Holder's ticket policy and my take

[OSUFan]

First of all, I just hope that Mike Holder continues this policy until the demand for season tickets exceeds capacity. The increase in season ticket sales would not have happened with individual ticket sales for the Bedlam game and selling out the Bedlam game with individual tickets would only have profited the school for this season. It would not have guaranteed an increase in ticket sales next year.

So here are my ideas to make this ticket policy work better for OSU fans:

1. Save your money! If you want to go to the Bedlam game in 2010, put money back now so that you afford to buy season tickets in 2010. Currently, it only costs $294 to get you butt to the game! That's saving around $17 a month for 17 months when season ticket sales are due in May 2010 (that is if you choose NOT to attend the 2009 season.)

Even at the $419 price tag, you only need to put back around $24.00 a month.

Another option is buying the Wild West 4-pack. It is actually cheaper than buying an individual endzone ticket ($35 vs $42 a game). So find another couple of OSU fans and split the cost.

2. For those who want to go just to the Bedlam game in 2010, you have options with the rest of your tickets.

A. You can donate them to a charity (i.e., Big Brothers/Big Sisters, children's homes/orphanages, public servants, etc.) and then write off the donation. Not only does someone get to go to an OSU game that might not go otherwise but the stadium is full or fuller and you get the satisfaction of knowing you helped someone. Yeah, the tax write off thing too.

Note: I plan on talking with the OSU officials and see if a ticket pool could be established for charitable groups to attend games. All tickets donated back for this specific purpose would go to allowing charities get into the OSU games with donated tickets.

B. You can give them back to OSU for resale. I don't know if this is still in affect but it used to be a person could call or notify OSU they weren't going to use their tickets and OSU could sell them again. It helps OSU increase profit and it puts a butt in your seat.

C. You can give them to friends or family, if you can't make the game.

Now, here is my challenge to those who can afford it -- buy one or two extra season tickets next year. That's what I am doing. This will not only increase season ticket sales for the 2009 season but when renewals come up in 2010 it will mean a fewer number of season tickets available for ou fans to buy after the ticket sales are open to the public.

What do you think?

[Vulgar Display of Orange]

That's nice, but the first thing that needs to happen is change the student ticket upgrade policy. Student uprgade ticket fee should = face - student ticket value.

Really, I would rather see a change in the donor seating requirements more than anything. Posse donations are tax deductible. Football tickets are not.

[OSUFan]

That's nice, but the first thing that needs to happen is change the student ticket upgrade policy. Student uprgade ticket fee should = face - student ticket value.

Really, I would rather see a change in the donor seating requirements more than anything. Posse donations are tax deductible. Football tickets are not.

What's the policy on ticket upgrade right now? And what kind of change would you like to see in donor seating requirements? No football tickets are not tax deductible but if you bought 10 tickets and donated them to Big Brothers/Big Sisters I believe you can count that as a contribution.

[OKState918]

Student uprgade ticket fee should = face - student ticket value.

I was under the impression that was the upgrade fee and has been for several years now...

[Vulgar Display of Orange]

I believe that the upgrade fee is $20 maybe its $40. Its a joke whatever it is. If you are an OSU student then that ticket is for you. If you aren't going to go then try to find another student to use it. If you are going to sell it to someone who should be going to the ticket office for their single game tickets that's fine too, but OSU is still going to get their money.

As far as donor seat I would like to see higher donor requirements instead of higher ticket prices.

- Lower ticket prices back to around $350/ea.
- Eliminate the no donation sections on the north and south sides in favor of low donation sections.
- Make more low donation ($50-100/seat) sections available.
- Keep the WEZ but maybe make some of it low donation.

Some people HAVE been priced out of seating, but it seems that 'pricing out' really means that they don't want to shell out $50 more per ticket. I think if more tickets were available for just a few dollars less per game that we would see an even greater jump in ticket sales for next season. People spending thousands of dollar for tickets will still spend thousands of dollars, but if tickets were just a little cheaper I think that would be enough to see a few thousand more people buy tickets.

I know its crazy, but I think that it is possible to maintain or increase your revenue by selling more product instead of sticking it to your loyals.

That being said....its much easier to sell a 10 win team than a 6 win team.

[OKState918]

I believe that the upgrade fee is $20 maybe its $40.

Right... which would equate to the difference between the cost of a student ticket and the face value of a single-game ticket, depending one whether the game was a conference game or not.

[CaliforniaCowboy]

nix on the donor fee thingy... doesn't really make sense anyway since the ticket revenue goes to the AD budget, and the posse fee goes to the posse club; I don't know if that is a wash or not, but why not just let Holder decide what to do with the money in the first place.

If I wanted to pay a donor fee, I'd join the posse club. Current posse membership is $150, so I don't really see how a $50 or $100 donor fee would be that helpful in the big picture ( but I certainly understand how the big donors would benefit). Probably makes a much economic sense to just raise the donation amounts for good seats and leave the ticket prices alone.

I certainly do see much "economic benefit" to folks that think prices are to high by lowering prices and then jacking them back up with a donor fee - that's still net roughly the same for those "poor folk".

[wickerbill]

I was under the impression that was the upgrade fee and has been for several years now...

Not for bedlam this year at least. Face value for that ticket should have been $295 given that was the true face value for non-season ticket holders, so the upgrade should have been a lot more than it was. That's a HUGE loophole with the new ticket policy.

[OKState918]

Not for bedlam this year at least. Face value for that ticket should have been $295 given that was the true face value for non-season ticket holders, so the upgrade should have been a lot more than it was. That's a HUGE loophole with the new ticket policy.

You're absolutely correct about a loophole existing, but I guess the only alternative would be charging a $250-ish upgrade fee for the "premium" game ticket (which I believe OSU is considering to be Texas for the 2009 season).

Anyway - no easy answers, but I'm not really sure what a good alternative might be.

[snuffy]

You're absolutely correct about a loophole existing, but I guess the only alternative would be charging a $250-ish upgrade fee for the "premium" game ticket (which I believe OSU is considering to be Texas for the 2009 season).

Anyway - no easy answers, but I'm not really sure what a good alternative might be.

Students can only use tickets marked student tickets, no exception.

[OKState918]

Students can only use tickets marked student tickets, no exception.

Yeah, I've seen that argument too, but honestly, I think it has the potential to be harmful more than it has to be beneficial.

For instance, three of my friends - all of whom are alumni and proudly wore orange into Boone Pickens Stadium for the Bedlam game - would have otherwise been denied an opportunity to see the game. And I know a lot of people will say that they should have just bought season tickets before, but honestly, as young alumni who don't live within driving distance of Stillwater, that's asking a lot.

[wickerbill]

Students can only use tickets marked student tickets, no exception.

Bingo. This is the way it used to be. When I was in school we didn't even have physical tickets for most of the games. They would swipe our ID's to let us in. That was back when football was included in the all sports ticket.

[snuffy]

Yeah, I've seen that argument too, but honestly, I think it has the potential to be harmful more than it has to be beneficial.

For instance, three of my friends - all of whom are alumni and proudly wore orange into Boone Pickens Stadium for the Bedlam game - would have otherwise been denied an opportunity to see the game. And I know a lot of people will say that they should have just bought season tickets before, but honestly, as young alumni who don't live within driving distance of Stillwater, that's asking a lot.

But with younger alumni like me and you we can use our student ID's and still use tickets. I probably should have said student ticket must have a student ID for use.

[Vulgar Display of Orange]

nix on the donor fee thingy... doesn't really make sense anyway since the ticket revenue goes to the AD budget, and the posse fee goes to the posse club; I don't know if that is a wash or not, but why not just let Holder decide what to do with the money in the first place.

If I wanted to pay a donor fee, I'd join the posse club. Current posse membership is $150, so I don't really see how a $50 or $100 donor fee would be that helpful in the big picture ( but I certainly understand how the big donors would benefit). Probably makes a much economic sense to just raise the donation amounts for good seats and leave the ticket prices alone.

I certainly do see much "economic benefit" to folks that think prices are to high by lowering prices and then jacking them back up with a donor fee - that's still net roughly the same for those "poor folk".

I don't think so. The lowest donor seat is $75 I think, so if a guy wants to buy 4 seats then that is a $300 donation which I think is scaring some people off...that being the jump from not donating anything to donating $75 x # of tickets (if they can get into the only $75 section). I'm thinking sort of long term with this because I can definitely see a scenario where the WEZ tickets sell out and people decide that it isn't worth the extra dough to buy normal tickets ($459), so instead of buying a lower priced ticket with a small donation ($350 + $50 = $400) they don't buy a ticket at all ($0).

[CaliforniaCowboy]

I don't think so. The lowest donor seat is $75 I think, so if a guy wants to buy 4 seats then that is a $300 donation which I think is scaring some people off...that being the jump from not donating anything to donating $75 x # of tickets (if they can get into the only $75 section). I'm thinking sort of long term with this because I can definitely see a scenario where the WEZ tickets sell out and people decide that it isn't worth the extra dough to buy normal tickets ($459), so instead of buying a lower priced ticket with a small donation ($350 + $50 = $400) they don't buy a ticket at all ($0).

I have no real knowledge how any of it works... but from appearances, there are plenty of seats on the North and South sides that are not donor seating.

Donor seating starts around the 20 yard line unless you're on the lower level.

Untill we start selling all of those out, I'm not going to worry about it one way or the other.

Until season tickets sales peak, which I don't think they have, then there doesn't seem to be a big problem that would warrant mucking up the entire budget for another handful of fans that can't come up with $900 for two tickets, or can't get into the WWZ for less.

http://www.okstate.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=200&ATCLID=1549630