Opinion piece on NCAA ticket increases…worth reading (short)

[XUGRAD80]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5777620/2024/09/19/tennessee-vols-talent-fee-ticket-increase/?source=user_shared_article

I find myself agreeing with virtually everything he says in this piece.

[GoMuskies]

Paywalled, but I don't have any issues with what Tennessee is doing. If paying players is part of the game now, the fans are obviously going to be the ones ponying up one way or another. May as well make it very transparent.

[bleedXblue]

Yeah, the original issue was that the universities were making all of the money and not sharing any with the players? And I mean mainly CFB schools like OSU and Bama literally making hundreds of millions of dollars through TV deals.

Now, the fans have to pay "more"? I get that schools don't want to give us any profit/revenues that they were already realizing.

What a shit show. In the end the consumers always foot the bill.........

[xubrew]

Yeah, the original issue was that the universities were making all of the money and not sharing any with the players? And I mean mainly CFB schools like OSU and Bama literally making hundreds of millions of dollars through TV deals.

Now, the fans have to pay "more"? I get that schools don't want to give us any profit/revenues that they were already realizing.

What a shit show. In the end the consumers always foot the bill.........

I do kinda wish the world was a little different. Like all other forms of sports and entertainment, be it tickets, or TV packages, or merch, or whatever, the price will be set by whatever people are willing to pay. There was always this feeling (whether it was actually true or not) that college sports were different. It was about the love of the game. Well, it's not. If it were, D3 would be outdrawing Ohio State. You can download the NAIA app for free and watch virtually every sporting event that happens for nothing. Most D3 programs have cheap tickets (or even free tickets) and free video streams. It's there. And I do kind of wish more people would give it a chance. Go check out a Thomas More or Mount Saint Joe's football game. You may decide it's both a fun and inexpensive way to spend part of an afternoon. I wish more people who (probably correctly) feel the prices are too high would go check out a D3 football or basketball game. But, that's not actually what people want. They want the top level programs and will pay as much as what it costs to see an NFL or NBA game to watch it or go to it.

[paulxu]

Brew, if I lived in Cincy I'd try to afford Xavier tickets.
As it is, I have Wofford season tickets. Center court, 4 rows up. $240/seat.
This year they added $100/seat for "athletic scholarships." (Maybe new words for NIL, although I can't imagine they spend that much on it.)
But, as you note...a great basketball experience.

[xubrew]

Brew, if I lived in Cincy I'd try to afford Xavier tickets.
As it is, I have Wofford season tickets. Center court, 4 rows up. $240/seat.
This year they added $100/seat for "athletic scholarships." (Maybe new words for NIL, although I can't imagine they spend that much on it.)
But, as you note...a great basketball experience.

Wofford is a great fan experience! So are several of the other schools in the SoCon. There’s actually as much energy, and sometimes even a lot more, at some of those smaller schools and conference facilities. Most people probably don’t realize that. I’ve never been when they’ve played Furman, but I’m certain that it’s way more energetic than what most people realize.

[XUGRAD80]

Yeah, the original issue was that the universities were making all of the money and not sharing any with the players? And I mean mainly CFB schools like OSU and Bama literally making hundreds of millions of dollars through TV deals.

Now, the fans have to pay "more"? I get that schools don't want to give us any profit/revenues that they were already realizing.

What a shit show. In the end the consumers always foot the bill.........

And that’s the gist of the article….if college sports is a business….and it is…..then why would anyone expect the universities to do anything else than raise ticket prices and/or fees to pay for the salaries of the players? It is what happens in every business. Tennessee has a waiting list of 15,000 for football tickets (stadium seat around 105,000!) and if some bail, others will fill those seats.

I also agree with the idea of checking out some lower level colleges…Northern KY U is 10mins from my house and I can get first row, second level, half court season tickets for less than $200 each. Something to think about.

[xu82]

I went back to Buffalo for the Bills home opener a couple weeks ago. My high school played at home that Saturday. I loved both experiences immensely, even if I spent less time at the HS. I also spent about four hundred dollars less at the HS game.

I’m a tennis guy, and I much prefer smaller tournaments (or side courts of bigger tournaments) over 20k seats in a giant stadium. My X grad sister has season tix to her home town small college hoops team in Wisconsin. We have a wide menu of options out there, it’s just a matter of finding what suits you. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

EDIT: We went to a HS basketball game at a private school near us once shortly after we moved here. It was supposed to be a varsity game, but we found that hard to believe. We looked around and realized everybody there was family, and asking “Is this really varsity basketball???” might not be taken well. I already said we went that once.

.

[Xville]

And that’s the gist of the article….if college sports is a business….and it is…..then why would anyone expect the universities to do anything else than raise ticket prices and/or fees to pay for the salaries of the players? It is what happens in every business. Tennessee has a waiting list of 15,000 for football tickets (stadium seat around 105,000!) and if some bail, others will fill those seats.

I also agree with the idea of checking out some lower level colleges…Northern KY U is 10mins from my house and I can get first row, second level, half court season tickets for less than $200 each. Something to think about.


I also agree with the idea of checking out some lower level colleges…Northern KY U is 10mins from my house and I can get first row, second level, half court season tickets for less than $200 each. Something to think about.[/QUOTE]

I'm paywalled as well but I agree. Who didn't see this coming? I have no problem with this, and have said this is what should be done all along. I do think schools should be paying some of the bill, but is what it is.

Just some rambling thoughts:

-College sports is still very inexpensive (compared to any pro sports ticket) outside of a few college football games. Xavier is an extremely cheap ticket comparatively and you can get some nice college football tickets outside of maybe 7-8 schools for a great price.

-Louisville season football tickets are 600 a pop in the end zones with great sight lines, and seat backs. For a 8-9 average football program, I think that's a great deal. Im sure they will be going up soon though with the NIL fees.

-The great part is that if you don't want to spend the money, you don't have to go and can watch for free in the comfort of your own home. That wasn't the case just a couple decades ago.

- There are plenty of other sports options. I would love to take my kids to every X or pro sporting event possible, but just can't. So, we go to 1-2 Xavier games together, and a football, nhl game here or there. Outside of that, we go to quite a few high school sports and will check out some college baseball, volleyball etc that are insanely cheap but still great experiences.

[xubrew]

I know this is not a normal thing, but I'm going somewhere with this.

I easily go to over 300 college sporting events a year. It's actually may be closer to 400 if you count doubleheaders. There are days where I'm at two baseball games, two softball games, and both a m&w basketball games (albeit not in their entirety). I've been from everything to Final Fours, to huge top level football games, to making a 45 minute drive to check out a friend's team who coaches at a nearby D2 school, to February softball games where I'm one of maybe ten people that are there.

And, here's what I discovered...

If you're connected to it, and into the game, and you're there with other people who are connected to it as well, whether there are 10 people there or 112,000 there, it's still a great experience. You still feel like it's your team. And, you kinda become less and less intrigued by the "big time" events. You can get free Final Four tickets, and end up turning them down more times than not. It's crowded, you still need to get yourself there, and when you have a weekend off like that you may prefer to just lay around the house and read a book instead.

Go check out D2. Go check out D3. Go check out some of the 22 conferences in D1 that typically don't get more than one team in. You can develop those same connections that you have to the power sports and it can mean just as much. It really can. You don't have to spend a week's pay to go to a college sporting event.

[paulxu]

I easily go to over 300 college sporting events a year.

I'm guessing you're single :chin:

[xubrew]

I'm guessing you're single :chin:

What would ever make you think that????

[X-band '01]

What would ever make you think that????

Not posting that you'd get the entire family season tickets for Mount St. Joe's basketball?

[xubrew]

Not posting that you'd get the entire family season tickets for Mount St. Joe's basketball?

That was going to be my engagement present!! I was then pepper-sprayed and told to not call her anymore.

[MHettel]

I know this is not a normal thing, but I'm going somewhere with this.

I easily go to over 300 college sporting events a year. It's actually may be closer to 400 if you count doubleheaders. There are days where I'm at two baseball games, two softball games, and both a m&w basketball games (albeit not in their entirety). I've been from everything to Final Fours, to huge top level football games, to making a 45 minute drive to check out a friend's team who coaches at a nearby D2 school, to February softball games where I'm one of maybe ten people that are there.

And, here's what I discovered...

If you're connected to it, and into the game, and you're there with other people who are connected to it as well, whether there are 10 people there or 112,000 there, it's still a great experience. You still feel like it's your team. And, you kinda become less and less intrigued by the "big time" events. You can get free Final Four tickets, and end up turning them down more times than not. It's crowded, you still need to get yourself there, and when you have a weekend off like that you may prefer to just lay around the house and read a book instead.

Go check out D2. Go check out D3. Go check out some of the 22 conferences in D1 that typically don't get more than one team in. You can develop those same connections that you have to the power sports and it can mean just as much. It really can. You don't have to spend a week's pay to go to a college sporting event.

No offense. But you’re loser. 400 college events in 365 days? Actually about 75% of 365 days due to the fact that these sports are played in 9 months. So 400 events in 275 days. Or 1.5 per day?

Did you miss a decimal point somewhere? Do you work?

Bottom line is that IF what you say is true, then your experience is singularly exclusive in the USA. What fraction of people fit your profile? Your opinion reflects your experience. Why would your opinion matter if nobody shares your experience?

Harsh? Yes.

But you have to further explain yourself.

[MHettel]

No offense. But you’re loser. 400 college events in 365 days? Actually about 75% of 365 days due to the fact that these sports are played in 9 months. So 400 events in 275 days. Or 1.5 per day?

Did you miss a decimal point somewhere? Do you work?

Bottom line is that IF what you say is true, then your experience is singularly exclusive in the USA. What fraction of people fit your profile? Your opinion reflects your experience. Why would your opinion matter if nobody shares your experience?

Harsh? Yes.

But you have to further explain yourself.

I have to reply to my own post.

Nobody gives 2 shits about D2 women’s volleyball. In case you didn’t notice, most sports fans are men. And we use it as small talk with our buddies. Nobody meets with their boys for beers on Thursday nights and talks about that crazy Volleyball doubleheader on Wednesday.

Sport CAN become a multi-BILLION dollar industry because it appeals to the exact thing I’m discussing. The ability for men to bond over it.

We all know pro sports has a price to pay. It always has. Less access to the players and less connection to them as well. And also a better quality of pay.

So the idea that college sports is increasing the costs with less access to the players…without a corresponding increase in the quality of play is the issue.

The solution isn’t to just go watch some community college crap.

[Xville]

Maybe not d2 but high level d1 women’s volleyball is pretty damn awesome in person, just sayin and it’s growing at a rapid pace. Louisville now has almost all their matches at the yum center and Sunday they will have 20k in attendance. And the great part, you can get good seats for 20 a pop

Anyways, back to the original topic, I have no problem with paying an extra fee to see a game, I just wish the university was also kicking in. It’s a multi billionaire business that schools profit from, think they should be footing some of the bill

[xubrew]

No offense. But you’re loser. 400 college events in 365 days? Actually about 75% of 365 days due to the fact that these sports are played in 9 months. So 400 events in 275 days. Or 1.5 per day?

Did you miss a decimal point somewhere? Do you work?

Bottom line is that IF what you say is true, then your experience is singularly exclusive in the USA. What fraction of people fit your profile? Your opinion reflects your experience. Why would your opinion matter if nobody shares your experience?

Harsh? Yes.

But you have to further explain yourself.

No offense taken. None at all. Having said that, I really don't think most of the regular readers/posters need me to explain anything any further. I think they've at least got a basic idea of what I do, and have for a while. Perhaps you're just not quite as perceptive as them. No offense.


I have to reply to my own post.

Nobody gives 2 shits about D2 women’s volleyball. In case you didn’t notice, most sports fans are men. And we use it as small talk with our buddies. Nobody meets with their boys for beers on Thursday nights and talks about that crazy Volleyball doubleheader on Wednesday.

Sport CAN become a multi-BILLION dollar industry because it appeals to the exact thing I’m discussing. The ability for men to bond over it.

We all know pro sports has a price to pay. It always has. Less access to the players and less connection to them as well. And also a better quality of pay.

So the idea that college sports is increasing the costs with less access to the players…without a corresponding increase in the quality of play is the issue.

The solution isn’t to just go watch some community college crap.

Sport already is a multi-billion dollar industry. The NCAA Tournament is a multi-billion dollar event all by itself. The whole point of the article was that ticket prices were being raised. I never said going to watch D2 volleyball was a "solution" to anything. All I said was that for people who are upset about the rising ticket prices, or NIL, or the House Case, or anything else is that a lot of college sports across the board aren't really impacted or influenced by that. NCAA D3 has 434 member schools where none of the players even have scholarships. People can go check those teams out if they think major college football and basketball has somehow been bastardized. I mean, if they really feel that college sports should be all about the love of the game and not about the money, then D3 should really be for them. They might discover some of those games are more fun than they think. And, I know most people won't ever check out a D3 game. I know most people don't really care. I said that early on. They'll either keep paying the higher ticket prices or just stop going to the games. But at places like Tennessee, someone else will go in their place.

I do find it ironic, though, that so many people will complain about how college sports has become all about money, but then at the same time claim they don't give a shit about the sports, or conferences, or divisions where it's really not about the money at all. They don't feel players should be paid or that ticket prices should be increasing, yet they won't go watch any of the players that actually aren't paid and where the ticket prices are either very cheap or even free.

[MHettel]

No offense taken. None at all. Having said that, I really don't think most of the regular readers/posters need me to explain anything any further. I think they've at least got a basic idea of what I do, and have for a while. Perhaps you're just not quite as perceptive as them. No offense.



Sport already is a multi-billion dollar industry. The NCAA Tournament is a multi-billion dollar event all by itself. The whole point of the article was that ticket prices were being raised. I never said going to watch D2 volleyball was a "solution" to anything. All I said was that for people who are upset about the rising ticket prices, or NIL, or the House Case, or anything else is that a lot of college sports across the board aren't really impacted or influenced by that. NCAA D3 has 434 member schools where none of the players even have scholarships. People can go check those teams out if they think major college football and basketball has somehow been bastardized. I mean, if they really feel that college sports should be all about the love of the game and not about the money, then D3 should really be for them. They might discover some of those games are more fun than they think. And, I know most people won't ever check out a D3 game. I know most people don't really care. I said that early on. They'll either keep paying the higher ticket prices or just stop going to the games. But at places like Tennessee, someone else will go in their place.

I do find it ironic, though, that so many people will complain about how college sports has become all about money, but then at the same time claim they don't give a shit about the sports, or conferences, or divisions where it's really not about the money at all. They don't feel players should be paid or that ticket prices should be increasing, yet they won't go watch any of the players that actually aren't paid and where the ticket prices are either very cheap or even free.

Genuinely I did not intend to offend you. And I’m glad you didn’t take it that way.

But you are such an outlier to the typical experience and relationship that the rest of us have with sports.

It’s like, even if your view makes sense to you or others that share your position, it’s pretty irrelevant when 99.9% of other people don’t stand in your shoes.

But seriously, no personal attack intended

[JTG]

This thread got derailed like most do, by talking about buying season tickets to random schools. It's your money spend it how you wish. Personally I need a vested interest to pay to watch a game. X basketball, and ND football. Colts on Sunday and maybe one more game. No volleyball, no soccer, no baseball, no other non binary rando sport just because it's cheap and you get good seats for $20. As for adding fees to tickets, sure, it's called user fees.

[MHettel]

In other news…

Does anyone see the irony that I need to pay a fee to read this article?

[XUGRAD80]

In other news…

Does anyone see the irony that I need to pay a fee to read this article?

Guess I missed that. But I don’t think it’s ironic at all to assume that ANY business is going to charge a fee for their products and services.

Without trying to get political at all…..it’s kind of like how some people think that raising taxes on businesses isn’t going to effect themselves because the businesses will just suck it up and accept lower profits. They don’t get the idea that the businesses will just pass the cost of the increased taxes along to the consumer. Name me a business that won’t do that. I’m betting you can’t. Even the governments…local, state, and national…are always justifying tax increases by the need to cover rising costs.

In this case being discussed, the consumer is the average sports fan and one way or another that is going to be the person that ultimately ends up paying the millions of dollars that the players are going to get.

There Is No Such Thing As A Free Lunch…….and that has always been true and always will be.

[xu82]

. Genuinely I did not intend to offend you. And I’m glad you didn’t take it that way.

But you are such an outlier to the typical experience and relationship that the rest of us have with sports.

It’s like, even if your view makes sense to you or others that share your position, it’s pretty irrelevant when 99.9% of other people don’t stand in your shoes.

But seriously, no personal attack intended


“No offense. But you’re (a) loser.”

You might want to work on your communication skills a bit. Somebody here may be a loser. And I mean it.


.

[xubrew]

“No offense. But you’re (a) loser.”

You might want to work on your communication skills a bit. Somebody here may be a loser. And I mean it.


.

Appreciate it, and perhaps you're not wrong, but I'm not offended by message boards. We could be in the same room and have no idea who each other is. It's supposed to be a little overblown. That's what makes it kinda fun.

And I do kind of understand his point. I do go to a lot more games (albeit much of it is work related) than most other "regular" people. The point I was trying to make is that a person/fan really can find enjoyment in watching non-major college football and basketball if they were to give it a chance. Nothing more. Whether it's a D3 game, or it's a SoCon team like Wofford, you can still have an awesome fan experience. I TOTALLY get that most people need to have an attachment to the teams they're watching, but if having to pay $50 to park and if the amount being asked to spend is the same amount as a Disney World vacation is making them feel less attached, there are other college sports out there! There are other football and basketball teams out there! Try it! To quite Bluto "It don't cost nothin'." Or...at least, it don't cost very much.

[xu82]

Appreciate it, and perhaps you're not wrong, but I'm not offended by message boards. We could be in the same room and have no idea who each other is. It's supposed to be a little overblown. That's what makes it kinda fun.

And I do kind of understand his point. I do go to a lot more games (albeit much of it is work related) than most other "regular" people. The point I was trying to make is that a person/fan really can find enjoyment in watching non-major college football and basketball if they were to give it a chance. Nothing more. Whether it's a D3 game, or it's a SoCon team like Wofford, you can still have an awesome fan experience. I TOTALLY get that most people need to have an attachment to the teams they're watching, but if having to pay $50 to park and if the amount being asked to spend is the same amount as a Disney World vacation is making them feel less attached, there are other college sports out there! There are other football and basketball teams out there! Try it! To quite Bluto "It don't cost nothin'." Or...at least, it don't cost very much.

Sometimes it’s not just what you do, but more about how you do it. Just because it’s a message board does not mean you have to start name calling. I prefer to interact with grown ups, internet or not. I guess my expectations are a bit too high.

There are plenty of smaller sporting events worth seeing. You see far more than most people, but we all have our hobbies, habits and quirks.

….it seems I’m a bit cranky this morning.


.

[94GRAD]

“No offense. But you’re (a) loser.”

You might want to work on your communication skills a bit. Somebody here may be a loser. And I mean it.


.

Public reps since the man is keeping me down.

[94GRAD]

No offense. But you’re loser. 400 college events in 365 days? Actually about 75% of 365 days due to the fact that these sports are played in 9 months. So 400 events in 275 days. Or 1.5 per day?

Did you miss a decimal point somewhere? Do you work?

Bottom line is that IF what you say is true, then your experience is singularly exclusive in the USA. What fraction of people fit your profile? Your opinion reflects your experience. Why would your opinion matter if nobody shares your experience?

Harsh? Yes.

But you have to further explain yourself.

Who the FUCK are you to gatekeep how someone spends their time? Pound fucking salt!!!!!!

[xu82]

I know this is not a normal thing, but I'm going somewhere with this.

I easily go to over 300 college sporting events a year. It's actually may be closer to 400 if you count doubleheaders. There are days where I'm at two baseball games, two softball games, and both a m&w basketball games (albeit not in their entirety). I've been from everything to Final Fours, to huge top level football games, to making a 45 minute drive to check out a friend's team who coaches at a nearby D2 school, to February softball games where I'm one of maybe ten people that are there.

And, here's what I discovered...

If you're connected to it, and into the game, and you're there with other people who are connected to it as well, whether there are 10 people there or 112,000 there, it's still a great experience. You still feel like it's your team. And, you kinda become less and less intrigued by the "big time" events. You can get free Final Four tickets, and end up turning them down more times than not. It's crowded, you still need to get yourself there, and when you have a weekend off like that you may prefer to just lay around the house and read a book instead.

Go check out D2. Go check out D3. Go check out some of the 22 conferences in D1 that typically don't get more than one team in. You can develop those same connections that you have to the power sports and it can mean just as much. It really can. You don't have to spend a week's pay to go to a college sporting event.

Back in the day you could replace “sporting event” with “Dana’s”, and that sounds about right. Those double headers will kill ya, but we were young.

[XUGRAD80]

Back in the day you could replace “sporting event” with “Dana’s”, and that sounds about right. Those double headers will kill ya, but we were young.

LOL. Public Reps.

[xubrew]

Who the FUCK are you to gatekeep how someone spends their time? Pound fucking salt!!!!!!

It's not letting me post images for some reason, but this is the mental image I have when I read most of his posts. I can even hear the voice. I've occasionally wondered if he's really serious or if he's just doing some sort of parody account...

https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:908/format:webp/0*z6mvoDhr_lXJ2hkX.jpg