WaPo on Martin Stadium

[NJCat]

Some nuggets about the transition to Ryan Field

Northwestern’s new football stadium is a wonder. It’ll be gone in two years.

EVANSTON, Ill. - When there was just enough quiet Saturday - when somehow, in the middle of a major college football game, the whistles stopped, the music lowered and the sold-out crowd hushed - you could tune your ears to the background noise and hear waves crashing onto the shore of Lake...

www.yahoo.com

 

[dillonpgp]

The money quote for me is from the architect.

“Venue sizes, if they do shrink, are shrinking because of experiential requirements,”

Suites, end zone bar tables, and other “premium” features. This goes back to the conversation all along. The stadium isn’t being built to give an athletic team a comfortable home environment or competitive advantage, they are going to search every nook and cranny for every available dollar and then rifle through the seat cushions looking for more.

And if the school is going to take that attitude (and you buy tickets from them), then spare the indignation when other ticket holders similarly view their own ticket purchase as an opportunity to maximize profitability (almost always winding up a person wearing a different colored shirt).

 

[techtim72]

Got to thinking after seeing how many Indiana fans were in the stands Saturday that many NU ticket holders view their tickets as a form of arbitrage. Perhaps see a game or two or give them to a friend or client, but wait for the games with the big/motivated fan bases such as OSU, Michigan and this year Indiana, to resell to help cover the cost. Not really that invested in the team.

NU can't even fill up a 12k stadium that is sold out in advance. Perfect Fall day, interesting game and there were more red shirts than purple.

 

[NJCat]

Got to thinking after seeing how many Indiana fans were in the stands Saturday that many NU ticket holders view their tickets as a form of arbitrage. Perhaps see a game or two or give them to a friend or client, but wait for the games with the big/motivated fan bases such as OSU, Michigan and this year Indiana, to resell to help cover the cost. Not really that invested in the team.

NU can't even fill up a 12k stadium that is sold out in advance. Perfect Fall day, interesting game and there were more red shirts than purple.

You nailed it.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Got to thinking after seeing how many Indiana fans were in the stands Saturday that many NU ticket holders view their tickets as a form of arbitrage. Perhaps see a game or two or give them to a friend or client, but wait for the games with the big/motivated fan bases such as OSU, Michigan and this year Indiana, to resell to help cover the cost. Not really that invested in the team.

NU can't even fill up a 12k stadium that is sold out in advance. Perfect Fall day, interesting game and there were more red shirts than purple.

I will say it, don’t buy the effing tickets if this is the way you operate. You suck! .

 

[Sheffielder]

I will say it, don’t buy the effing tickets if this is the way you operate. You suck! .

I don't think you/we can necessarily assume it's only NU fans who are doing this.

Next year our "home" games are Michigan, Minny, Oregon, Purdue, UCLA. If I'm an Oregon fan, it actually makes very good sense for me to buy season tickets and sell the others - will probably be able to make th money back (or close to it, even if not at a profit since that's not the main goal).

Frankly, this is why Ticketmaster implemented "dynamic pricing" for some of their shows, where prices can fluctuate in real time. TM publicly argues its their way of deterring brokers, without acknowledging how much more they are making in the process.

I will say this: I don't begrudge Northwestern offering of premium seating, boxes, etc., to meet demand. But I also think Marks and Jackson both made some disingenuous remarks about what they are "learning." Yes you need to offer different options and experiences...but I'm personally never going to be earning "premium box seat" money. When I last checked in August, the seats that were still unsold in the stadium were the "premium" South End Zone seats. The first section to sell out was the North End Zone - the one for us peasants. What does that teach us/them?

I, quite literally, represent the fan who loves to go to games, but realize the reality that I might just get priced out...and if NU can't sell out Ryan Field 5-7 years after opening it and the novelty/curiosity wears off...it's not like I'd be coming back; or I'll just go to the occasional game when I can buy $5 tickets off the secondary market...if NU wants to just make this a transactional relationship, so be it.

 

[its_the_sauce]

I don't think you/we can necessarily assume it's only NU fans who are doing this.

Next year our "home" games are Michigan, Minny, Oregon, Purdue, UCLA. If I'm an Oregon fan, it actually makes very good sense for me to buy season tickets and sell the others - will probably be able to make th money back (or close to it, even if not at a profit since that's not the main goal).

Frankly, this is why Ticketmaster implemented "dynamic pricing" for some of their shows, where prices can fluctuate in real time. TM publicly argues its their way of deterring brokers, without acknowledging how much more they are making in the process.

I will say this: I don't begrudge Northwestern offering of premium seating, boxes, etc., to meet demand. But I also think Marks and Jackson both made some disingenuous remarks about what they are "learning." Yes you need to offer different options and experiences...but I'm personally never going to be earning "premium box seat" money. When I last checked in August, the seats that were still unsold in the stadium were the "premium" South End Zone seats. The first section to sell out was the North End Zone - the one for us peasants. What does that teach us/them?

I, quite literally, represent the fan who loves to go to games, but realize the reality that I might just get priced out...and if NU can't sell out Ryan Field 5-7 years after opening it and the novelty/curiosity wears off...it's not like I'd be coming back; or I'll just go to the occasional game when I can buy $5 tickets off the secondary market...if NU wants to just make this a transactional relationship, so be it.

But if you're an Oregon fan you won't be able to buy ST's next year. There was no real general public ST sale this year with the possible exception of a handful of south end zone seats. I would expect the same will hold true for next year.

 

[phatcat]

and if NU can't sell out Ryan Field 5-7 years after opening it and the novelty/curiosity wears off..

Hilarious. No way we sell out that long. 2 years tops

 

[dillonpgp]

If I'm an Oregon fan, it actually makes very good sense for me to buy season tickets and sell the others

Oregon and Michigan are almost certainly to be Wrigley games and therefore not part of a season package. I don’t think Minnesota, Purdue and UCLA plus non conference is worth the financial gamble with ticket costs coupled with required donations might be dicey, considering 2 of the three teams mentioned face difficult rebuilds.

 

[Sheffielder]

Oregon and Michigan are almost certainly to be Wrigley games and therefore not part of a season package. I don’t think Minnesota, Purdue and UCLA plus non conference is worth the financial gamble with ticket costs coupled with required donations might be dicey, considering 2 of the three teams mentioned face difficult rebuilds.

Oregon won't be at Wrigley