B1G Loses $4.5M on Unsold Bowl Tickets

[Mavric]

The ticket sales don’t impact the schools individually, but rather the conference as a whole. Through open-records requests obtained from all seven Big Ten bowl teams, future teams Maryland and Rutgers and each of their bowl opponents, the Gazette learned that the conference had to absorb “nearly $4.5 million” due to unsold bowl tickets.


Nebraska’s athletic department was given 12,678 tickets for the Gator Bowl against Georgia, but through an open-records request, the Gazette found that the school sold only 1,748 tickets. That resulted in a loss of “nearly $800,000.”

Other schools, like Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, also struggled to sell its bowl tickets. In fact, per the Gazette, only Iowa and Michigan State “sold more than half of their allotted tickets.”

For the Rose Bowl, Michigan State sold 94.5 percent its tickets while Iowa sold 78.2 percent of its tickets for the Outback Bowl.

Yahoo

 

[Abdullah the Butcher]

People would rather buy off stub hub and pay reasonable prices.

 

[huKSer]

People would rather buy off stub hub and pay reasonable prices.

And better seats

 

[huKSer]

A hatchet job by an Iowa paper.- Ohio State had almost twice the cost of unsold tickets than Nebraska did - but the paper kept on mocking the lack of NU support

The ticket sales don’t impact the schools individually, but rather the conference as a whole. Through open-records requests obtained from all seven Big Ten bowl teams, future teams Maryland and Rutgers and each of their bowl opponents, the Gazette learned that the conference had to absorb “nearly $4.5 million” due to unsold bowl tickets.


Nebraska’s athletic department was given 12,678 tickets for the Gator Bowl against Georgia, but through an open-records request, the Gazette found that the school sold only 1,748 tickets. That resulted in a loss of “nearly $800,000.”

Other schools, like Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, also struggled to sell its bowl tickets. In fact, per the Gazette, only Iowa and Michigan State “sold more than half of their allotted tickets.”

For the Rose Bowl, Michigan State sold 94.5 percent its tickets while Iowa sold 78.2 percent of its tickets for the Outback Bowl.

Yahoo

 

[Mavric]

Convenient that they wrote it when Iowa had a good showing - a year after a dreadful one - but it's interesting none the less.

 

[jaws]

Maybe fans are smart enough not to waste their money on a worthless bowl. I bet any BigTen team in the playoffs this year will travel very well.

 

[Scratchtown]

The ticket sales don’t impact the schools individually, but rather the conference as a whole. Through open-records requests obtained from all seven Big Ten bowl teams, future teams Maryland and Rutgers and each of their bowl opponents, the Gazette learned that the conference had to absorb “nearly $4.5 million” due to unsold bowl tickets.


Nebraska’s athletic department was given 12,678 tickets for the Gator Bowl against Georgia, but through an open-records request, the Gazette found that the school sold only 1,748 tickets. That resulted in a loss of “nearly $800,000.”

Other schools, like Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, also struggled to sell its bowl tickets. In fact, per the Gazette, only Iowa and Michigan State “sold more than half of their allotted tickets.”

For the Rose Bowl, Michigan State sold 94.5 percent its tickets while Iowa sold 78.2 percent of its tickets for the Outback Bowl.

Yahoo

Personally, unless I would be using it as a vacation, I would rather watch it (football and bowl games) from the comfort of my living room. Watching it with a bunch of people I know. Rather than people I don't know.

 

[Creed]

Attendance will be interesting with the playoff format as the #1 seed gets preference. You will have some odd locations given the match ups and attendance will suffer IMO. Take last year #1 FSU, #2 Auburn #3 Alabama #4 MSU and using this year's semifinal sites you would have:

FSU vs MSU Sugar Bowl New Orleans

Auburn vs Alabama Rose Bowl

Are Alabama and Auburn fans really going to spend the $$$ for tickets, hotel, travel in pricey LA or see if they make it to the finals in Dallas? Could be an half empty Rose Bowl.

Or what if LSU was #4 and got to play in NOLA?

 

[Mavric]

Or what if LSU was #4 and got to play in NOLA?

There is some provision so that the lower seed won't get a "home" game but I'm not sure how they figure all that out.

 

[Creed]

Or what if LSU was #4 and got to play in NOLA?

There is some provision so that the lower seed won't get a "home" game but I'm not sure how they figure all that out.

So they would ship FSU all the way out to LA? See how this playoff will get interesting? I can see future issues if B1G teams get the #1 or #2 and having to play an SEC team in Atlanta, New Orleans or Florida or a B12 team in Texas.

 

[Mavric]

Or what if LSU was #4 and got to play in NOLA?

There is some provision so that the lower seed won't get a "home" game but I'm not sure how they figure all that out.

So they would ship FSU all the way out to LA? See how this playoff will get interesting? I can see future issues if B1G teams get the #1 or #2 and having to play an SEC team in Atlanta, New Orleans or Florida or a B12 team in Texas.

But that's the point - they're not supposed to have the lower seed be the "home" team. So a B1G #1 or #2 shouldn't have to do either. In theory.

 

[Warrior]

A hatchet job by an Iowa paper.- Ohio State had almost twice the cost of unsold tickets than Nebraska did - but the paper kept on mocking the lack of NU support

The ticket sales dont impact the schools individually, but rather the conference as a whole. Through open-records requests obtained from all seven Big Ten bowl teams, future teams Maryland and Rutgers and each of their bowl opponents, the Gazette learned that the conference had to absorb nearly $4.5 million due to unsold bowl tickets.

Nebraskas athletic department was given 12,678 tickets for the Gator Bowl against Georgia, but through an open-records request, the Gazette found that the school sold only 1,748 tickets. That resulted in a loss of nearly $800,000.

Other schools, like Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, also struggled to sell its bowl tickets. In fact, per the Gazette, only Iowa and Michigan State sold more than half of their allotted tickets.

For the Rose Bowl, Michigan State sold 94.5 percent its tickets while Iowa sold 78.2 percent of its tickets for the Outback Bowl.

Yahoo

They also don't mention the Re-match from last years bowl issue too.. I'm all about supporting the school you are a fan of, but if I'm forking out the cash for a ticket I'm getting the best seat I can for my money..