Athletic fee...
Athletic fee...
This would, of course, assume that the AD isn't hoping that students won't pick up tickets, allowing them to effectively sell the ticket twice under the current set up.
You've nailed it on the head. Why risk NOT selling all those student tickets, on the off-chance that enough students will actively buy season tickets - even specially priced! I say actively because right now, their season tickets are passively purchased through the activity fee and are held at the box office until their ID is swiped. It's like a giant, secret Will-Call service!
Okay, I'm not saying that AD is evil enough to purposely try not to promote an event with the students so they can make more money off the same ticket. I
am thinking that AD is making an assumption that students don't
want to come to hockey, that they are aware of their athletic fee, and that they choose to "spend" it in other events, such as football, basketball, gymnastics, etc.
The assumption that students are aware of the athletic fee and its purpose is somewhat wrong: students this age are just beginning to learn how to read bills, many of them, and some aren't reading them at all. Those who look at the bill and wonder "what's this activity fee?" often don't bother asking, assuming the University is right, why put another worry on the plate. Others who ask about it are told: that's so you can go to [insert fave sport of rep here] games/events/meets. (I wonder if AD has spoken with Business Services about how to handle such questions, if they're focusing on a specific sport to promote.) Students then think, Oh, I don't like x sport I was told about. Now more students forget about it, and some students ask about the sport they enjoy, and some students ask if the fee can be stricken from their bill (no).
I wonder if Athletics could promote games WITH the athletic fee? They do that with social/music events: This event provided by your Student Activity Fee. Or use just a small amount of the monies gathered with the fee to host a "First Hundred Students (with tix to game) In" pep rally before certain big games (White/Blue Out the Whitt comes to mind, not to mention post-season games). Then, prizes like those hats the SkyBox folks throw down, or the Gas Blimp coupons or other sponsorship deals that happen in the Whitt can get an early start, too! Get the Pep Band there a few times, or some local musicians, or just have canned music (I know how much we all love that). Make it a BIG DEAL a few times with AD cash and build it up with sponsors (of course, without letting go the reins).
Wouldn't it be great if, in a few years, a pep rally like that got too big for the field hockey field and had to start on T-Hall lawn, then parade down to the Whit in time for doors? I know, big dreams.
