tOSU Ticket Prices (merged)

[ScriptOhio]

As for myself, ticket prices (other than those for face value), have reached the point where I will no longer pay them. I only go to a game if I can buy tickets for face. While I could afford to spend more, it seems rather dumb to pay the sky-high prices on the open market to watch a football game. I love Buckeye football as much as anybody else, but good god, it makes my head spin when I hear how much tickets cost. Plus I hate putting $$$$ into the pockets of brokers and scalpers (two groups of scum who have done as much to push up ticket prices as Jim Tressel and the team has). I would like to see tOSU actually raise the price for alumni and general public tickets thus taking some of the money out of the pockets of the brokers and the scalpers and using that to subsidize more student seating. I also applaud the school making efforts to prevent student/staff/faculty selling their tix. If these people are receiving subsidized tickets, and they don't go to the game, then they should not be able to benefit from the subsidy. Either go to the game or don't buy a ticket. Students/staff/faculty who can't use their tickets for a particular game should return the ticket for that game to the ticket office, get a partial refund, and then the ticket should be placed on sale to the general public at the unsubsidized price.

I can't argue with anything you said. I agree completely.:osu:

 

[Bestbuck36]

As for myself, ticket prices (other than those for face value), have reached the point where I will no longer pay them. I only go to a game if I can buy tickets for face. While I could afford to spend more, it seems rather dumb to pay the sky-high prices on the open market to watch a football game. I love Buckeye football as much as anybody else, but good god, it makes my head spin when I hear how much tickets cost. Plus I hate putting $$$$ into the pockets of brokers and scalpers (two groups of scum who have done as much to push up ticket prices as Jim Tressel and the team has). I would like to see tOSU actually raise the price for alumni and general public tickets thus taking some of the money out of the pockets of the brokers and the scalpers and using that to subsidize more student seating. I also applaud the school making efforts to prevent student/staff/faculty selling their tix. If these people are receiving subsidized tickets, and they don't go to the game, then they should not be able to benefit from the subsidy. Either go to the game or don't buy a ticket. Students/staff/faculty who can't use their tickets for a particular game should return the ticket for that game to the ticket office, get a partial refund, and then the ticket should be placed on sale to the general public at the unsubsidized price.

Run for president after Gordon Gee is gone. I'd vote for ya!

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

tOSU is not now, nor will it ever be strapped for cash. They are a "non-profit" organization, and therefore are required to expend as much money as they take in

That's not true. Ohio State maintains an investment fund of retained cash that's distinct from the endowment fund. Currently, it's in the $400 million range.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

vr,

The university and the athletics department are on two totally different budgets...

Everybody looks at the income from the football program, and they fail to realize that is basically the brunt of income the AD gets to support ALL the sports programs at OSU, including paying the coaches/and folks in the Athletic Department... it is fully independant from the university...

Well put. People hear "largest athletic budget in the country" and they tend to overstate its importance to the university's overall budget (3.7 billion for the last fiscal year). The athletic department's budget was $105 million and turned only a slight profit. I think that it's highly commendable that the athletic department is both self-supporting and manages to kick a few million into the library fund each year, but it is not the monetary engine that drives this university.

Two numbers to put it into comparison: In 2006, the university attracted 650 million dollars in research funding. In 2006, the university attracted 284 million dollars in gifts (< 5% went to athletics). In that light, an annual profit of under 10 million dollars is very minor.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Dispatch

Bob Hunter commentary: Price is hardly right for OSU football

Tuesday, April 24, 2007 3:36 AM
By bob hunter




Joe Redd is an Ohio State football fan, but you won't find him eating quiche with a local bank president at one of those Saturday-morning tailgates outside Ohio Stadium. You won't hear him complaining because his President's Club donation got him tickets only on the 20-yard line, and you won't see him in scarlet face paint mugging for the TV cameras.
Still, he is just as big a fan as any.

Cont...

I'm sure that this Redd guy is a great fan, and in a perfect world there would be room for everybody. Sadly, we don't live in a perfect world, and the university needs to take care of its people first: students, alumni, faculty and...yes...benefactors, for whom there's not even enough supply.

This is hardly unique to Ohio State. In fact, one of the great things about Ohio State is that a President's Club donation (min. $2500/year) to academics counts just as much towards getting full season tickets as a donation strictly to athletics. In contrast, the donation at Penn State and Michigan has to go directly towards the athletic department.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

BTW, the supply and demand issue (and subsequent high scalper prices) are not confined to college football. I payed $175/ticket for two rightfield bleacher seats for a Saturday Cubs-Sox game ($62 face value).

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Bob Hunter commentary: A modest proposal ... let regular fans into the 'Shoe

Monday, April 21, 2008 3:05 AM
By Bob Hunter


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
The route to the stadium led across a footbridge over the Olentangy River and directly behind a gawking, mostly meandering family of five Ohio State fans. Mom, Dad and their three kids were happily headed to the spring football game. All wore some form of scarlet and gray, but it wasn't hard to tell they weren't regular visitors to this upscale neighborhood on football Saturdays.
They would never qualify for the fall fashion show. There wasn't one $150 football jersey or a $50 OSU T-shirt among them. Mom wore generic scarlet sweat pants without a pricey emblem. Dad was wearing one of those foam OSU hats with the screen backs that you can pick up at a truck stop for $6 or $7.



Cont...

 

[Bestbuck36]

Thats a pretty good article by Mr. Hunter. Considering the economy in Ohio and the midwest overall these days, thats not a bad idea at all. Hell, they wouldnt have to sell the tickets at $20 bucks they could do $40 or even face value and people would be lapping it up. $100 bucks a ticket to see Ohio University form the top of C deck is a bit much if you're strapped for cash and dying to watch the Bucks.

When I dont have the extra cash I just go up with some friends and tailgate all day and watch the game on tv somewhere. Just as much fun for me these days anyway.

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Bob Hunter commentary: For OSU, ticket idea comes with a big 'but'

Wednesday, April 23, 2008 3:28 AM
By Bob Hunter


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH


Gene Smith thinks having one early football game every season where the stadium is thrown open to every fan with $20, the Fan Day idea proposed in this space Monday, is a great idea. But. You knew that was coming, right?
"We'd love to do it, but we just can't afford to," the Ohio State athletic director said. "We have 36 sports with over 900 athletes. We'll transfer $26.2 million to the university. ? We'll pay $17 million debt service for facilities that have been built or renovated here. We have bills to pay."
Smith offered to have his financial people explain all of the intricacies to me, but there didn't seem much point; I'm still trying to figure out the mysteries of compound interest. He said the $2.5 million I guesstimated the school would lose by having such a game was low, and told me to contact some local companies and ask whether they would willing to donate to make up the difference, as I had suggested. The implication was that they wouldn't, and his experience in those matters runs laps around mine.



Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

OSU park-and-ride may get more expensive


By the Associated Press

Friday, July 25, 2008

COLUMBUS ? Game days could be more expensive this fall for carloads of Ohio State football fans who park and ride from the state fairgrounds.
Transit officials in Columbus are considering a proposal that would cut the cost of the parking part in half, from $10 down to $5. However, the round-trip bus ticket from the lot to the game would rise to $4, from as little as a buck last season.
Cont...

 

[Cornerback6]

tOSU ticket prices top CFB's 25 highest.

http://www.tiqiq.com/tiqiqtop25/

My question is how how on earth can be Miami be #25 when no one even goes to their games? They're usually 20-30k below capacity and still charging $100+ on average. They should cut that in half and see if attendance jumps. Doubtful.

Iowa at #3 racks my brain as well. Only show in town...I got that part but still.

I showed my friend (an Oklahoma native & fan) the list and he asked me how Ohio State's could possibly be that high. I said, you've obviously never been to Columbus and don't understand the culture. Prices are insane regardless.

 

[buckeyefool]

http://www.tiqiq.com/tiqiqtop25/

My question is how is Miami #25 when no one even goes to their games? They're usually 20-30k below capacity and still charging $100+ on average.

Iowa at #3 racks my brain as well.

I showed my friend (an Oklahoma native & fan) the list and he asked me how Ohio State's could possibly be that high. I said, you've obviously never been to Columbus and don't understand the culture. Prices are insane regardless.

Obviously he has not been to a game this season or the first four games last season.