to be “fly by” casual fans and they are not going to pony up $85 each for the worst tickets in the house! We need to have a $45-50 each “basic” ST package that those folks will buy. The people on this board will be there no matter what but that’s not enough to sustain a major CFB fan base.

NU fans have no idea how goddamn cheap NU football tickets and parking have been for decades. Now that the administration is trying to operate like a modern college football team, those same fans riot.

 

[phatcat]

For anyone who thinks the crowd yesterday, for WI, or at Wirgley will change the course of the Athletic dept, I fear you will be disappointed. They were openly bragging that they made more money on the temp stadium than last year. There will be enough pre-2027 hype to sell most of them next year. They simply don't care.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

For anyone who thinks the crowd yesterday, for WI, or at Wirgley will change the course of the Athletic dept, I fear you will be disappointed. They were openly bragging that they made more money on the temp stadium than last year. There will be enough pre-2027 hype to sell most of them next year. They simply don't care.

Revenue maximization is the norm in modern college football.

 

[NUChicago]

NU fans have no idea how goddamn cheap NU football tickets and parking have been for decades. Now that the administration is trying to operate like a modern college football team, those same fans riot.

Agree, it is super cheap, as I remember talking to Illinois people and I was shocked what they had to pay...for Illinois. If NU is going to charge modern prices, I expect more. We have a world class business and theatre school...use it to make an experience.

 

[NUChicago]

For anyone who thinks the crowd yesterday, for WI, or at Wirgley will change the course of the Athletic dept, I fear you will be disappointed. They were openly bragging that they made more money on the temp stadium than last year. There will be enough pre-2027 hype to sell most of them next year. They simply don't care.

NU simply won't connect with anyone outside the walls of NU. No subway alum here.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Agree, it is super cheap, as I remember talking to Illinois people and I was shocked what they had to pay...for Illinois. If NU is going to charge modern prices, I expect more. We have a world class business and theatre school...use it to make an experience.

It’s a self-fulfilling thing… can a team really succeed if the resources aren’t there? Or do you need to have a team to get the resources?

 

[NUChicago]

It’s a self-fulfilling thing… can a team really succeed if the resources aren’t there? Or do you need to have a team to get the resources?

great question, really tough to answer.

 

[Overly_Invested_Cat]

NU fans have no idea how goddamn cheap NU football tickets and parking have been for decades. Now that the administration is trying to operate like a modern college football team, those same fans riot.

And with those goddamn cheap tickets, NU was never able to attract a sizable fan base. As we’re seeing with our 12K lakefill stadium, reduced supply isn’t creating higher demand. With 35K seats at Ryan Field, the demand will further decrease or balance out financially, since attendees will be paying more. I don’t think that’s rioting, that’s making an Irish exit to watch games from home.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

I have been a ST for over a decade. ST holder when prices were very low. I can tell you when we stink, I can’t give the tickets away. We aren’t going to see some giant spike in ST’s with lower prices. Not happening UNLESS we win. If we are boring and/or stink, no one will waste a Saturday. I dint see lowering the prices as a move that keeps out the opposition. You want to keep the opposing fans out, bitch at the guy sitting around you who gleefully sells them at a profit. The only other thing I can think of is to somehow restrict the transfer of tickets.

Locals like NU, but they don’t care about it enough to support a mediocre program. The local marketing for the team is non existent. The school is unattainable for most students and their family and they do little to encourage locals to attend, in fact, the opposite.

 

[NUChicago]

And with those goddamn cheap tickets, NU was never able to attract a sizable fan base. As we’re seeing with our 12K lakefill stadium, reduced supply isn’t creating higher demand. With 35K seats at Ryan Field, the demand will further decrease or balance out financially, since attendees will be paying more. I don’t think that’s rioting, that’s making an Irish exit to watch games from home.

NU has NEVER tried to create a real fan base. Nor do they really want to. Phillips tried but he was the only person to really try. Do we even have marketing people anymore?

 

[phatcat]

It’s a self-fulfilling thing… can a team really succeed if the resources aren’t there? Or do you need to have a team to get the resources?

I don't agree. As long as NU or other low revenue producing programs are part of the P2, they will have lavish resources from their revenue share. Further, NU certainly has had tremendous success in athletic fundraising. Which, by the way, frustrates the hell out of me that Jacob Schmidt has to make do with duct tape and paper clips. This is why we have a baseball player at QB

 

[Overly_Invested_Cat]

I have been a ST for over a decade. ST holder when prices were very low. I can tell you when we stink, I can’t give the tickets away. We aren’t going to see some giant spike in ST’s with lower prices. Not happening UNLESS we win. If we are boring and/or stink, no one will waste a Saturday. I dint see lowering the prices as a move that keeps out the opposition. You want to keep the opposing fans out, bitch at the guy sitting around you who gleefully sells them at a profit. The only other thing I can think of is to somehow restrict the transfer of tickets.

Locals like NU, but they don’t care about it enough to support a mediocre program. The local marketing for the team is non existent. The school is unattainable for most students and their family and they do little to encourage locals to attend, in fact, the opposite.

I agree with most of your post, but NU accepts dozens of Evanston Township students each year, more than any other high school. They’ve actually been pretty progressive in terms of supporting local students.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

And with those goddamn cheap tickets, NU was never able to attract a sizable fan base. As we’re seeing with our 12K lakefill stadium, reduced supply isn’t creating higher demand. With 35K seats at Ryan Field, the demand will further decrease or balance out financially, since attendees will be paying more. I don’t think that’s rioting, that’s making an Irish exit to watch games from home.

Then the NU admin will likely be perfectly fine accepting premium single game prices from opposing fans. Revenue maximization.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

I don't agree. As long as NU or other low revenue producing programs are part of the P2, they will have lavish resources from their revenue share. Further, NU certainly has had tremendous success in athletic fundraising. Which, by the way, frustrates the hell out of me that Jacob Schmidt has to make do with duct tape and paper clips. This is why we have a baseball player at QB

1) You’re being purposely combative or inadvertently obtuse. We live in a world where Indiana spends millions in NIL on football and NU is behind our next-closest competitor by about 3x. “Lavish” is relative.

2) We have been extremely successful in athletic facilities fundraising. Pat Ryan seems pretty geeked up to build big buildings with his name on the side and not much else. The hope had to be that once the stadium is built there aren’t many more significant capital projects left so the Ryans’ donations are diverted to NIL.

 

[Sheffielder]

NU fans have no idea how goddamn cheap NU football tickets and parking have been for decades. Now that the administration is trying to operate like a modern college football team, those same fans riot.

You say this as though the Athletic Dept was doing this out of the kindness of its heart and not due to market-based forces that still left lots and lots and lots and lots of empty seats at most games, even after tarping off three sections.

I've always bought season tickets and donated even though I could get most of my tickets from the secondary market for literally 90% less in most cases, and I've done this for 20 years. It's honestly been my way of supporting the program even though they were usually cheaper ways to get to games (I'm not a management consultant, lawyer, or mega used car salesman).

If NU is just going to turn this into a business relationship where maximization of revenue on ticket sales is paramount, then the only way Northwestern wins the long game is if they transform into a dynasty program and supplants the Bears as the city's favorite football team. Otherwise juicing the market in the short-term is gonna be pretty bad for business.

...but I'd also like to think that shrinking the new stadium to 35K was a deliberate move to make the building purple (since in any given season you could count on the Iowas, Wisconsins, Michigans, Ohio States, and Nebraskas adding a solid 10-15K to the head count in Evanston.) Shrug.

 

[Baz=Heisman]

NU has NEVER tried to create a real fan base. Nor do they really want to. Phillips tried but he was the only person to really try. Do we even have marketing people anymore?

I agree with this. Very odd we don’t see more local marketing. Remember “Paint the Town Purple” from the early 2000s? Where the hell is that now?? “Chicago’s Big Ten Team” was cool but nothing came after it.

People want to like NU because they see true student-athletes. I know plenty of north shore people who didn’t go to a four-year school (or any college/university) who love watching NU. Market to them!!

 

[gocatsgo2003]

You say this as though the Athletic Dept was doing this out of the kindness of its heart and not due to market-based forces that still left lots and lots and lots and lots of empty seats at most games, even after tarping off three sections.

I've always bought season tickets and donated even though I could get most of my tickets from the secondary market for literally 90% less in most cases, and I've done this for 20 years. It's honestly been my way of supporting the program even though they were usually cheaper ways to get to games (I'm not a management consultant, lawyer, or mega used car salesman).

If NU is just going to turn this into a business relationship where maximization of revenue on ticket sales is paramount, then the only way Northwestern wins the long game is if they transform into a dynasty program and supplants the Bears as the city's favorite football team. Otherwise juicing the market in the short-term is gonna be pretty bad for business.

...but I'd also like to think that shrinking the new stadium to 35K was a deliberate move to make the building purple (since in any given season you could count on the Iowas, Wisconsins, Michigans, Ohio States, and Nebraskas adding a solid 10-15K to the head count in Evanston.) Shrug.

I say this because the NU administration has been old and antiquated for decades now. Phillips tried to change it some, but it’s engrained.

 

[Styre]

When the new Welsh-Ryan opened, many of our fans had similar complaints about increased prices, required donations, parking, etc., and declared that the stadium would forever be half-empty or full of visiting fans because real NU fans were chased away by this hostility. And for the first few years, that's exactly what it was. Then the team got good and exciting and now it's almost all purple for conference games.

People will pay to see exciting, entertaining, winning teams, and people would do that for the current football team except the current football team isn't good and plays the most boring variety of football imaginable. Nobody except for legacy programs can sell out their buildings for bad teams without significant help from visiting fans.

 

[docrugby1]

NU fans have no idea how goddamn cheap NU football tickets and parking have been for decades. Now that the administration is trying to operate like a modern college football team, those same fans riot.

I would disagree with the administration trying to operate like a modern football team. It is time for them to realize that an All American FB player graduating with a 2.0 is more valuable than a lot of geeks graduating with a 3.5 or better.

 

[palbeans]

NU fans have no idea how goddamn cheap NU football tickets and parking have been for decades. Now that the administration is trying to operate like a modern college football team, those same fans riot.

$65 each for our tickets in Washington this season and a decent sideline view from the upper deck, certainly better than $80 in our north end zone.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

$65 each for our tickets in Washington this season and a decent sideline view from the upper deck, certainly better than $80 in our north end zone.

Supply and demand, my good man.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

$65 each for our tickets in Washington this season and a decent sideline view from the upper deck, certainly better than $80 in our north end zone.

I paid $70 for the Cats game in the Big House this year. My seats are in BF Egypt and the you better have a small Keester to fit on the postage stamp section they give you on the bench. I am sure I got these at a discount to what the ST paid with ticket price, donation required etc.

I was in Ann Arbor for the Texas game, but elected not to go in when I saw pricing. Crappy seats were going for over $1K each a week before. I heard they were asking $300 or more at the game when they were trying to unload them. I couldn’t find anyone selling at the game.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

NU fans have no idea how goddamn cheap NU football tickets and parking have been for decades. Now that the administration is trying to operate like a modern college football team, those same fans riot.

100% this. $85 for a college football game in an intimate stadium is cheap, full stop. Cheaper tickets isn’t going to make NU fans, and hasn’t before.

What people SHOULD be getting is a better operations and ticket office experience. The fact that a group of STHs who are pausing for the new stadium but may come back couldn’t get a call back from the ticket office for a Wrigley group is infuriating.

 

[hdhntr1]

Too bad the people in the NU administration don't get that, yet anyway. $85 for bad seating for a program that has been struggling as of late, with an already relatively small fanbase isn't the way to go. If the seating was good, $85 is a deal considering the insane prices to see a game in the Big House are. But then again Michigan just won the natty and is the winningest program in history. I can see a game at Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti for less than $20, almost the same for Welcome Stadium in Dayton. Not the best seats, but good enough to enjoy the game. The administration needs to get some good PR going, get the University more involved locally or even statewide. It is a great school and the new stadium will be gorgeous! It will be sad to see it not filled up.

Actually I think for the NU in Ann Arbor game you could get $85 tickets in big house at least earlier this year. Not saying they are going to be on the 30 but tickets were about $80- through NU in fact for their allotment.

 

[hdhntr1]

NU fans have no idea how goddamn cheap NU football tickets and parking have been for decades. Now that the administration is trying to operate like a modern college football team, those same fans riot.

Consider the overall experience for many people compared to other places. Heck they had BTN gamed day and people were saying all they had was the cheerleaders. There are simple not 10 people standing in line for tickets. Even with the limited number of seats avail I have eaten tickets for every game this year

 

[hdhntr1]

For anyone who thinks the crowd yesterday, for WI, or at Wirgley will change the course of the Athletic dept, I fear you will be disappointed. They were openly bragging that they made more money on the temp stadium than last year. There will be enough pre-2027 hype to sell most of them next year. They simply don't care.

If the team doesn't turn it around this year, they might have some trouble with that approach next year. Especially if the talent drop off turns out to be as great as it looks like it might be at a lot of positions

 

[hdhntr1]

I don't agree. As long as NU or other low revenue producing programs are part of the P2, they will have lavish resources from their revenue share. Further, NU certainly has had tremendous success in athletic fundraising. Which, by the way, frustrates the hell out of me that Jacob Schmidt has to make do with duct tape and paper clips. This is why we have a baseball player at QB

That is more about the game changing to portal and NIL and NU being very slow to react. We should be more nimble not less

 

[hdhntr1]

I agree with this. Very odd we don’t see more local marketing. Remember “Paint the Town Purple” from the early 2000s? Where the hell is that now?? “Chicago’s Big Ten Team” was cool but nothing came after it.

People want to like NU because they see true student-athletes. I know plenty of north shore people who didn’t go to a four-year school (or any college/university) who love watching NU. Market to them!!

There really has been nothing in last say 4-5 years. No adds and no real support. Some of that is likely because of Covid (2020 no fans) and Gragg, firing of Fitz and what that combination did to everything.. Ticket agents likely were cut in numbers and the whole experience went downhill fast

 

[hdhntr1]

100% this. $85 for a college football game in an intimate stadium is cheap, full stop. Cheaper tickets isn’t going to make NU fans, and hasn’t before.

What people SHOULD be getting is a better operations and ticket office experience. The fact that a group of STHs who are pausing for the new stadium but may come back couldn’t get a call back from the ticket office for a Wrigley group is infuriating.

No but we are seeing that making them really expensive does drive people away. We had 15-18 K STs and now we cannot fill 12K

 

[its_the_sauce]

No but we are seeing that making them really expensive does drive people away. We had 15-18 K STs and now we cannot fill 12K

Damned if you do/damned if you don't scenario....

Yes, the ST base dropped this year. A major reason is that because of the stadium situation NU said that existing STH's who forego buying these next couple years would not lose "consecutive years" priority once new stadium ready. I would have thought most would take this as a nice thing to do but apparently not.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

No but we are seeing that making them really expensive does drive people away. We had 15-18 K STs and now we cannot fill 12K

Huh, the game was a sell out. Those Indiana people weren’t sitting in the last 5 rows of the stadium. They were sitting in prime seats originally bought by long term ST holders. They weren’t buying these seats from NU, they were buying on the secondary market.

 

[NJCat]

Huh, the game was a sell out. Those Indiana people weren’t sitting in the last 5 rows of the stadium. They were sitting in prime seats originally bought by long term ST holders. They weren’t buying these seats from NU, they were buying on the secondary market.

Exactly. NU "fans" cashing in on a game they figured NU would lose. Just wait until Wisconsin comes to town.....

 

[FeralFelidae]

Huh, the game was a sell out. Those Indiana people weren’t sitting in the last 5 rows of the stadium. They were sitting in prime seats originally bought by long term ST holders. They weren’t buying these seats from NU, they were buying on the secondary market.

Maybe the people who buy tickets to attend games have been priced out in favor of those who buy tickets not to attend.

 

[Jaguar 88]

Actually I think for the NU in Ann Arbor game you could get $85 tickets in big house at least earlier this year. Not saying they are going to be on the 30 but tickets were about $80- through NU in fact for their allotment.

That is a good deal!!! The last few times I have gone to the Big Houe the tickets were in the triple digits, except maybe the endzone seats, same for the Shoe.

 

[dillonpgp]

Mark Jackson & Co. need to make a conscious decision on whether they go for some extra revenue and sell out the home stadium to visiting fans, or employ strategy to keep it a little more purple.

The decision has been made. It’s the “extra revenue” and after asking Northwestern fans-alumnus/STHs to pay (and they decline), NU will offer the tickets to people willing to pay -period.

The problem with all of this “woe is me, the STH” is the reality that Northwestern stood by and watched money fly away and is now doing something about it. The season ticket holder who bought (inexpensively -relatively-a few years ago) and then sold individual games at a major profit, without NU getting a portion of that transaction. Hell, season tickets were so cheap, a large percentage of STH were already Iowa. Nebraska and other fans who saw a schedule like 2018 as an opportunity to make some serious money. (Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Notre Dame all on the home schedule)

Now, tickets are digital, Northwestern will get the identity of the person buying the tickets and by pushing SestGeek, not only gets the upfront payment from Seat Geek (for being “official ticket partner” , but is likely earning a percentage of every “fee” added to the ticket cost.

Smaller stadium, tighter supply and visiting fan bases to Chicago will create the demand. Northwestern is getting paid and doesn’t give a shit about what color shirt the buyers are wearing.