Tickets Galore Week #2

Most college football games will be better than this movie.


Game of the week
Georgia Tech at Boston College 12:00 PM at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, MA
Lower Sideline U $13.00
Corner endzone seats to one of the weekends more interesting games. With the leading teams in the ACC stumbling during week #1 the conference may be wide open.

Richmond at Virginia Football Tickets 3:45 PM at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, VA
Upper Sideline 504 $2.50
Tickets are up from a mere $1.99. These tickets are on the 30 in the upper deck.

Eastern Washington at Colorado Football Tickets 1:30 PM at Folsom Field in Boulder, CO
Lower End Zone $9.00
The low price game for the Buff season.

Minnesota at Bowling Green Football Tickets 1:00 PM at Perry Stadium in Bowling Green, OH
No tickets listed. Is no one selling or more accurately did no one see a value in this game prior to the BG win over Pitt. When was the last time a MAC school had two wins in a season against BCS schools.

The Citadel at Clemson Football Tickets 3:30 PM at Clemson Memorial Stadium in Clemson, SC
Upper Sideline C $5.00
In row Z of the top of three decks.

Mississippi at Wake Forest Football Tickets at 3:30 PM at Groves Stadium in Winston Salem, NC
Sideline 9 $15.00
See a rising star in the ACC?

Scalper's special (buy these and turn them for a profit)
West Virginia at East Carolina Football Tickets 4:30 PM at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, NC
215 $69.00
Good location for a hot game as Pirate fans are looking for their long sought treasure.

Stanford at Arizona State Football Tickets at 7:00 PM at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, AZ
Upper Corner 214 $4.75
Bad seats good price. Just waiting to cash in on the Dawg visit.

Oregon State at Penn State Football Tickets 3:30 PM at Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA
Lower Level Sideline EH $50.00
Surprisingly goo seats for watching the Ducks come to town. Very good supply of PSU tickets.

Southern Mississippi at Auburn Football Tickets 12:30 PM at Jordan Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL
Upper Deck Sideline 47 $15.00
So why do LSU (9/20) tickets cost $139?

Central Michigan at Georgia Football Tickets 3:30 PM at Sanford Stadium in Athens, GA
Upper Level Sideline 336 $74.00
Price is up from two weeks ago. These are not good seats.
Price survey taken 8/31/08

Bread for Football Redux

On the eve of the kickoff of the college football season here is a review of the top ten teams (as of early July and an update on ticket prices). This is an update of a post from July 7, 2008. The new prices are in bold.

So how much will it cost to buy a ticket to see a top 10 team? While there are many issues that influence the secondary market for tickets and these price are the "asked for" this gives a view of the level of fan support/interest.

1 Ohio State
v. Ohio
Corner 30 $114.00 each
Sideline 17 D $100.00 each

v. Michigan
End Zone 34 B $439.00 each
Corner 30 C $421.00
Other corner endzone.

Season Ticket $1699
No season tickets available

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2 Southern Cal
v. Washington
Upper End Zone $53.00 each
Upper End Zone 16 $60.00
Exact location TBD

v. Ohio State
Upper End Zone $298.00 each
Upper Corner 12 $313.00
Sunny California, bring your sunscreen.

Season Ticket: $799
$850

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3 Florida
v. Hawaii
Sunshine End Zone 324 $86.00 each
Upper Corner 51 $30.00
SPF 40 or better for this opening game.

v. LSU
Upper Corner 47 $251.00 each
Upper End Zone 55 $200.00
Sunshine not included in this endzone.

Season Ticket: $1225
No season tickets available

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4t Georgia
v. Central Michigan
Upper Level Sideline 611 $86.00 each
Upper Level End Zone 320 $69.00

Not in the endzone but you may suffer a nose bleed.

v. Alabama
Upper Level Sideline 601 $208.00 each
Upper Level Sideline 602 $200.00
At the other goal line from sec. 611

Season Ticket: $990.00
$1,398.00

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4t Oklahoma
v. UT Chattanooga
Lower Level End Zone 15 $48.00 each
Upper Level Sideline 226 $36.00
Is the rodeo in town?


v. Nebraska
Lower Level End Zone 15 $124.00 each
Upper Level Sideline 226 $133.99
If the Huskers get on a roll this could go higher.

Season Ticket: $500
No Change

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6 Missouri
v. Southeast Missouri
Corner 5 $42.00 each
Sideline CC $27.50
But this is rivalry game?

v. Colorado
Corner 5 $101.00 each
Sideline BB $101.00 each
End Zone 8 $77.50
Your choice of cheap seats

Season Ticket: None Listed
No Change

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7 Clemson
v. The Citadel
Upper Sideline T $35.00 each
Upper Sideline Q $8.00

v. South Carolina State
Upper Sideline T $35.00 each
Upper Sideline I $18.00
Cupcakes are cheap.

South Carolina
Upper Sideline T $225.00 each
Upper Sideline B $189.00
Probably the same seats as above and now is the time to cash in.

Season Ticket: $669
No season tickets available

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8 West Virginia
v. Cincinnati
Lower Level Green Zone $71.00 each
Upper Level Gold Zone 203 $75.00 each
Another ticket that may go up in value.

v. Auburn
Upper Level Orange Zone $148.00
Lower Level Green Zone $188.95
Upper deck, corner.

Season Ticket: $760
No season tickets available

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9 Louisiana State

v. Troy (2nd appearance)
South 420 $50.00 each
West Upper 619 $43.00
v. North Texas
South 420 $50.00 each
East Upper 639 $40.00
South Belt teams do not sell tickets.

.v Georgia
West Upper 611 $255.00 each
East Upper 637 $230.00
Thought the price would be higher.

Note: Appalachian State at LSU Football $74. Is this an opening day premium or respect?
Now $57.00

Season Ticket: $600
No season tickets available

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10 Texas
v. Florida Atlantic
Upper Level Sideline 102 $57.00 each
Upper End Zone 114 $19.00
Again South Belt teams do not sell tickets.

v. Oklahoma
Lower Level End Zone 31 $284.00 each
Upper Endzone Texas $259.99
Far and away the most expensive ticket for the Longhorns.

Season Ticket: $599
No season tickets available

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**Prices from StubHub.com 7/8/08
Updated 8/26/08

Conclusion: In most cases waiting will bring more supply and lower prices.

Speed up your life

In between the arena cross and monster trucker ads University of Nortern Iowa hired the producer of their very entertaining TV spot. The highlight of the ad is sped up action.



Hey if that were the real speed of the action the NFL and the Three Stooges are in trouble.

How can you say no?

Newberry College has a video on YouTube inviting you to buy season tickets.



Here's the link to place your order.

Gropher Hole

One of life's lesson's that we all eventually learn is that who we are it only minimally effected by the object we surround ourselves with. You can be forgiven if you were deluded in thinking that wearing a varsity lettermen's jacket would be you instant key to the cool click in high school. Fortunately as expressed in New TCF Bank stadium: Back to the future there is no fantasy that a new stadium (featuring the DQ Club Zone) will reverse the state of the football program.

"It won't guarantee victories or sold-out attendance once the shine wears off, but Gophers officials believe it is a large chip in the ever-expanding arm's race of college athletics."

Will students and alumni know how to act at their own, we are not simply renters stadium? I would be great to see if UM (the other, other UM) fans can revive past traditions lost in the move to an off campus location and create new traditions. Will students appreciate TFC Bank Stadium in ten years when there is no recall of how bad it was back in 2008?

An interesting history of University of Minnesota football stadiums including a guest appearance by Lou Holtz as part of the story.

Tickets Galore Week #1

And some say there is nothing on TV.

Week #1 of Tickets Galore 2008, where BCF looks at the StubHub.com prices for select games. Listed is the lowest price for tickets with the requirement that there be at least two at that price. Also auctions will not be listed although they do give the best

Louisiana-Monroe at Auburn Football Tickets
Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 6:00 PM at Jordan Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL
Upper Deck Sideline sec. 59 $23.00 each
Corner endzone. Expected a higher price

Fresno State at Rutgers Football Tickets
Monday, September 1, 2008 at 4:30 PM at Rutgers Stadium - NJ in Piscataway, NJ
Upper Deck Sideline 218 $45.00 each
What would be the price have been five years ago?

Utah at Michigan Football Tickets
Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 1:00 PM at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, MI
End Zone 8 82 2 $43.00 each
ESPN will be all over this one but the Wolverine faithful?

USC at Virginia Football Tickets
Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 3:30 PM at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, VA
Upper Corner 527 $55.00 each
Plenty of good seats for the UVA Richmond game the following Saturdaystarting at $1.99

Wake Forest at Baylor Football Tickets
Thursday, August 28, 2008 at 7:00 PM at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, TX
Sideline sec. H $20.00 each
Look like pretty good seats to one of the more interesting opening weekend games

Northern Illinois at Minnesota Football Tickets
Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 6:00 PM at Metrodome in Minneapolis, MN
Upper End Zone 219 $6.99 each

Northern Iowa at BYU Football Tickets
Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 4:00 PM at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, UT
Sec 127 $14.00 each
And two weeks later seats in section 128 will cost you $58.00

Stephen F Austin at TCU Football Tickets
Saturday, September 6, 2008 at 6:00 PM at Amon G Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, TX
Lower Sideline sec. A $24.00 each
Firm price for a non-BCS school v. a 1AA school.

Virginia Tech vs East Carolina Football Tickets
Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Upper End Zone 527 21 2 $32.23 each
Note this game is being played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC

Tennessee at UCLA Football Tickets
Monday, September 1, 2008 at 5:00 PM at Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA
Bruin Reserved 13 $25.00 each
Seats in row 77; may be the rim of the bowl.

Georgia Southern at Georgia Football Tickets
Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 1:00 PM at Sanford Stadium in Athens, GA
Upper Level Sideline 326 $109.00 each
The new Uga is frothing at the mouth for the season to start.

Youngstown State at Ohio State Football Tickets
Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 1:00 PM at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, OH
End Zone 14 $149.99 each
Why yes the game will be on BTN.

Coastal Carolina at Penn State Football Tickets
Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 1:00 PM at Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA
Upper Level End Zone NHU $35.00 each
If it is a nice day, why not take in the game.

San Diego State at Notre Dame Football Tickets
Saturday, September 6, 2008 at 3:30 PM at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN
Upper Level Corner 133 $100.00 each
See ND on the way the being 1/3 the team they were last year. SDU is a D1 school but may not be much better than YSU

Appalachian State at LSU Football Tickets
Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 5:00 PM at Tiger Stadium - Baton Rouge in Baton Rouge, LA
West Upper 619 $85.00 each
Lighting never strike the same place twice.

Kentucky at Louisville Football Tickets
Sunday, August 31, 2008 at 3:30 PM at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, KY
Upper End Zone 219 $123.75 each
For two teams of which little is expected much is asked for a ticket.

All that Glitters

Jacksonville State $15
Mississippi State $26
Duke $19
Gardner-Webb $10
Virginia $27
Florida State $54
Miami $54

Total $201
Cost $150

Gross Margin $49

http://www.stubhub.com/georgia-tech-football-tickets/

Does the impact of a economic slowdown or recession (technically speaking requires two quarters of negative GDP) translate into lower attendance at college football games?

Several of Atlanta's pro teams, including the Falcons and Braves, also have cited the slow economy as a challenge in sales. One team not impacted: the Georgia Bulldogs, who have sold out of football season tickets and rejected orders for new seats from customers with less than $10,651 in lifetime contributions to the athletics program.

If you have a product worth buying the answer is no…simply no a slowdown in the economy hurts those that are offering a weak product; like the Atlanta Falcons.

Georgia Tech while pacing behind last year according to the AJC article is actually doing well considering having had two teams with fanatical fans, Georgia and Clemson, last season that would tend to push up ticket sales. New coach Paul Johnson brings the new factor to the sales equation and perhaps attracts some new fans wanting to take a gamble on getting in on the ground floor. Still the cheap seat gross margin is slim and gets slimmer considering the total cost of the transactions.

Despite a good football tradition the Yellow Jackets are a fringe big time team with the additional problem of needing to compete with a full set of local pro teams and the big Dawg for the fan’s dollars.

An interesting point in the article is the recruiting of local fans without ties to the university. Traditionally there are two ways to get fans: loyal alumni and winning. As most college teams lack the marketing muscle of a NFL, MLB, NBA or even NHL organization, the success of Coach Johnson is the best hope of selling more seats.

Note the $150 seats are sold out.

One more question: Give the expense of a television ad, will GT getting enough incremental sales to make it pay?

No, it's Iowa

Searching for news on college football season tickets and came across:

Wartburg College Sports Releases
Contact: Mark Adkins, Sports Information Director
E-mail: mark.adkins@wartburg.edu


2008 reserved season tickets available

Aug. 06, 2008
A limited amount of reserved seating is available at Walston-Hoover Stadium for Wartburg College’s 2008 football season.


The cost for the five-game home campaign is $50 per season ticket for the general public. For parents, college faculty and staff and athletic boosters, it’s $30 per season ticket. Seating will be available in the middle two sections (D/E) starting from the press box area down on a first-come, first-serve basis.


All other stadium seating will be general admission. Some general admission seats may be available in D/E sections. Gates open an hour-and-a-half before kickoff, and a reserved ticket guarantees fans a seat.


Last year’s reserved ticket holders have until Monday, Aug. 18, to purchase their same seats. To reserve seats, send a note identifying how many tickets will be purchased and a check for $50 (general public) or $30 (college faculty and staff and athletic boosters) per ticket to: Wartburg Football Reserved Tickets, c/o Wartburg Athletics, P.O. Box 1003, Waverly, IA 50677. After the deadline passes, all seating will be open to the general public.


Tickets will be available to pick up at the booth on the west side of Walston-Hoover Stadium Saturday, Sept. 6, prior to kickoff against St. Norbert’s College of De Pere, Wis. Further questions can be directed to the Wartburg athletic office at 319-352-8309.

Be sure to give the stadium a look and listen to the voices of the students.

Fee Me

When you got that first paycheck you were dismayed to learn that the amount was less than the simple equation of the hours work times the rate. Yes, there were deductions eating into the total and while the incomes taxes would come back to in a check from Uncle Sam the FICA was going to your blue haired neighbor for use at the bingo hall.

When Anna Nicole Smith and her late husband's son fought over how to divide up the estate the lawyers, one might suspect were willing to take the case based on the ability of the winner to pay them off. In the recently resolved Rich Rodriguez v. West Virginia University case we can see that the lawyers for the winning side were paid about 10% commission for their work (not a contingency case). Meaning the university will recover $3.6 million. Robert Fitzsimmons and son of Wheeling have donated their services valued at $109,577 which is less than they would have paid for an equal amount of exposure via advertising.

For comparison, back in 2001 Peter G. Angelos, owner the Baltimore Orioles wanted 25% of the $4 billion that the state of Maryland won from the tobacco companies. He later settled for a mere $132 million slice of the pie, but only looking greedy to the public.

The only piece left in this puzzle is the cost of the combined University of Michigan/ Rodriguez legal fees.

Buffalo Bulls

Positioning themselves to fill the void if and when the Bills move on UB can now boast the all their games will be on television for the upcoming season. Yes, they are moving up in the world of college football but given that they last had a winning season during Nixon's first term there is still lots of room for improvement.

Razor Thin Connection Part #2

Front Page

Reminder to Tune In...Mark Your Calendar

Did you look at the Sunday coupon insert (FSI--Free Standing Insert in the business)? Remeber the old joke about advertising, "I know, I am wasting half of my advertising money. I just do not know which half."

All the great P&G product ready for getting your young adult ready to head back to campus (more on that below). Among the promotions are the fine products from Gillette and given the heavy male use of the product a tie in with college football is logical. That said there are several problems with the execution of this promotion: the full page announcing the ESPN/ABC “kick off” games is a waste of very colorful ink as those likely to watch these game are not those likely to be look at the Sunday coupons—and this isn’t front of the fridge material. Disney and P&G probably entered into a cross promotional deal where P&G was given a discount on advertising for this away too early poorly targeted advertisement.

The praised heaped on to P&G in Part #1 as the ubermen of marketing takes a hit on the execution of the tie in this contest:

Gillette Power Fusion is running a contest for college students through its Web site and a group on Facebook.com to see which college football fan has the best "game face."

Note that is about last years contest with Brad Quinn was used because you get a group of top business school MBA’s that know the formula for a textbook successful promotion yet know little about the grimier real world side of things. The losing formula here is established brand, star power plus, kick off event, tie in advertising, and clever promotion using Facebook. Given the complexity of the formula it is difficult to judge what is not working and given the desire to protect your kingdom within the P&G empire, complexity is your friend. No one will ever be able to parse the numbers well enough to find out that part of this promotion did little more to drive Gillette sales than the 1950's tailfins did to move a car down the highway.


Buy the Fusion Pay for the Blades

CLICK HERE and look at the 2007 rules (as of 8/4/08) which if P&G is kicking off the contest with the FSI on August 3rd, 2008 the new contest webpage should be in place. Or CLICK HERE for 2007 less that memorable ad via You Tube. Bad show!

Maybe this contest was aimed toward a younger demographic and those beyond age 22 need not watch nor care. Or more likely this is just a lame marketing package.


Just what every college student needs. Or are these for the parents.
Hey, Dad Ms. Ladd looks nice.


Just maybe Cover Girl can improve your looks as much as Drew

Razor Thin Connection Part #1

Warning: This post only has the thinnest connection with college football but a lot to do with business in part #2 it will be more clear.

You may know them as Proctor and Gamble (P&G), to their competitors they are known as Proctor and God. P&G has the knack for working magic in the world of consumer product from convincing us 20 years ago that a grocery manager that could not resist squeezing the Charmin as the reason for us to purchase the product to the miracle of making Drew Barrymore attractive enough to be deemed a Cover Girl. P&G is not perfect having lost on Olestra and given up on a venture into orange juice with Citrus Hill, but the company’s tract record is impressive enough that they are given the benefit of the doubt.

P&G’s arrogance rivals that to the SEC, Notre Dame, and Ohio State combined. The company so dominates the razor market that they are currently running ads against their own product.


While the use of professional wrestlers is less than classy, P&G maker of both Mach3 and Fusion and they want you to stop buying Mach3. Switching to the more expensive and profitable Fusion. When P&G purchased Gillette the CEO want to see the soon to be released product before closing the deal. The Gillette razor factory was called the mint given the tremendous margins that those little stripes of metal generate.

So how does this relate to college football? Check your Sunday paper.