2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

[pgb-ohio]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

You cannot purchase again even though you can look at seats if you did not buy 8. They wrote this on the order page: Only one request per individual/household will be accepted and a MAXIMUM of EIGHT tickets per order.

Good catch. I'm genuinely surprised; and obviously missed that item on the order page. The upshot is that the "2 Pairs" strategy I suggested a while back should NOT be attempted on-line.

Perhaps Customer Service would sell you two pairs of seats in a phone order. It's clearly within the spirit of the rules. While common sense can't be assumed, Customer Service has done a good job of problem-solving over the years.

NCAA Customer Service 800-208-0048

Given the new insight, I would NOT recommend making one order on-line, then trying to make a second purchase through Customer Service. That variation really isn't within the spirit of the rule. Call Customer Service upfront.

Last Wrinkle: But if anyone has already made a first purchase, yet now wants to purchase the rest of their allotment, call anyhow. In that situation, there's nothing to lose. The worst they can do is say no.


Priority 9, Today's The Day. You know the drill.

 

[theprofromdover]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

Good catch. I'm genuinely surprised; and obviously missed that item on the order page. The upshot is that the "2 Pairs" strategy I suggested a while back should NOT be attempted on-line..

I did it. Got two in the bowl and then two club seats. Separate orders. no problems.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

I did it. Got two in the bowl and then two club seats. Separate orders. no problems.

Glad to hear it. That's absolutely as it should be.

But in fairness to BC/HE, they've got a pretty flexible application of the phrase "only one request per individual/household." I suppose the intent was to stop spouses/roommates/siblings with the same mailing address from expanding the 8 ticket limit. From there, the second meaning probably didn't even occur to them.

It would be pretty easy to add a sentence clarifying things. "Note that you can continue to place orders until your 8 ticket limit is exhausted;" or words to that effect. Hope to see such a clarification included next year...

 

[Bonin21]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

goldy can afford to buy cheaper seats and then sell the expensive ones at a discount!!! just because

He should sell them to me then!

 

[RaceBoarder]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

The Blackhawks had a 5-7 min segment about the Frozen Four during their pregame show tonight. Takeaway from that is that General Public sales will happen Dec. 8th...

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

Good to hear the Hawks are embracing the event. Should help fill the building.

On a less positive note, if the December 8th offering includes Lower Bowl seating, there are going to be some unhappy campers on this board.


We've hit October 19th.
Priority 8: On your mark, get set...

 

[melmac]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

My buddy got four tickets in 320, row 7, seats 7-10. We're right behind him in row 8.

I don't know how much looking around he did prior to picking those seats. I had started looking low, but gave up shortly only finding front row seats. Not happening.

 

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

Good to hear the Hawks are embracing the event. Should help fill the building.

On a less positive note, if the December 8th offering includes Lower Bowl seating, there are going to be some unhappy campers on this board.


We've hit October 19th.
Priority 8: On your mark, get set...

Eh, they've shown time and again they don't care about us.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

For better or worse, the system is still letting me search at Priority 8. Quick Update:

• There's a single for sale in Section 204. Otherwise you're looking at the Premium Seats on the Glass or the Upper Bowl.
• Upper Bowl Sections on the Sides have Middle Rows available. Rows 8-10 or so.
• Upper Bowl Corners & Ends still have some Low Rows for sale. Example: Section 323, 4 Seats in Row 2

Best of luck to everyone still in line.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

As far as I can tell, relatively few sales have been made at Priority 8. That's in line with what I've observed in recent years; meaning that there's a lull in sales between two peaks of activity. As we get to the lower priority levels, I'd expect sales to pick up again.

Tonight's Scouting Report:
As previously mentioned, USCHO Posters may not accurately represent the Frozen Four fanbase as a whole. But our purchase reports have certainly tapered off. Bigger picture? I'm not seeing a lot of activity on the seating chart this week either.

Remember we're talking Upper Bowl at that this point.

In general, Row 2 Seating is available in the ends. As of 10/20/2016, Row 2 Seating was available in the following Sections:

306 & 307
310 & 311
323 & 325
328 & 329

And perhaps others. But for anything on the sides, and even part of the corners, you're looking at Row 8 or above.

Interestingly enough, directly behind the "Blackhawks Shoot Twice" net in Section 326, Row 8 is also the best you can do. But if you're willing to accept the "Blackhawks Shoot Once" end, you can sit right behind the net in Row 5. (Section 309)

FWIW. I'm quite mindful of the fact that none of these locations are going to be regarded as lottery wins. But choices remain that are good enough for a good time.

If any Priority 8s are out there, you've got just under 12 hours to beat the Priority 7s to the punch. The Priority 7 Window opens tomorrow morning at 10:00AM.

 

[rinkrat6]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

Priority 7. Logged on Oct 21 @ 10am on the dot. 2 seats, Corner Balcony, Row 2

As far as I can tell, relatively few sales have been made at Priority 8. That's in line with what I've observed in recent years; meaning that there's a lull in sales between two peaks of activity. As we get to the lower priority levels, I'd expect sales to pick up again.

Tonight's Scouting Report:
As previously mentioned, USCHO Posters may not accurately represent the Frozen Four fanbase as a whole. But our purchase reports have certainly tapered off. Bigger picture? I'm not seeing a lot of activity on the seating chart this week either.

Remember we're talking Upper Bowl at that this point.

In general, Row 2 Seating is available in the ends. As of 10/20/2016, Row 2 Seating was available in the following Sections:

306 & 307
310 & 311
323 & 325
328 & 329

And perhaps others. But for anything on the sides, and even part of the corners, you're looking at Row 8 or above.

Interestingly enough, directly behind the "Blackhawks Shoot Twice" net in Section 326, Row 8 is also the best you can do. But if you're willing to accept the "Blackhawks Shoot Once" end, you can sit right behind the net in Row 5. (Section 309)

FWIW. I'm quite mindful of the fact that none of these locations are going to be regarded as lottery wins. But choices remain that are good enough for a good time.

If any Priority 8s are out there, you've got just under 12 hours to beat the Priority 7s to the punch. The Priority 7 Window opens tomorrow morning at 10:00AM.

 

[Hockee]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

Priority 6 Sec 310 row 5 for 6 together....

Thanks to NCAA ticketing system for offering me a discounted program and deleting my seat selection when I opted for it. Lost 2 rows because I had to start over......

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

Priority 6 Sec 310 row 5 for 6 together....

Appreciate the report. Sounds like there was at least a small flurry of sales when Priority 6 opened.

Thanks to NCAA ticketing system for offering me a discounted program and deleting my seat selection when I opted for it. Lost 2 rows because I had to start over......

Meaning you tried to add the program to "your cart," and the system responded by cancelling your order? That's just bizarre. Anyone else had this issue?

I don't order the FF program in advance, if I buy one at all. Since an immediate stop at the souvenir stand is inevitable for me, adding a program to the order is a non-issue. But I get that someone buying only a program might want to avoid the lines. And I get that the NCAA has an incentive to shorten the lines. Which makes the problem Hockee describes even more inexplicable. That kind of malfunction is a lose-lose on all sides.

 

[BC/HE]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

Sometimes when one hesitates to make a purchase and tries again with not as good seats presented it may be wise to try again as often those seats are not available simply because someone else is looking at them. If they don't purchase them they get thrown back into the system a few minutes later. It could also be someone looking at for example 3 seats and 6 in a row are there so that when they throw them back any number from 1 to 4 or 6 can get in on them. I did not include 5 because they likely will not sell 5 and leave one available. So if you see better seats and then they are gone don't give up on them. The other seats will likely still be there if you have to go back after a while without luck.

 

[Sean Pickett]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

I received a call from the NCAA today asking why I didn't purchase tickets for Chicago. I told the man on the phone that it was a combination of ever rising prices, not being sure I would be able to attend and my disappointment that after getting seats on the red line in Tampa my choices had once again been restricted to the corners and ends. As a side note, the man told me he had no idea what the red line or blue lines are, so he is obviously not a hockey fan. He also stated that if I didn't buy tickets I would lose my priority points and be dropped back to 0. I questioned him on that, but he was only able to tell me that was what he was told.

Sean

 

[mookie1995]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

Of course one should expect strong arm tactics from Chicago

 

[walrus]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

I received a call from the NCAA today asking why I didn't purchase tickets for Chicago. I told the man on the phone that it was a combination of ever rising prices, not being sure I would be able to attend and my disappointment that after getting seats on the red line in Tampa my choices had once again been restricted to the corners and ends. As a side note, the man told me he had no idea what the red line or blue lines are, so he is obviously not a hockey fan. He also stated that if I didn't buy tickets I would lose my priority points and be dropped back to 0. I questioned him on that, but he was only able to tell me that was what he was told.

Sean

I got that call also, they wanted to know why I hadn't purchased tickets. I'm busy that week and couldn't do 2 things at once. He never said my priority was going to 0

 

[Pucknut]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

I got that call also, they wanted to know why I hadn't purchased tickets. I'm busy that week and couldn't do 2 things at once. He never said my priority was going to 0

My understanding of the lottery is if you were not to buy FF tix one year your number would stay the same.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

My understanding of the lottery is if you were not to buy FF tix one year your number would stay the same.

Which has been the rule for the entire 20 year history of the Priority Lottery. Dropping that feature of the lottery would be a cataclysmic change. It's not something the NCAA would try to slip in unnoticed. If for no other reason, they'd lose a ton of future sales if they took that action.

...As a side note, the man told me he had no idea what the red line or blue lines are, so he is obviously not a hockey fan. He also stated that if I didn't buy tickets I would lose my priority points and be dropped back to 0. I questioned him on that, but he was only able to tell me that was what he was told.

You've already figured it out. This just has to be a rookie mistake by a non-hockey guy. And if someone else actually trained him to say that, it suggests that they've got a team of rookies making these phone calls. The blind leading the blind.

The NCAA could save itself a lot of trouble if they just read the USCHO ticket threads.

Our members have been sounding the alarm for years that ticket prices are getting out of hand. It's equally clear that if the NCAA kills all hope of getting Lower Bowl Seating on the Sides, more regular attendees will give up on the Lottery, and perhaps stop attending altogether. In recent years, many posters have questioned the value of the Priority Points.

Put those two thoughts together, and what do you get? The Seller is charging more for the product, yet delivering less value. No wonder demand is suffering a bit.

 

[Siouxfaninseattle]

Re: 2017 Frozen Four Ticket Purchase

Which has been the rule for the entire 20 year history of the Priority Lottery. Dropping that feature of the lottery would be a cataclysmic change. It's not something the NCAA would try to slip in unnoticed. If for no other reason, they'd lose a ton of future sales if they took that action.

You've already figured it out. This just has to be a rookie mistake by a non-hockey guy. And if someone else actually trained him to say that, it suggests that they've got a team of rookies making these phone calls. The blind leading the blind.

The NCAA could save itself a lot of trouble if they just read the USCHO ticket threads.

Our members have been sounding the alarm for years that ticket prices are getting out of hand. It's equally clear that if the NCAA kills all hope of getting Lower Bowl Seating on the Sides, more regular attendees will give up on the Lottery, and perhaps stop attending altogether. In recent years, many posters have questioned the value of the Priority Points.

Put those two thoughts together, and what do you get? The Seller is charging more for the product, yet delivering less value. No wonder demand is suffering a bit.

I can't imagine the NCAA dropping priority holders to zero if they don't buy for a year. I called the NCAA a couple months ago to ask how many tickets a priority holder can buy for the Frozen Four and the nice lady asked if that was for football or basketball. Obviously they do not care at all about the people that have supported the event for many years or ticket buyers in general.

My intent a few years ago was to buy tickets to each FF with hope of building up my priority number, and hopefully not taking a big bath selling them if I decided not to attend. But I figured out that even if you are a high priority, you still aren't guaranteed good tickets. This year is a good example. Last seasons's FF in Tampa I was able to get club level (thanks to a high priority friend) between the blue lines - this year I'm in a corner. I will go to Chicago and St. Paul in 2018, but may spend my money on other things after that.