At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

[berbs91]

I think we can all agree that the NC$$ has the ticket prices for the tournament at a price point that keeps many casual and non-participating team fanatic from attending the event.

It would cost me $58 to go see a regional final game and watch two teams that I am not a fan of. It the tickets were less than $30 I would certainly have gone. It's a shame that the NC$$ has their head in the sand and doesn't realize that by lowering ticket prices and/or having tickets at different price points, that they could increase revenue, have more people at the event which would look better on tv and increase the atmosphere, would increase concession sales as well as merchandise sales.

At what price point would you go to the regionals? For me the ideal price would be $20-$28 and I would be willing to sit in the second level.

 

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

That's hard to answer on a year-by year basis. An unemployed person may not go at all, or only be willing to go for $25 bucks or less. That same person fully employed may pay 2 or 3 times as much. I agree though that the prices are far too high.

Worse yet, ticket prices have also outstripped inflation by a huge margin in the last few years. When Notre Dame made their first NCAA in 2004, my ticket to Van Andel cost $20 per session when bought as a 2 day package. By 2009 that same ticket was $32.50. That's an increase of 62.5% in just 5 years. Had the cost gone up by the same amount as the CPI the ticket would have cost $22.53. In 2012 it would be just $24.10. Now of course more goes into the cost of any item than just inflation, but the point is still valid.

As a price point target, I'd say the 3 game all session ticket should be no more than $50 and a single day ticket should be no more than $30. And I'd go further and say that would be a target for a ticket with an anticipation of selling well, like this year in StP. Notre Dame was charging as much as $90 for a full session ticket in 2010 and that was obscene. It was greedy. It was also why no one was there, even with Miami and Michigan being easy drives.

 

[I Want Shegos]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

That becomes even worse when you factor in people coming from well out of town to see their team and having to pay triple-digits for gas and/or hotels.

 

[Stauber1]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

That becomes even worse when you factor in people coming from well out of town to see their team and having to pay triple-digits for gas and/or hotels.

I have a number of friends who really wanted to go to both days in St. Paul, but just couldn't afford $57 to go watch hockey. And as a result they aren't going to either day.
Knowing that, it was especially sad yesterday at the BU-Gopher game, looking up to see that they didn't even open the upper level for ticket sales.
In St. Paul, last night could possibly have been and tonight almost certainly would be a sellout if ticket prices were more reasonable. I have no idea if they would have made more money by dropping the ticket price and selling more, but it undoubtedly would create a better atmosphere and drive greater interest in the sport.

 

[CLS]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

I think we can all agree that the NC$$ has the ticket prices for the tournament at a price point that keeps many casual and non-participating team fanatic from attending the event.

...

I agree that at the current prices, casual fans don’t attend. But it’s not at all clear to me that it’s the NCAA that is responsible. I’ve always thought that the venues submit bids, and they set the ticket prices. Does anybody know the arrangement? Does the NCAA subsidize the regionals?

Regardless of what it is, I ask the question: If the venue would make more money or if the NCAA would have to subsidize less if they lowered ticket prices, then why don’t they? The venues seem to be doing OK despite the small crowds; otherwise, why would they continue to do it? The DCU Center aka Worcester Centrum has been doing it for years. I can only conclude that the venue and/or the NCAA don’t believe that they would be better off. They must believe that the extra attendance they’d draw and the concessions they’d buy don’t make up for the smaller per ticket amount. It seems evident that we don’t think so, but then our advice is given for free and free advice is usually worth every cent. The venues and/or the NCAA are dealing with real money.

That becomes even worse when you factor in people coming from well out of town to see their team and having to pay triple-digits for gas and/or hotels.

Don’t agree there. If I just have to get in my car and drive a few miles, then the per ticket price is the only factor I’d consider. If I had to spend, say $500 on travel expenses, the difference between $50 and $90 for an all session ticket would matter very little to me.

 

[Driftryder]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

At the X if they would have had it 20-30 bucks for the lower level and 10-15 bucks for upper level I would have went, I'm sure the place would have been packed as well. As it is they did get 9000 and some change for the outrageous prices they were charging.

 

[bronconick]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

I always thought the setup was the venue/host school would guarantee $XXXX to the NCAA, and then set prices and what not to make sure they made that much/turned whatever profit they were aiming for.

 

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

I agree that at the current prices, casual fans don’t attend. But it’s not at all clear to me that it’s the NCAA that is responsible. I’ve always thought that the venues submit bids, and they set the ticket prices. Does anybody know the arrangement? Does the NCAA subsidize the regionals?

I believe the NCAA sets a floor and a ceiling on the price. Venues bid by assuring the NCAA of a certain amount of $$$. They then charge within the range based probably on what they assured the NCAA.

 

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

Don’t agree there. If I just have to get in my car and drive a few miles, then the per ticket price is the only factor I’d consider. If I had to spend, say $500 on travel expenses, the difference between $50 and $90 for an all session ticket would matter very little to me.

Very true for most people. This is why locals can be attracted with reasonable prices. If I had decided to go to Manchester last year by flying, which would have cost hundreds of dollars, I doubt a ticket price of $90 would have been the deciding factor against and a ticket price of $50 would have been a go. But I would never have considered the Fort Wayne regional (I am perhaps 90 minutes away and it is an easy 90 minutes) at the prices Notre Dame was asking. Had they wanted $25 to watch the final, I may have considered it. They priced me out of it before I even had a chance to ponder going.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

$25 per game (that or thereabout in terms of single vs. package deal) is the most I would pay.

 

[manurespreader]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

maybe they should figure out what the pro's learned a long time ago. The cost of the ticket is a small part of the total revenue. If you let them in for less, they still buy tons of food etc and you get well on that plus the parking. It's a mistake to overprice the ticket. I'd set the price at 15 or 20 dollars and mark up other things.It's too bad really, as the hockey is pretty good usually.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

maybe they should figure out what the pro's learned a long time ago. The cost of the ticket is a small part of the total revenue. If you let them in for less, they still buy tons of food etc and you get well on that plus the parking. It's a mistake to overprice the ticket. I'd set the price at 15 or 20 dollars and mark up other things.It's too bad really, as the hockey is pretty good usually.

I believe that's how Tom Golisano got the Sabres profitable once again.

 

[satyking]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

The NC$$ has not figured out that a handful of dimes is better than a couple of quarters.........give a 3 game package price with a stamp for an exit and return so you couldn't swap out the second game and publish the schedule earlier with positional seeds where you can trying to keep the west in the west and the east in the east, some teams will have to travel but a lot of it could be stopped........then they could work on getting quality officiating at the games

 

[CLS]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

maybe they should figure out what the pro's learned a long time ago. The cost of the ticket is a small part of the total revenue. If you let them in for less, they still buy tons of food etc and you get well on that plus the parking. It's a mistake to overprice the ticket. I'd set the price at 15 or 20 dollars and mark up other things.It's too bad really, as the hockey is pretty good usually.

Well, I'm really glad that the Bruins let me in for less. I'd hate to think what the tickets would cost if they charged more.

FlagDUDE08, just curious -- you said $25 was the most you'd pay. What do you normally pay to watch college hockey? Same question berbs91, plus did you mean $20 - $28 per game or per session (so the first day you see two games for one admission)? I'm just curious as to whether you'd pay more for the NCAA tournament to watch teams you may have never seen before that you would for teams you know and may have a rooting interest in.

 

[berbs91]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

Good points CLS and maeurspreader!

2 years ago I drove from Cleveland, OH to Lake Placid to see the D-III NCAA hockey tourney and again this year from NH. For a team I am a fanatic of, I will spend almost a grand (between gas, hotel, meals, and tickets I almost did).

However, for two teams that I am just a casual fan of the sport; I would spend in the $30's for a two game pass or in the $20's for a single game.

 

[Stauber1]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

The upper level was again empty in St. Paul today.
If you can't even get 10,000 people through the gate for a MN - UND regional final in St. Paul, that should be all you need to know.

 

[The Rube]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

The upper level was again empty in St. Paul today.
If you can't even get 10,000 people through the gate for a MN - UND regional final in St. Paul, that should be all you need to know.

They never opened up the upper level. Not an option. Just saying.

And if it was in a city that I wanted to visit, price wouldn't matter. I went to Denver in '08, and St Paul last year (and got a hotel room, despite living 30 minutes from the X). Just sayin'.

 

[CLS]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

The upper level was again empty in St. Paul today.
If you can't even get 10,000 people through the gate for a MN - UND regional final in St. Paul, that should be all you need to know.

But what does it tell us? Possibly it's a data point for ticket prices, but this is also the closest situation we have for games at the home rink of the home seed and keeping teams close to home. How did the ticket prices compare to a regular season UND-UMTC game and to the Final Five?

 

[The Rube]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

But what does it tell us? Possibly it's a data point for ticket prices, but this is also the closest situation we have for games at the home rink of the home seed and keeping teams close to home. How did the ticket prices compare to a regular season UND-UMTC game and to the Final Five?

IIRC, the regional prices were close to a UND-MN game (no matter if was in GF or Mpls), and the F5 tix were $15-40, depending on day/upper or lower level. MN reg season game is $35, I think, for a non-premium opponent.

 

[shiftyjedi]

Re: At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

The upper level was again empty in St. Paul today.
If you can't even get 10,000 people through the gate for a MN - UND regional final in St. Paul, that should be all you need to know.

did they even try and sell the upper deck? I think they passed on it.