Re: Boston University Terriers 2015-2016 Season Thread Part the 1st
If BU hockey was overpriced 5 years ago, and its still overpriced now, that's the problem. Woo hoo, they reduced parking on BU owned lots for a BU game even if you already have tickets to it by 2 bucks! They must really care...
I should not cost double to attend a BU game than a BC one when the last time I checked they've had a bit more success in recent years up there. The problem with attendance is simple - people can find better value for their buck in a city that offers a whole lot of entertainment choices. Even if you bring in a once in a generational talent like Eichel, who will always only stay one year, it takes a little while for the buzz to get out that the kid is for real. Then once he leaves you're back to square one, charging NHL level prices for a college hockey contest.
Comparing prices is not as simple as you state. BC has 4 games that offer their Family 4 Pack this season, only 2 which are still available, Connecticut and UMass. That offer is for 4 tickets, 4 individual pizzas and 4 Cokes for a total cost of $64 dollars. Or you can purchase 4 individual $10, $15 or $20 tickets, depending where you want to sit. Four individual tickets in the equivalent section would cost $60, so the family pack is a good deal, if you have a family of four and want to see UMass or UConn play. But what if you want to see PC play? The minimum cost for 4 upper corner (obstructed) seats is $60 or $80 for unobstructed upper center seats. And for BU the price climbs to $80 (obstructed) or $100. As also stated BC charges a flat $10 surcharge per order, which is a plus.
BU has one game left with Me+3 tickets, UMass. The offer is $15.75 per ticket, for a cost of $63 plus the facility charge ($2.50x4=$10) and service fee ($4.40x4=$17.60) for a total ticket cost of $90.60. If you park at a BU garage/lot it is another $10, but there is also free parking in the area. If you want to see the BC game the cost is $25 per ticket, for a cost of $100 plus the facility charge ($2.50x4=$10) and service fee ($4.55x4=$18.20) for a total ticket cost of $128.20.
So while if you want to see UMass I agree that the BC family pack could be close to double the BU 4 pack and food, but the tickets to the BU/BC game are not. I also looked at the ticket prices at the other Hockey East schools and there is a wide range of ticket pricing, so it is not possible to make generalizations as most schools offer special pricing for some games, some youth prices (ages and availability vary).
For example, New Hampshire also uses Ticketmaster and their facility charge is only $1 per ticket, but the service fee is higher at $7.25 for standard $23 tickets. New Hampshire does have a limited number of general admission tickets for $14, or $10 for children 3-12, but when not available most fans have to pay the full standard ticket price. If you want to see most games at UNH the ticket cost rises to $31.25 each, or $125 for a family of 4. That is the same for BU, UML or NU (the only three I checked). On the other hand, for a non-premium game at BU the price for a family of 4 is $112 ($21 per ticket, $2.50 faculty charge and $4.50 service fee = $28 x 4).
By the way, I checked the TD Garden website and the cheapest tickets I found for a Bruins game were $95, so a family of four would cost $95x4=$380 plus service fees $10.95x4=$43.80 for a total of $423.80. That is slightly more than the $128.20 for a family of 4 going to Agganis to see the BU-BC game.
Sean
Anyone know if they are doing "The Season" again? If they have clips from MSG, etc., I would venture to say yes.
