Football student tickets remain on sale

[Ulty]

 

 

 

Talking to some friends at UNL they thought the terrible home schedule was a big reason for them not being sold out.

That's bizarre thinking to me. I'd go hang out at practice if they'd let me. I literally pay to watch a Spring football practice every year. I couldn't care less who they're playing, if it's Husker football, I'd like to be there watching it.

 

The idea that if they're playing weak opponents we won't show up is weird. This Sellout Streak wasn't built on the most rugged of schedules. For the better part of the 60s-90s, you could count on at least five of the other Big 8 schools to be pretty much crap, plus two garbage non-cons and maybe a half-decent-to-good non-con opponent.

 

The years we played Oklahoma in Norman, we rarely played a "sexy" team in Lincoln. Yet they still sold out the stadium, because it was Nebraska and we were Nebraskans.

As long as I can see football being played I'll be there. I do remember one year we played Pacific, who I'm sure may not have been a division I-A team at the time.

The year we played Pacific, we had a national championship team, and the excitement and hunger in 1994 was off the charts. The anticipation for the team in red is what draws the fans; the quality of opponent is a smaller factor.

 

For several years not too long ago, Colorado consistently had some of the toughest OOC schedules in the nation, just so they could sell some tickets. Well, they still had a crappy team, and they have always had a crappy fan base and can't fill their stadium.

 

The product on the field is of prime importance. There just isn't too much excitement for the 2014 Huskers right now compared to previous years. But I also agree with Landlord that UNL needs to take better care of the student fans and make it more of a "collegiate" experience.

[hskrfan4life]

 

 

The key point to remember when dealing with UNL is that they don't give a sh#t about students. That applies to academics, sports attendance, retention, etc. Keep that in mind, and the fact that UNL is working less and less to hide this fact, and you'll see why there might be an issue with student ticket sales.

I largely agree with this sentiment. However, I doubt selling-out the student tickets would be an issue, even with all the screw-jobs I outlined above, if the product on the field wasn't mediocre or consistently inconsistent.

As it turns out, Georgia students left empty 39% of their designated sections of Sanford Stadium over the last four seasons, according to school records of student-ticket scans. Despite their allocation of about 18,000 seats, the number of students at games between 2009 and 2012 never exceeded 15,000.

Winning isn't even necessarily a solution. The average student crowd to see last year's Georgia teamwhich finished the season ranked No. 5was almost 6,000 short of maximum capacity. Even at Alabama, 32% of student seats went unused by students between 2009 and 2012, when the Crimson Tide won three national championships.

http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304795804579097223907738780?mobile=y

Why would they waste money on tickets when they can party and watch it with friends.

[Hannibal]

 

 

The key point to remember when dealing with UNL is that they don't give a sh#t about students. That applies to academics, sports attendance, retention, etc. Keep that in mind, and the fact that UNL is working less and less to hide this fact, and you'll see why there might be an issue with student ticket sales.

I largely agree with this sentiment. However, I doubt selling-out the student tickets would be an issue, even with all the screw-jobs I outlined above, if the product on the field wasn't mediocre or consistently inconsistent.

As it turns out, Georgia students left empty 39% of their designated sections of Sanford Stadium over the last four seasons, according to school records of student-ticket scans. Despite their allocation of about 18,000 seats, the number of students at games between 2009 and 2012 never exceeded 15,000.

Winning isn't even necessarily a solution. The average student crowd to see last year's Georgia team—which finished the season ranked No. 5—was almost 6,000 short of maximum capacity. Even at Alabama, 32% of student seats went unused by students between 2009 and 2012, when the Crimson Tide won three national championships.

http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304795804579097223907738780?mobile=y

The culture and forces at work at each school are different, so I don't think you can necessarily draw conclusions about what's going on here based on what's going on in Alabama or Georgia. We don't have much of a history of not selling student tickets out, even with poor on-field performance (all of which contrasts quite sharply with Alabama, evidently). That tells me that there are multiple factors at play here, the biggest of which, in my opinion, is the performance of the team and the perception of stagnation. Like I said above, I think making student tickets nontransferable was the straw that broke the camel's back, when combined with the other factors I've mentioned. That's what my friends still at UNL are telling me at least.

[Landlord]

 

 

 

The key point to remember when dealing with UNL is that they don't give a sh#t about students. That applies to academics, sports attendance, retention, etc. Keep that in mind, and the fact that UNL is working less and less to hide this fact, and you'll see why there might be an issue with student ticket sales.

I largely agree with this sentiment. However, I doubt selling-out the student tickets would be an issue, even with all the screw-jobs I outlined above, if the product on the field wasn't mediocre or consistently inconsistent.

As it turns out, Georgia students left empty 39% of their designated sections of Sanford Stadium over the last four seasons, according to school records of student-ticket scans. Despite their allocation of about 18,000 seats, the number of students at games between 2009 and 2012 never exceeded 15,000.

Winning isn't even necessarily a solution. The average student crowd to see last year's Georgia team—which finished the season ranked No. 5—was almost 6,000 short of maximum capacity. Even at Alabama, 32% of student seats went unused by students between 2009 and 2012, when the Crimson Tide won three national championships.

http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304795804579097223907738780?mobile=y

The culture and forces at work at each school are different, so I don't think you can necessarily draw conclusions about what's going on here based on what's going on in Alabama or Georgia. We don't have much of a history of not selling student tickets out, even with poor on-field performance (all of which contrasts quite sharply with Alabama, evidently). That tells me that there are multiple factors at play here, the biggest of which, in my opinion, is the performance of the team and the perception of stagnation. Like I said above, I think making student tickets nontransferable was the straw that broke the camel's back, when combined with the other factors I've mentioned. That's what my friends still at UNL are telling me at least.

 

 

 

 

I don't know if I agree with your final conclusion about the non-transferrable tickets for students.

 

I get that it makes it worse, totally, but the reason I'm not sure if I agree is because it's not just student tickets that aren't nearly in the same demand.

 

Last year I bought a ticket for the Southern Miss game off of stubhub for $9.

 

 

Nine dollars.

[EbylHusker]

Yeah, my post was assuming you also include the baseline fact that there just isn't that much excitement surrounding the Huskers right now, and there hasn't been for a long while.

 

Beyond that, and regarding what I did post, most undergrads are pretty oblivious to what goes on at the university they attend. But most universities also hide their apathy toward students reasonably well (UNL certainly isn't unique in not caring about students - it's the rule, not the exception). So when you couple retard undergrads and some effort to hide the true nature of most universities, you get a system that trundles along alright.

 

UNL has slowly gotten worse and worse at hiding it, to the point where I think many undergrads are beginning to clue in, if only a little. Like most universities, UNL is a business, not an education center. Students are there to make the business money.

 

The point being that a combination of relatively non-exciting Husker football teams and students getting glimpses of how the university really feels about them (including where they sit, etc) explains a general feeling of apathy toward student tickets. I'm sure they'll get them sold, though.

[sd'sker]

 

Not to mention, at least in my opinion, that the team belongs to the students more than it belongs to anyone else. No students = no university = no football team.

You persist in this idea, but the sellout streak wasn't built on the backs of students. As a percentage, students make up a minority of fans both in existence and in attendance at the games.

 

This team doesn't have one of the largest, most-dedicated fan followings around the nation because of current students. It doesn't even owe that fandom to alumni - at least not completely. Most Nebraska fans do not and never have attended UNL.

 

This idea is simply not borne out by the facts, at all.

 

not to mention that the university is a state-subsidized institution. so: no taxpayers=no university=no football team or students

[Moiraine]

Have to agree that it doesn't belong to the students. I come from an extended family of obsessed husker fans and only two of us actually attended UNL. I think that's how it is for most.

 

Also, tuition is one of the lower sources of funding for the university. I remember taking an education class where most of the students were appalled at the idea that professors' #1 priority wasn't the teaching part of their job. I think a lot of students don't realize it's not their primary purpose. A professor can bring in a million $ from research or they can try really hard to be a great teacher for their low level math class. Kind of easy to choose. I feel like this is sort of related.

[skersfan]

TV is the biggest boon to football, but it also causes many problems for the administration in putting butts in the seats. Almost every major university is feeling this. Much easier to set at home and watch with friends, Big screen, all the beer, chips and salsa you can eat. The students are here to get an education, and face it to party. Why pay 160 bucks when they can party at the tailgate and see the game on satellite, and not have to peek between or over someone in front of them.

 

I never attended the University, but many of my family have, for many years. The students being involved is what it is about, and we need them there. I first truly learned of college football watching the old Mickey Rooney movies. What it meant to be involved. The kids need to be closer, be part of the team, and I agree it should be free for them. But I also agree that we have had some bad things happen to this program, and it developing into a winner again, would fix the problem. Winning cures all, no matter what game you play.

 

The way some of these comments are being portrayed it almost sounds like a we will show you how important we are. But I have little doubt that the seats will sell out, some one will pay for them one way or another this year, 10 years down the road and the team playing the same it will be doubtful.

[Ulty]

Bear with me, but did anyone see the movie "Finding Neverland" (a chick flick, a tear-jerker for you sensitive types)?

 

In the movie, the writer of "Peter Pan" demanded that free tickets for his play were given out to children from the orphanage, and the children were distributed all across the theater. The theater owner thought he was crazy because he was just tossing away revenue. Well, when the children saw the play and laughed, it made it more enjoyable for the adults in attendance as well, and the play turned out to be a smash hit, whereas if only the adults had been in the theater alone, it likely would have bombed.

 

I think having students at a football game is similar. Many universities have larger student sections, cheaper or free tickets for students (at least that was the case quite a few years ago), and have the students in a more prominent location in the stadium, and it makes for a better overall gameday environment. A lot of people talk about Memorial Stadium being a great place to watch the game but rather subdued and dominated by "blue-hairs." That has been the discussion for as long as I can remember (and I went to UNL in the late 90s). If the students were a bigger part of the game, I think the whole environment would be improved.

 

NU kept moving the students back, and charged for tickets when other universities gave them to students for free, because they could; there was such a high ticket demand and money talks. But now we are having this discussion, they really should find a way to make it better for the students. The college students. For a college football game. I understand those that say the fan base is more statewide than just about the student body, but come on now, the players are students too. This is a collegiate sport on a college campus. It should definitely be better and more accessible to students. I bet the whole stadium experience would be more rocking if the students were treated better, and not just as an afterthought.

[BigRedBuster]

 

 

NU kept moving the students back, and charged for tickets when other universities gave them to students for free, because they could; there was such a high ticket demand and money talks. But now we are having this discussion, they really should find a way to make it better for the students. The college students. For a college football game. I understand those that say the fan base is more statewide than just about the student body, but come on now, the players are students too. This is a collegiate sport on a college campus. It should definitely be better and more accessible to students. I bet the whole stadium experience would be more rocking if the students were treated better, and not just as an afterthought.

[VA Husker Fan]

With how strong our athletic department is as a whole, if I was the AD I would make student tickets free the way almost any small college does. You miss out on a little over a million dollars in ticket revenue, but I feel like that would easily be offset.

 

If you want to be like a small college football program, do like a small college does. Football tickets to Husker games have a value, don't give them away.

[VA Husker Fan]

 

I don't know how this situation can surprise anyone. The University has treated the student fans poorly for a number of years now, and lots of students now have an "F-off" attitude toward the administration.

 

This situation really began when the University decided to move virtually the entire student section to BFE South Stadium. This is in contrast to many other large universities, where student sections are closer to the field and/or closer to midfield. Anyone, for example, remember our game at TAMU a few years ago? They brought in extra seats to put at field level so more of their students to come to the game and make it loud. Meanwhile, we moved our students farther away and minimized their impact on the game.

 

All the friends I have still at UNL decided for the first time this year not to get student tickets due to the inability to validate and transfer tickets to non-students. The inability to do this is essentially pissing money away for many students, and it was the straw that broke the camel's back.

 

I really think, and have heard, that the new policy on ticket transfers combined with the opportunity to buy some of the worst tickets in the stadium are the primary driving forces of this situation.

This was insanely common when I went to school there. Now they have a digital system and only 250 or so non-students are allowed to attend. It's sad that the athletic department got greedy and ended the students ability to sell their tickets.

 

I remember having to log into the website in April to reserve student tickets for south stadium my freshmen year. Now their going into game week with some in hand, and will have to find an alternative way to sell them (no doubt they will).

 

 

I'm confused, are we trying to get more students into games to make the atmosphere more electric and to create future donors, or are we trying to provide a way for students to make some money by allowing them to sell their tickets?

[Moiraine]

 

 

I don't know how this situation can surprise anyone. The University has treated the student fans poorly for a number of years now, and lots of students now have an "F-off" attitude toward the administration.

 

This situation really began when the University decided to move virtually the entire student section to BFE South Stadium. This is in contrast to many other large universities, where student sections are closer to the field and/or closer to midfield. Anyone, for example, remember our game at TAMU a few years ago? They brought in extra seats to put at field level so more of their students to come to the game and make it loud. Meanwhile, we moved our students farther away and minimized their impact on the game.

 

All the friends I have still at UNL decided for the first time this year not to get student tickets due to the inability to validate and transfer tickets to non-students. The inability to do this is essentially pissing money away for many students, and it was the straw that broke the camel's back.

 

I really think, and have heard, that the new policy on ticket transfers combined with the opportunity to buy some of the worst tickets in the stadium are the primary driving forces of this situation.

This was insanely common when I went to school there. Now they have a digital system and only 250 or so non-students are allowed to attend. It's sad that the athletic department got greedy and ended the students ability to sell their tickets.

 

I remember having to log into the website in April to reserve student tickets for south stadium my freshmen year. Now their going into game week with some in hand, and will have to find an alternative way to sell them (no doubt they will).

 

 

I'm confused, are we trying to get more students into games to make the atmosphere more electric and to create future donors, or are we trying to provide a way for students to make some money by allowing them to sell their tickets?

 

 

Allowing them/us to sell our tickets makes it more likely they'll buy them. Maybe there are students who want to or are able to attend only 80% of the home games. If they knew they would be able to sell 1 or 2 tickets instead of being stuck with them, they would be more likely to buy season tickets.

[BigRedBuster]

 

 

 

I don't know how this situation can surprise anyone. The University has treated the student fans poorly for a number of years now, and lots of students now have an "F-off" attitude toward the administration.

 

This situation really began when the University decided to move virtually the entire student section to BFE South Stadium. This is in contrast to many other large universities, where student sections are closer to the field and/or closer to midfield. Anyone, for example, remember our game at TAMU a few years ago? They brought in extra seats to put at field level so more of their students to come to the game and make it loud. Meanwhile, we moved our students farther away and minimized their impact on the game.

 

All the friends I have still at UNL decided for the first time this year not to get student tickets due to the inability to validate and transfer tickets to non-students. The inability to do this is essentially pissing money away for many students, and it was the straw that broke the camel's back.

 

I really think, and have heard, that the new policy on ticket transfers combined with the opportunity to buy some of the worst tickets in the stadium are the primary driving forces of this situation.

This was insanely common when I went to school there. Now they have a digital system and only 250 or so non-students are allowed to attend. It's sad that the athletic department got greedy and ended the students ability to sell their tickets.

 

I remember having to log into the website in April to reserve student tickets for south stadium my freshmen year. Now their going into game week with some in hand, and will have to find an alternative way to sell them (no doubt they will).

 

 

I'm confused, are we trying to get more students into games to make the atmosphere more electric and to create future donors, or are we trying to provide a way for students to make some money by allowing them to sell their tickets?

 

 

Allowing them/us to sell our tickets makes it more likely they'll buy them. Maybe there are students who want to or are able to attend only 80% of the home games. If they knew they would be able to sell 1 or 2 tickets instead of being stuck with them, they would be more likely to buy season tickets.

 

This is exactly what I used to do. I used to sell one or two games and that basically paid for my season tickets. These tended to be games that I couldn't make it to.

 

Seriously, if I were a student today, I'm not sure I would buy the season tickets. Why not just go to the games you want to and buy a ticket off the street right before kickoff?

 

They have made it more and more undesirable for a student to buy the season tickets and they arguably are the most broke fans in the stadium. BUT.....they are the FUTURE check writers for the program.

[Moiraine]

 

 

 

 

I don't know how this situation can surprise anyone. The University has treated the student fans poorly for a number of years now, and lots of students now have an "F-off" attitude toward the administration.

 

This situation really began when the University decided to move virtually the entire student section to BFE South Stadium. This is in contrast to many other large universities, where student sections are closer to the field and/or closer to midfield. Anyone, for example, remember our game at TAMU a few years ago? They brought in extra seats to put at field level so more of their students to come to the game and make it loud. Meanwhile, we moved our students farther away and minimized their impact on the game.

 

All the friends I have still at UNL decided for the first time this year not to get student tickets due to the inability to validate and transfer tickets to non-students. The inability to do this is essentially pissing money away for many students, and it was the straw that broke the camel's back.

 

I really think, and have heard, that the new policy on ticket transfers combined with the opportunity to buy some of the worst tickets in the stadium are the primary driving forces of this situation.

This was insanely common when I went to school there. Now they have a digital system and only 250 or so non-students are allowed to attend. It's sad that the athletic department got greedy and ended the students ability to sell their tickets.

 

I remember having to log into the website in April to reserve student tickets for south stadium my freshmen year. Now their going into game week with some in hand, and will have to find an alternative way to sell them (no doubt they will).

 

 

I'm confused, are we trying to get more students into games to make the atmosphere more electric and to create future donors, or are we trying to provide a way for students to make some money by allowing them to sell their tickets?

 

 

Allowing them/us to sell our tickets makes it more likely they'll buy them. Maybe there are students who want to or are able to attend only 80% of the home games. If they knew they would be able to sell 1 or 2 tickets instead of being stuck with them, they would be more likely to buy season tickets.

 

 

Seriously, if I were a student today, I'm not sure I would buy the season tickets. Why not just go to the games you want to and buy a ticket off the street right before kickoff?

 

That's what I do. I bought season tickets the first year. Now I just go to one or two games and get good tickets the day of the games.