Originally posted by steven22
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Frozen Four Tickets - Priority Purchase Process
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Today was my assigned day. The site is clunky, takes some patience. Ticket availability surprisingly poor. Considering the location (no need to visit St. Louis again) and bad ticket offerings to “priority” customers, I’m fine using the time and money (tickets, flights, hotels, restaurants) for more desirable travel.
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Originally posted by BobF View PostWow could not believe how many tickets had either been sold or were being held when I went on exactly at 10:00 this morning. If this is your day I advise you get in early.
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I will amplify on the dearth of available tickets. I've been buying in the club level for about 6 years. Used to be a little les crowded through that concourse and shorter lines for restrooms. I noticed in St Paul there was no restricted access like in the past so those benefits were nullified. Today I didn't see any Club seats available. Gonna suck if they take peoples money today with below average quantities and locations, then miraculously have new and perhaps better seats to buy in January and February.
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Think my priority number is 19 (group C) and I’ve basically said F-it to this process since Covid (apart from last year cuz thought it would be a tough ticket).
NCAA wants to keep showing us loyal fans inconsistent availability so I’ll just wait and buy club/suite tickets on the secondary market the week of.
100% skipping St Louis is BC doesn’t make it.
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Originally posted by NJCollegeHockeyFan View PostToday was my assigned day. The site is clunky, takes some patience.
Ticket availability surprisingly poor.
Considering the location (no need to visit St. Louis again) and bad ticket offerings to “priority” customers, I’m fine using the time and money (tickets, flights, hotels, restaurants) for more desirable travel.
So I suppose this could be a case of history repeating itself. Our group isn't dropping out this year. But last year we used the our full allotment of 8 tickets; this year we're using 4 of the 8 possible tickets. Hope local St. Louis people can once again pick up the slack.
Some Things I Noticed This Morning:
1. Nothing was offered in Sections 101/Section 105/Section 114/Section 118. I'm guessing those sections are being held for the participating schools.
2. However, Sections 101T/105T/114T/Section 118T had some nice availability. These are the highest rows in the Lower Bowl. The seats were a bit less expensive at $350 apiece. Still expensive, but more in line with last year's prices. The view from these sections would be pretty solid; they line up with the Attack Zone Face-Off Circles. Perhaps St. Louis considers these Club Level seats? Going from low to high, the next level up is the 300's. (Upper Level) So if the T Sections aren't Club, where are the Club seats located?
3. The Center Ice/Blue Line Sections? Just before I logged off, I saw a handful of seats available in Sections 102, 104 & 115. Most would probably agree these were the best available. They'll go very quickly, and maybe they're already gone. But at least check.
4. If your preference is to sit in the corners, you're not in an urgent rush. Lots of availability. Interestingly enough, I found an intermediate price point at $310. That number would get you a Lower Bowl Corner, in a Higher Row. Example: Section 124.
Here's to hoping that most USCHO posters find seats that are satisfactory to them, even if they don't quite live up to the offerings of the recent past.
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I actually looked at a seating chart a week ago to figure out what I might want, and there is a club level, just no tix available. Is the NCAA holding those for use in their overpriced "experience package"? Seems like a lot of seats. I got starchy last year when lots of seats became available closer to the event. It just seems that if people are paying 6 months in advance the should get PRIORITY access to the better seats. It's like the guy who shows up for a flight 10 minutes before takeoff and his bag is first off the carousel.
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Originally posted by NJCollegeHockeyFan View PostToday was my assigned day. The site is clunky, takes some patience. Ticket availability surprisingly poor. Considering the location (no need to visit St. Louis again) and bad ticket offerings to “priority” customers, I’m fine using the time and money (tickets, flights, hotels, restaurants) for more desirable travel.
As to your point, yeah, it has gotten me thinking... Especially with the cost of tickets alone (I'm a huge racing fan, and it's gotten to the point where what I used to consider expensive tickets for top racing events are now no longer so when compared to the Frozen Four).
The reason I personally didn't bail on St. Louis is twofold:
1) I missed St. Louis last time, and have never been to the Gateway City.
2) My wife (who never attends the FF with me) and I are planning a long road trip which includes St. Louis and the FF, so for me this time, it's part of a longer vacation.
But in the future, I don't know. The thing is, I will probably do Las Vegas (even though I've been there a few times and not all that wowed by it), and D.C. because there is a ton to do there (plus my sister lives in the area). Chicago, I don't know. I'll have to think about that one.
In conclusion, it is getting to the point where I have definitely wondered whether all the expenses is worth it for this type of vacation.Russell Jaslow
[Former] SUNYAC Correspondent
U.S. College Hockey Online
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Originally posted by Yorzinlax View PostI actually looked at a seating chart a week ago to figure out what I might want, and there is a club level, just no tix available. Is the NCAA holding those for use in their overpriced "experience package"? Seems like a lot of seats. I got starchy last year when lots of seats became available closer to the event. It just seems that if people are paying 6 months in advance the should get PRIORITY access to the better seats. It's like the guy who shows up for a flight 10 minutes before takeoff and his bag is first off the carousel.
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Update: At the End of the Day on Thursday, October 10th
1. No Center Ice or Blue Line Seats Offered in the Lower Bowl. OK, if you want a single, I counted a total of 5 singles across the six sections. Otherwise, nothing.
(excluding the way over-priced glass seats)
2. From End Line to End Line, I didn't see anything in the 1st 4 Rows of the Upper Bowl. So much for that strategy.
3. Plenty of Availability in the Corners & Ends.
4. I continue to believe that the Best Remaining Value is the Lower Bowl, Higher Row, Corners at $310. That's an $80 savings from the "full price" $390 tournament package. And if stuck behind the endlines, that's literally my first choice location. Over the years I've referred to these as the "Scout's View" Seats.
Remember, I'm just a messenger. (rueful emoji here)
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Originally posted by Russell Jaslow View Post
Chicago, I don't know. I'll have to think about that one.
That said, the idea that someone would be unable to find a good 4 day weekend in Chicago kind of blows my mind. I'll admit to a bias in Chicago's favor. I was born in Illinois; and had an apartment in the Northern burbs for a couple of years as an adult. But I'm not that biased. With the exception of the Blackhawks, I don't root for any of the local sports teams.
Of course it depends on what you like to do with the off-day, and other open time slots. But if you like museums: The Adler Planetarium, The Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum of Natural History are all excellent. And all located in Grant Park, near Soldier Field.
Navy Pier is tourist landmark with lots of choices.
Like MLB? Either the Cubs or White Sox will almost certainly be home during the FF dates. Last time my group caught a White Sox game.
Plenty of bars & restaurants in The Loop, or other neighborhoods of your choosing.
When it gets closer to Chicago's year, I'm sure plenty of Posters will have helpful tourist advice to give. At least that was the case the previous time Chicago hosted.
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Originally posted by pgb-ohio View Post
All of us at the Top Priority Levels have been at this a long time. And we've certainly seen the face value of the tickets skyrocket. So if you're mostly in search of better value for your vacation $$, along with some variety, I can understand why you'd skip a year.
That said, the idea that someone would be unable to find a good 4 day weekend in Chicago kind of blows my mind. I'll admit to a bias in Chicago's favor. I was born in Illinois; and had an apartment in the Northern burbs for a couple of years as an adult. But I'm not that biased. With the exception of the Blackhawks, I don't root for any of the local sports teams.
Of course it depends on what you like to do with the off-day, and other open time slots. But if you like museums: The Adler Planetarium, The Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum of Natural History are all excellent. And all located in Grant Park, near Soldier Field.
Navy Pier is tourist landmark with lots of choices.
Like MLB? Either the Cubs or White Sox will almost certainly be home during the FF dates. Last time my group caught a White Sox game.
Plenty of bars & restaurants in The Loop, or other neighborhoods of your choosing.
When it gets closer to Chicago's year, I'm sure plenty of Posters will have helpful tourist advice to give. At least that was the case the previous time Chicago hosted.
But for some reason, and I've been to Chicago a few times, I never find that city "titillating" for lack of a better word. Probably more me than anything else because like you point out, there is certainly a lot to do.
We did do the White Sox game last time.
(As an aside, a few weeks ago I was taking a long road trip, and used Rockford as a stopping point. I noticed the Cubs were in town, so I stayed an extra day and went to Wrigley Field for the first time. That was fun. It was the game that took only 1:48 to play. And I used mass transit to get to the game. Like I said, big cities don't intimidate me -- heck, I've navigated the subway systems in Tokyo and Paris.)Russell Jaslow
[Former] SUNYAC Correspondent
U.S. College Hockey Online
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