Frozen Four Tickets - Priority Purchase Process

[TigerFan86-87]

Do anyone else's tickets say "Tickets not available to be managed", and not have the barcodes showing yet?
If so, will they become available later?
I can't remember this happening last year.

 

[BC/HE]

Interesting to note that all the tickets in the upper level are the same price $220 no matter where you select: side, end, top or bottom row. The same applies to the other levels, club are all $315 and lower level are all $345 except the first two rows around the rink are $650. Selecting early certainly gets you better seats in whatever price level you select. I got club level halfway between a face off circle and the blue line as Priority D. I don't believe there will be any left between the face off circles in club anymore as only about 3 pairs still show up.

 

[BC/HE]

Do anyone else's tickets say "Tickets not available to be managed", and not have the barcodes showing yet?
If so, will they become available later?
I can't remember this happening last year.

Mine do as well. I believe they do not release the tickets until later, possibly after the presale is finished. I have the same issue with some ECHL tickets as well but believe they release them when their season starts.

 

[JAM]

Where are you able to buy tickets already. I signed up for the presale months ago, and received an email saying tickets go on sale November 1.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Do anyone else's tickets say "Tickets not available to be managed", and not have the barcodes showing yet?
If so, will they become available later?
I can't remember this happening last year.

I did get an email receipt from the NCAA confirming the location of the seats, the price paid, and that the purchase was successful. I don't remember "Tickets Not Available to be Managed" from previous years either. But this isn't unprecedented for Ticketmaster.

As just one example, I've had Major League Soccer (MLS) Ducats sit in "Ticket Purgatory" for a while. Every time this has happened to me the tickets have become "manageable" well before the event. But even if ultimately harmless, this is a nuisance.

First Guess: They don't want you putting up tickets for resale until the Priority Lottery is complete. In other words, they don't competition from the secondary market until they've had a first chance to sell to the whole pool of applicants.

 

[BC/HE]

Where are you able to buy tickets already. I signed up for the presale months ago, and received an email saying tickets go on sale November 1.

Priority ticket holders can purchase until November 2 when they go on sale to the general public. Each Priority group (based upon how many Frozen 4's you have attended) gets a date they can start. Mine was Group D. I have no idea how many groups there are. I would assume you will be attending for the first time and would fall in after those that attended once seeing that you signed up for the presale. The next day they go off presale so if you have been given November 1 you would have to purchase that day or the next day to avoid a public buy. I don't believe that there will be any left by that time however. As stated in my email from the NCAA: You may purchase up to a maximum of eight (8) all-session tickets. Ticket orders will be accepted through Thursday, November 2, or until available inventory is sold out, whichever occurs first.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Priority ticket holders can purchase until November 2 when they go on sale to the general public. Each Priority group (based upon how many Frozen 4's you have attended) gets a date they can start.

Good post; I'll elaborate.

We started earning Priority Points in 1997 by attending the tournament in Milwaukee. A second point was earned by attending in Boston in 1998. And so on.

This will sound weird if you're hearing it for the first time. But we didn't even know we were earning points until St. Paul in 2002. The points for 1997-2001 were awarded retroactively.

Mine was Group D. I have no idea how many groups there are.

FWIW, I'm in Group B. For many years, annual attendees knew their Priority Level as a number -- the number of tournaments attended from 1997 forward. A few years back the NCAA changed to the lettering system.

Reading the tea leaves, there were apparently two motivations. First, with fewer levels deal with, the lottery was a little easier to manage. Specifically they could run through all of the levels in a shorter period of time. Second, the ticket buyer can keep the same letter designation year after year, provided they keep attending. Having your numeric level change every year was a little hard to keep track of, since you're only ordering once per season. Not a big deal, but a small plus for the lettering system.

I would assume you will be attending for the first time and would fall in after those that attended once seeing that you signed up for the presale. The next day they go off presale so if you have been given November 1 you would have to purchase that day or the next day to avoid a public buy. I don't believe that there will be any left by that time however.

To get the best possible seats, you should definitely purchase right when your window opens. If you're in the pre-sale, definitely take advantage of that. However I'm going to respectfully disagree that the tournament will be sold out before the Public Sale begins.

For many years, the tournament has been a soft sellout. At most. Arena comfortably filled, but tickets available right up until the tournament. Even newbies should be able to purchase from the box office. And in the unlikely event that the box office runs out of ducats, there will be tickets available on the secondary market. Even if you're new, keep planning your Journey: Don't Stop Believing.

Yes, the host city matters. Yes, along with Boston, St. Paul has the highest demand. Maybe if the Gopher fanbase truly believes they're going win a Natty on State of Hockey Ice, some fans will be turned away. Maybe. That will occur if the hometown school qualifies for the last group of 4 teams. But anyone inquiring about the pre-sale will have purchased their seats months before that scenario has a chance to kick in.

As stated in my email from the NCAA: You may purchase up to a maximum of eight (8) all-session tickets. Ticket orders will be accepted through Thursday, November 2, or until available inventory is sold out, whichever occurs first.

Careful on the 8 ticket limit. That's certainly true at Levels B & D. But in the past, the limit has shifted to a 4 tickets at the lower levels. I honestly don't know what the current rule is. Just figure out how you would handle either limit before logging in to purchase.

See you in St. Paul.

 

[BC/HE]

Careful on the 8 ticket limit. That's certainly true at Levels B & D. But in the past, the limit has shifted to a 4 tickets at the lower levels. I honestly don't know what the current rule is. Just figure out how you would handle either limit before logging in to purchase.

See you in St. Paul.

For those who bought tickets already and did not reach their limit, they can go back and still order more up to their limit. They don't have to purchase all at one time. It also gives one a chance to see how the arena is filling out as you can check for more seats without buying. However, if you purchase your limit, you no longer can go in and check for more seats.

 

[BC/HE]

Closing in on the end of the presale. Here is what is still available. Single seats between the goal lines except a few pairs or more of the premium first two row seats. There are about 4 seats and another pair on the goal line in the highest row top level. About 75 seats in top and lower levels together on the corners and ends. In club there are about a dozen pairs/triples still left on the ends. Also, some multiple seats in the premium first two rows.

 

[pgb-ohio]

For those who bought tickets already and did not reach their limit, they can go back and still order more up to their limit. They don't have to purchase all at one time. It also gives one a chance to see how the arena is filling out as you can check for more seats without buying.

Correct!

However, if you purchase your limit, you no longer can go in and check for more seats.

This was absolutely true in the recent past. However I bagged my ticket limit this year, yet I just successfully logged in "to see how the arena is filling out." Not sure if got in through a system glitch, or if a conscious decision has been made to be more transparent.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Closing in on the end of the presale. Here is what is still available. Single seats between the goal lines except a few pairs or more of the premium first two row seats. There are about 4 seats and another pair on the goal line in the highest row top level. About 75 seats in top and lower levels together on the corners and ends. In club there are about a dozen pairs/triples still left on the ends. Also, some multiple seats in the premium first two rows.

I am honestly amazed at how the arena is filling out -- at least according to the seating chart I just looked at on Ticketmaster. Good call by you regarding the risk of a sellout.

At the same time, I have to wonder if some tickets have been pulled back for the newbie pre-sale. Obviously there are several sections being held for the participating schools. Maybe other batches of tickets are on hold for other constituencies. (beyond the Priority Lottery)

Be that as it may, buyers should make the purchase when their turn comes up. Wait and you may be counting on the secondary market.

 

[bruinsfan11]

Zero chance tickets are being held for newbies; that’s the opposite of how the NCAA rolls

 

[pgb-ohio]

Zero chance tickets are being held for newbies; that’s the opposite of how the NCAA rolls

In general I agree. And you're probably correct this time as well.

But what's different this time is the NCAA has literally registered people for a pre-sale. Even if it's out of character, wouldn't they want to have something available for those buyers? Or at least there's a non-zero chance they'd want that?

JAM: After you go through the pre-sale, please let us know how it works out.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Zero chance they're holding. Every one of the people I know (Minnesotans) aren't waiting for their priority to come up. They're asking friends with higher priority to buy to ensure they get seats.

it makes absolutely zero sense to hold anything back ever. Like, ever ever. You are in the business to sell tickets not placate potential new customers at the cost of your oldest. Especially when I'm guessing the turnover of new customers matches that of typical businesses.

 

[pgb-ohio]

OK, OK. I'll go with you guys. I'll join your guess that nothing's being held back for the imminent pre-sale.

At The Same Time: It's 100% certain that they're holding back tickets for the participating schools. Highly likely that some tickets are being held back for corporate friends that aren't specifically spoken for at this time. Sometimes certain tickets are only available if you buy a travel package. None of those things are reflected on the current Ticketmaster seating chart. We don't know why particular seats aren't available, only that they aren't currently for sale.

The issue I was actually trying to address is: How did we get from best seat availability in years, to the highest demand in years? If the answer is simply robust sales in the Upper Midwest, then my only comment is "Congratulations."

But I can't help but wonder if there's more to story. Maybe post-pandemic, fans have decided they want to get back in the game? Maybe the event is finally starting to attract a new generation of fans? Something else?

We've both been around a long time. You know as well as I do that many years have gone by since the Frozen Four has been a tough ticket in the Priority Lottery. That includes a couple of stops in St. Paul. If demand is really bouncing back, that's an awesome pleasant surprise. And given the rather hefty price increase this time, it's even more surprising.

I don't have a stake in any particular theory. I would just like to better understand what's going on.

 

[dxmnkd316]

I 100% agree they are holding back tickets for schools.

Minnesota is always going to be an easy sell for starters. Minnesota fans make up a top three team (in terms of jersey sightings) almost every year I've gone. Without the cost of travel and a potential frozen four team this year, it's no surprise tickets are hard to get.

Couple that with a resurgent Wisconsin, Duluth potentially being a contender, a new St Thomas fanbase, a North Dakota that always shows up for travel plus they are likely going to be in the mix this year. Then you add in Mankato, SCSU, and BSU fanbases and you kind of have a massive demand.

Travel to Florida isn't cheap and combined with a number of people not wanting to travel to Florida for political reasons, I don't think it's a surprise if I'm being honest.

Boston was a bit low in terms of demand if I'm being honest. It filled in nicely though.

Going back to Pittsburgh, there was still a huge number of people not willing to travel during the pandemic. So no surprise there.

for whatever reason, buffalo wasn't received well by the fans (I loved my time there).

then we're back to St. Paul. I don't remember how high or low demand was for this or any prior F4s though.

 

[JAM]

In general I agree. And you're probably correct this time as well.

But what's different this time is the NCAA has literally registered people for a pre-sale. Even if it's out of character, wouldn't they want to have something available for those buyers? Or at least there's a non-zero chance they'd want that?

JAM: After you go through the pre-sale, please let us know how it works out.

I had the November 1 presale date. The sale started at 3, but I wasn’t able to login until the evening. When I did, there were about twenty single seats available. Nothing available with two seats next to each other. The Ticketmaster site was glitching out and wouldn’t let me buy any of the seats available. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to buy tickets.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Wait, there are only a few dozen seats left?

 

[pgb-ohio]

...Minnesota is always going to be an easy sell for starters. Minnesota fans make up a top three team (in terms of jersey sightings) almost every year I've gone. Without the cost of travel and a potential frozen four team this year, it's no surprise tickets are hard to get.

Completely agree on the strong support from the Gopher fanbase. But this year's demand breaks a pattern that has held true for over a decade.

Couple that with a resurgent Wisconsin, Duluth potentially being a contender, a new St Thomas fanbase, a North Dakota that always shows up for travel plus they are likely going to be in the mix this year. Then you add in Mankato, SCSU, and BSU fanbases and you kind of have a massive demand.

All true and all relevant. But keep reading.

Travel to Florida isn't cheap and combined with a number of people not wanting to travel to Florida for political reasons, I don't think it's a surprise if I'm being honest.

Demand for Tampa 2016 was very soft. Quite honestly we went back to Florida too soon after 2012. But those of us who support the Frozen Four year in and year out got very lucky with an impressive North Dakota turnout both days. If not for the UND fans, 2016 attendance would have been a major embarrassment.

Boston was a bit low in terms of demand if I'm being honest. It filled in nicely though.

Spot on, and perhaps your single most important observation. Even in one the two top Hockey Hotbeds, demand in the Lottery was soft. Eventually the arena filled in nicely. But lottery participants all got tickets.

Going back to Pittsburgh, there was still a huge number of people not willing to travel during the pandemic. So no surprise there.

Correct. And even more to the point, there was no Ticket Lottery at all.

for whatever reason, buffalo wasn't received well by the fans (I loved my time there).

Strongly agree on both counts. For some reason, people are sour on traveling to Buffalo. The rest of us just to have accept that, I guess. But great wings; great donuts; Niagara Falls; Toronto an easy commute. Plus the tournament itself. How does anyone manage to have a bad 4 day weekend?

then we're back to St. Paul. I don't remember how high or low demand was for this or any prior F4s though.

Here's the thing. Along with Boston, The Twin Cities is the other College Hockey Hotbed. But St. Paul 2011 & St. Paul 2018 were just like Boston 2015 and Boston 2022. No problem getting tickets in the Lottery, but eventually the arena filled in nicely. And that's been the overall pattern from 2011 through 2023.

2024 is almost sold out already? If the reports are accurate. meaning that there are only a small handful of tickets left, this is the first time that lottery ducats have sold so well since at least Washington DC 2009.

Demand was simply more intense in the preceding era. Many times the public allotment sold out, with lots of Priority Holders never offered seats. Those who were able to purchase assumed that they could always get there money back from other buyers, if their plans changed. But the secondary market softened considerably along the way; which in turn made priority holders more reluctant to purchase tickets in the first place.

Boston 1998; St. Paul 2002; Boston 2004 & Milwaukee 2006 were all very tough tickets. Other tournaments from that era weren't quite as coveted. Still, Public Tickets from those tournaments usually sold out during the lottery process. If we're really returning to the old level of demand -- at least in St. Paul & Boston -- that's a big deal. At least to me.

 

[pgb-ohio]

I had the November 1 presale date. The sale started at 3, but I wasn’t able to login until the evening. When I did, there were about twenty single seats available. Nothing available with two seats next to each other. The Ticketmaster site was glitching out and wouldn’t let me buy any of the seats available. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to buy tickets.

I greatly appreciate your reply, and am sincerely sorry about your poor results.

But as per an earlier comment I made, don't give up. If you really want to go, there will be tickets available on the Secondary Market. Including on the USCHO Ticket Board.