|
Post by parkerj on Nov 21, 2019 0:37:55 GMT -6
Sure, I guess my overall issue with trying the "GCU Strategy" is it would basically mean convincing Herb Kohl to take all the money he's not spending on the Bucks and spend it on us instead. Awesome if it works, but........ Not to ruin your joke, but you do know that Herb Kohl doesn't own the Bucks right? Right. GCU's primary financial backer Jerry Colangelo no longer owns the Suns either
|
|
|
Post by bizzork on Nov 22, 2019 19:07:09 GMT -6
I took my family of five to last night’s UND game for about $70, 300 level, by playing games with two Pounce Pal memberships. It is the first game that I have been to in over a year after giving up my season tickets two years ago. My thoughts: - The ticket prices for this kind of sporting experience are simply too high. We can compare the cost of UWM games to that of the Bucks, Admirals, Wave, MU, etc. all we want but we are not the Bucks, Admirals, Wave, MU, etc. They can price their tickets how they want because the product and perceived value is much better. The attendance at Panther games is not a temporary anomaly. People have voted with their pocketbooks and have determined that the game experience is not worth the 15, 27, 35 price points that are offered. After sampling a few food items and parking on the street, I spent about $90 (with no beer). To be fair, I still have two kid vouchers for select (really? lol) future games included in that price. On the 27th, I would pay only about $15-$20 more to go to the Admirals game with similar seating with a much better game environment. Something has to give.
I'm not sure what you think the prices should be at. Those prices might be around in what other schools charge in the Horizon League. Would $5 tickets in the 300 level really make more come out last night. I don't think so! That deal was done two years ago. $35, $25 and $15 is a fair price. Lower it down $5 in each section, many will still want it lower. The best way to save is season tickets. Heck, the 300 level is $99!!! Problem is we have too many former Panther fans that don't want to come back because of a certain person. APR ban, players leaving and losing seasons all have been a killer. That is their choice. I don't need to add more on a message board about how I feel about that. Most seating area's the Admirals sell that the Panthers sell in those area's are as low as $29 and $27. The cheaper seats are $17 & $21 for the Admirals. With the seats on the glass much higher. So, the Panther pricing is more than fair. So, I would not say it is a similar seat. Glad you came out! There are many promos they do. Yes, it sucked that the pep band was at the women's game last night. So, far the student turnout has been good. Yes, I wish they would do some cheers. Let's hope the team keeps winning and the fans will come. A basic economic principle would indicate offering $5 tickets in the 300 level would indeed get more to come to the game. As prices decrease, there is a larger pool of consumers willing to pay that price rather than the $15 prices. While season tickets are a good deal at the $99 price, they are not a very good deal at higher levels. Team | Season Price Per Game | Last 3 Yrs KenPom Avg | Green Bay Phoenix | $6.19 | 212.66 | Milwaukee Panthers ($99 Deal only) | $6.19 | 250.33 | Wright State Raiders | $8.13 | 138 | Oakland Golden Grizzlies | $8.93 | 155 | Cleveland State Vikings | $9.29 | 273.33 | Youngstown State Penguins | $9.67 | 287.66 | Detroit Titans | $10.00 | 284.66 | Northern Kentucky Norse | $10.75 | 108 | IUPUI Jaguars | $11.43 | 224.33 | UIC Flames | $11.76 | 205.33 |
When we look at individual tickets, we see that the "get in to the building" price is a bad deal, especially through the prism of other Horizon League teams: Team | Indiv. Low | Last 3 Yrs KenPom Avg | Green Bay Phoenix | $10.00 | 212.66 | Wright State Raiders | $10.00 | 138 | Cleveland State Vikings | $10.00 | 273.33 | Youngstown State Penguins | $10.00 | 287.66 | Detroit Titans | $10.00 | 284.66 | IUPUI Jaguars | $10.00 | 224.33 | UIC Flames | $10.55 | 205.33 | Northern Kentucky Norse | $14.00 | 108 | Oakland Golden Grizzlies | $15.00 | 155 | Milwaukee Panthers | $15.00 | 250.33 |
There are only 2 teams in the HL that have even close to that high of a minimum, both with smaller arenas and way better basketball. If we look at the "high prices" which I would define as the best non-courtside individual assigned seat, Milwaukee is a complete atrocity. Team | Indiv. High | Last 3 Yrs KenPom Avg | Wright State Raiders | $30.00 | 138 | Youngstown State Penguins | $14.00 | 287.66 | Northern Kentucky Norse | $14.00 | 108 | Detroit Titans | $15.00 | 284.66 | UIC Flames | $17.65 | 205.33 | IUPUI Jaguars | $19.00 | 224.33 | Cleveland State Vikings | $20.00 | 273.33 | Oakland Golden Grizzlies | $20.00 | 155 | Green Bay Phoenix | $22.00 | 212.66 | Milwaukee Panthers | $35.00 | 250.33 |
This is absurd, and I'm unclear on why these get priced here, given the combination of bad basketball and lots of empty seats. There is no good reason Milwaukee doesn't consistently offer a $10 single-game seat, and I'm at a loss for why there is any section over $20 for the quality of basketball this fan base has had to sit through.
|
|
|
Post by Pounce Needs Pals on Nov 22, 2019 20:27:14 GMT -6
Wright State is $30, not $10.
|
|
|
Post by PantherU on Nov 23, 2019 15:50:59 GMT -6
Sorry for the Jimmy length post. I’m happy that the on court performance has improved and hope to get to more games but man, it is depressing. Don't be cruel, these people have suffered enough.
|
|
|
Post by bizzork on Nov 23, 2019 16:14:39 GMT -6
Wright State is $30, not $10. Updated, that one is somewhat arguable since the front row cost is also $30. The points hold though.
|
|
|
Post by PantherU on Nov 23, 2019 16:31:47 GMT -6
TBF, they pay their student section leaders (link is dead but you can see from the context in the comments that it's not disputed) If I were AD, I'd be paying student section leaders too (and not just because we used to be them). Jason and LeVar got a lot of free work out of us over the years. We were happy to give our time because we cared about the program, but for every hour of my time I'd have been paid to do that instead of bus tables at Tumbleweed, take high school hoops stats over the phone at the Journal Sentinel, or scan items at the front counter at Walgreens, I'd have devoted that time instead to getting out the students for games at the Cell downtown and it would have helped. Every time we did the street team thing, we'd get a minimum of 100 more kids at the game that night. I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but I'm willing to bet at least a few of you guys got into the program because I ran into you in the dorms and got you to come out to a game, then you fell in love with the program and committed your own time to it. Wacker showed up to a volleyball game the first week of his freshman year. We had 100 kids at the volleyball game. I solicited the student section for ideas, he got up and suggested we do "The Bus" - I had him teach everyone who didn't know, and just having that bit of a leadership role got him HOOKED on the program for years. IIRC, Parker, you had a crush on a girl and followed her to some games before you moved on and joined the rest of us losers at the front. I think you may be onto something RE: the band not showing up Don't forget, the band was getting paid the whole time we were in school. I think the regulars were paid $25/game and the section leaders were $30/game. The student attendance has always been an issue since I was in school (graduated in 2014) and probably before that. The only time students come is when the team is good (ie HL semis and finals vs Valpo and Butler back in the day) or if there is free food or cool giveaways. Spirit of Bruce, Jimmy, me and others tried so many things during our years and we still could not get a solid student crowd but we did have fun and at least do chants. It would be nice if they did have someone to lead the students even if that means paying them or giving them food/beverage vouchers. Whatever it may be, it just needs some leaders to get things in order and lead things. My 2 cents. Students would show up in droves to be on ESPN. They don't care about being on the streaming ESPN+ for the 500 people worldwide watching. So it cycles back to my point that students want to be the center of attention. Giving them free stuff tells them they're not coming to something of value. "Buying a pizza, even with a coupon, is costing me $5. If they're paying the $5 per pizza to get me 'there,' then 'there' must not be somewhere I want to be." ___________________________________ Just to finish with some thoughts regarding pricing, the truth is the pricing does not follow the mission of the university. Unless the mission has changed, when I was in school UWM wasn't trying to be Madison. UWM was trying to be the exceptional college experience that also was accessible for the greater Milwaukee community and the state. Accessible. The "get-in-the-door" price should not be high. You can't price your games like it's a tough ticket when it's not a tough ticket. You need people. Someone needs to be out in the crowd thanking people for coming out and inviting them to help make it better. I brought up Travis Wacker's initiation into the family because I think we should be engaging the people who are already invested in the program, whether it's deeply or just on the surface. Online surveys are nice, but interpersonal communication is far better and people will appreciate it more if they feel like their input matters and they can be a part of the solution for a serious problem facing the university's non-academic side.
|
|
|
Post by parkerj on Nov 24, 2019 17:00:23 GMT -6
Sorry, was just listing a single very related example to a guy familiar with GCU. I just don't think they're a great model to follow because they're DUMPING money we don't have into the program. Marvin Menzies took an assistant job at last year's third place finisher in the WAC over a HC gig with the second place school because GCU's assistant gig paid more. It'd be like Bryce Drew looking at the pile of cash he was getting from Vandy, then at the NKU job and instead taking the assistant spot we hired John Bowler to. Silly to even think about. GCU just saw an influx of celebrities showing up to its game after getting wrecked by Davenport University. Think that happens at Milwaukee if we lose to Parkside? I have a very hard time believing it was the result of a budding curiosity in the 'Lopes
|
|