At what price would you go see the NCAA tourney?

[Stauber1]

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

They never opened the upper level because they didn't sell out the lower and club levels. If the 2 lower levels sold out, do you really think they wouldn't have started selling tickets to the upper?
EDIT: And do you really think that if they had offered multiple tiers of seating that they wouldn't have drawn more than the 9,800 or so fans that attended today?

As far as this regional's prices compared to regular season games:
1-day regional pass - $57
Standing room at Mariucci for a regular season game - $25
Upper level seating at the WCHA Final Five semi-final or final - $25

 

[The Rube]

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

They never opened the upper level because they didn't sell out the lower and club levels. If the 2 lower levels sold out, do you really think they wouldn't have started selling tickets to the upper?

As far as this regional's prices compared to regular season games:
1-day regional pass - $57
Standing room at Mariucci for a regular season game - $25
Upper level seating at the WCHA Final Five semi-final or final - $25

I believe it was 15 for upper level F5 no matter what game. The lower level changed though.

 

[Stauber1]

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

I believe it was 15 for upper level F5 no matter what game. The lower level changed though.

$20 for all seats to the Q-finals
For the semi-final night game and finals it was $45 for lower level, club level and upper level sides. $25 for upper level ends.
Don't recall how the pricing shook out for the semi-final day game.

Those are all single-game prices.
Significant discounts if buying a package, especially if you were a returning buyer. Total package for returning buyers was around $140 for lower level. That's about $28 a game.

 

[scsutommyboy]

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

Part of the problem is St. Paul was back to back weekends that cost a ton of money. Most people don't want or can't afford to spend a ton of dough two weekends in a row. A couple years ago my wife and I got the final five package and then went to both games at the regional at the X. We spent close to a $1,000 between both weekends and we live only 30 minutes away. People plan for the final five all year, but the regional being a last minute thing is harder for people to want to spend the money on. With the WCHA final Five going away, future regionals at the X will probably do much better.

 

[Stauber1]

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

Part of the problem is St. Paul was back to back weekends that cost a ton of money. Most people don't want or can't afford to spend a ton of dough two weekends in a row. A couple years ago my wife and I got the final five package and then went to both games at the regional at the X. We spent close to a $1,000 between both weekends and we live only 30 minutes away. People plan for the final five all year, but the regional being a last minute thing is harder for people to want to spend the money on. With the WCHA final Five going away, future regionals at the X will probably do much better.

I absolutely agree that the back-to-back expense of the Final Five and the West Regional is flat out too much for the overwhelming majority of traveling fans, regardless of ticket prices.
But it absolutely is not (or doesn't need to be) for the local fans.

UND has loads of fans in the Twin Cities. MN...well, obviously.
The locals should have been enough to fill the rink.

Bottom line, if you hold an NCAA Tournament game in the Twin Cities that features UND and MN and can't even fill the lower bowl, there are some serious problems. In my experience, cost of admission was the biggest determining factor for the low attendance. The fact that they were all-day passes didn't help (and although you didn't have to be all that savvy to get in and out for a bite and a pint between games, the event was advertised to the general public as a single-ticket one). If that is the case in MPLS-St. Paul, where hockey has tradition and following, it of course is the case in other cities.

 

[Caustic Undertow]

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

Responding here to clarify that, while I believe the format of the NCAA tournament should be changed and improved, I do think that simple price adjustment would be a big help. Cost me $167 to take my family of four to the Michigan game at the Resch, an unconscionable figure I could only justify because it was an important family activity for us prior to a very busy spring and summer, and my daughters' first Michigan game. I'm not in the habit of dropping that kind of coin for something I can see on TV. Not anymore. If Michigan had been in much closer St. Paul I would not have gone due to ticket cost. It appears that many fans made the same decision I would have.

Minnie and NoDak fans have consistently proven a willingness to pay to watch their team. The NCAA did something wrong, and price seems like the most obvious answer.

 

[Duder]

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

I'm sure its the same for everyone but I'm willing to spend more if my team is in the regional. When St Cloud finally got a regional that was in close proximity, my wife and I planed on going no matter the cost. It was still difficult to shell out huge amounts of money for two straight weekends in a row as we just had attended the final five. Hotel, eating out, and the ticket packages two weekends in a row put a bit of a dent in the checking account. If St. Cloud would had of been in a regional we had to fly to I don't know that we would have been able to afford it what so ever.

With the X being only an hour away I probably would have gone to the regionals this past weekend if they were cheaper, even though I didn't have a rooting interest. Not to mention I would be stuck in the X for 7-8 hours and probably would have gotten hungry at some point and paid 8 bucks for something small and terrible. Then there is the issue of no beer...

 

[brassbonanza]

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

If my team is in it, price is much less of a factor. If I'm going as a casual fan to a nearby regional where my team is not playing, I wouldn't mind paying $20 or so for a balcony seat, or the "worst" seats. These games are not of regular season caliber, so the price should be reflected accordingly, but at the same time, $90 for a weekend, and $58 for one game, same price all over the entire arena is ridiculous and I'd never pay that if my team were not playing.

I personally don't care about the no beer thing, my personal opinion I don't go to games for the purpose of drinking beer. If it's there, great, if not, that's fine. But I really don't think that should be a deciding factor for anyone on if they'll go or not.

 

[Duder]

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

If my team is in it, price is much less of a factor. If I'm going as a casual fan to a nearby regional where my team is not playing, I wouldn't mind paying $20 or so for a balcony seat, or the "worst" seats. These games are not of regular season caliber, so the price should be reflected accordingly, but at the same time, $90 for a weekend, and $58 for one game, same price all over the entire arena is ridiculous and I'd never pay that if my team were not playing.

I personally don't care about the no beer thing, my personal opinion I don't go to games for the purpose of drinking beer. If it's there, great, if not, that's fine. But I really don't think that should be a deciding factor for anyone on if they'll go or not.

Not having beer doesn't really factor into my decision process but it does taste good. In fact maybe its a good thing they don't have beer, 9 bucks a pop at the final five was brutal.

 

[CLS]

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

I think beer, or lack of it, affects the willingness of venues to submit bids much more than it affects the willingess of fans to attend the game. I like a beer at the game as much as anyone, but it would never enter into my decision as to whether to go or not.

 

[bigblue_dl]

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

This is a loaded question. If I'm a neutral observer, normally I'd say $20, I spent more this weekend because of the specific circumstances of going with friends from out of town. If my team is there, I imagine I'd spend whatever it takes to get in the door.