nodak
New Member
Posts: 11
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Post by nodak on Sept 17, 2018 15:32:06 GMT -6
Anybody know what ticket prices are running this year? With SEC tickets now being sometimes over $100 per seat, I feel like we need to maintain a good value to pull in families. But I do realize pricing will likely (or has already) go up to match our increased budget. If I am reading that correctly it amounts to 4 "season tickets" for $100.00. WOW. For comparison check out what NDSU pulls in from their season ticket holders. I am not one (unfortunately) but I think it is well into the 5-figures and there is a waitlist and tickets are "inherited" more often than not. Not saying this as a "Oh, yeah, look at what NDSU has" but, rather, as UNA gets better, and becomes playoff eligible this might be a possible source of serious revenue. I realize that the situation is different at UNA because of large, famous FBS schools nearby, but charging more for season tickets might be a way to off-set some of the higher costs of being in the FCS. Also, the Fargodome used to be "church-mouse quiet for years until the team got eligible for the playoffs and then things started exploding.
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Post by catscratchfever4 on Sept 17, 2018 16:25:42 GMT -6
Who are these UA AU teams I see referenced. Enjoyed streaming SUU and NDSU but, nothing compares to being outdoors, feeling the wind, watching the sun set, seeing the fall colors, and getting the spirit of the crowd. Outdoors at the Ala A&M game went beyond a show on TV. It was an event and an experience. Kind of like the difference between watching tennis or playing tennis. Be a real spectator and not a couch 'tater! Be "at" the game if you can get there. I know home is a D2 schedule but we know how competitive that can be. Old habits are hard to break but I think folks around here are kinda getting tired of the same old same old of AU and UA. Folks would support a local team that they can get to in less than two hours. Remember it's not just a game, it's an event...make it so. Meanwhile, beat Azusa Pacific. See you at "the" game! I've always been a proponent of educating the students on school spirit and participation. I know we have video of wild UNA crowds during and following huge wins in basketball and football in the 70s, 80s and 90s that would show the students that, yes, UNA CAN BE as exciting as Alabama and Auburn if we want it to be. Show them videos of the Cameron Crazies. If you can look at that and say it doesn't look like fun, you need to stay home, locked in your little safe place fingering your device.
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Post by unafied on Sept 18, 2018 5:45:20 GMT -6
Anybody know what ticket prices are running this year? With SEC tickets now being sometimes over $100 per seat, I feel like we need to maintain a good value to pull in families. But I do realize pricing will likely (or has already) go up to match our increased budget. If I am reading that correctly it amounts to 4 "season tickets" for $100.00. WOW. For comparison check out what NDSU pulls in from their season ticket holders. I am not one (unfortunately) but I think it is well into the 5-figures and there is a waitlist and tickets are "inherited" more often than not. Not saying this as a "Oh, yeah, look at what NDSU has" but, rather, as UNA gets better, and becomes playoff eligible this might be a possible source of serious revenue. I realize that the situation is different at UNA because of large, famous FBS schools nearby, but charging more for season tickets might be a way to off-set some of the higher costs of being in the FCS. Also, the Fargodome used to be "church-mouse quiet for years until the team got eligible for the playoffs and then things started exploding. We are in an interesting position. I mean yeah, obviously those ticket prices are really cheap compared to other programs. At the same time, while we of course have hardcore fans, as you've read in this thread we also have a lot of casual fans that attend because, well, it's a football game to go to. If we raise prices too much, or worse, start losing games over the next few years, I personally worry we'll see a drop in attendance. The flip side of that is, putting big names from the past back on the schedule (like Jacksonville State) should bring in some folks that maybe used to care but got tired of seeing us beat teams they had never heard of from BFE, Arkansas. But then another issue of raising prices is the fact that we don't own our stadium, and can't really upgrade it the way it needs to be. People won't pay for a "premium" experience if the experience isn't premium. So we need a new stadium - and rumors are, the wheels are at least in motion behind the scenes. With a new, on-campus stadium we could charge the premium prices we probably NEED to charge, and give fans that experience, but at the same time hopefully keep some cheap seats for the casuals. Lots of moving parts. Have you guys ever floated any ideas of replacing the Fargodome? I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, but obviously expanding it isn't doable. Would you ever consider an outdoor stadium like Minnesota? I'm sure late November games could be miserable!
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nodak
New Member
Posts: 11
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Post by nodak on Sept 18, 2018 12:06:28 GMT -6
If I am reading that correctly it amounts to 4 "season tickets" for $100.00. WOW. For comparison check out what NDSU pulls in from their season ticket holders. I am not one (unfortunately) but I think it is well into the 5-figures and there is a waitlist and tickets are "inherited" more often than not. Not saying this as a "Oh, yeah, look at what NDSU has" but, rather, as UNA gets better, and becomes playoff eligible this might be a possible source of serious revenue. I realize that the situation is different at UNA because of large, famous FBS schools nearby, but charging more for season tickets might be a way to off-set some of the higher costs of being in the FCS. Also, the Fargodome used to be "church-mouse quiet for years until the team got eligible for the playoffs and then things started exploding. We are in an interesting position. I mean yeah, obviously those ticket prices are really cheap compared to other programs. At the same time, while we of course have hardcore fans, as you've read in this thread we also have a lot of casual fans that attend because, well, it's a football game to go to. If we raise prices too much, or worse, start losing games over the next few years, I personally worry we'll see a drop in attendance. The flip side of that is, putting big names from the past back on the schedule (like Jacksonville State) should bring in some folks that maybe used to care but got tired of seeing us beat teams they had never heard of from BFE, Arkansas. But then another issue of raising prices is the fact that we don't own our stadium, and can't really upgrade it the way it needs to be. People won't pay for a "premium" experience if the experience isn't premium. So we need a new stadium - and rumors are, the wheels are at least in motion behind the scenes. With a new, on-campus stadium we could charge the premium prices we probably NEED to charge, and give fans that experience, but at the same time hopefully keep some cheap seats for the casuals. Lots of moving parts. Have you guys ever floated any ideas of replacing the Fargodome? I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, but obviously expanding it isn't doable. Would you ever consider an outdoor stadium like Minnesota? I'm sure late November games could be miserable! Which comes first? The premium experience or the fan engagement. I haven't been able to make it to a Bison game in a while (2013 I think?) but the "premium experience" that I remember was the energy in that crowd. The yelling was both deafening and exhilarating. I imagine it has only gotten better. I was sitting in, literally, the last row at about the 20-30 yard line. But it was more than satisfactory because of the crowd and watching football played at a high level. That was the premium experience as far as I was concerned. My seats were probably under $20. But those with season tickets have much better seats and pay a premium for them. I think the "face value" on them isn't particularly high. But as I understand it you also have to make a "suitable donation" to the local booster club to "qualify" to even buy the ticket at the location you desire. I have this info 2nd hand so it may be inaccurate but, as I understand it, that is where the numbers start really exploding. I have said before that UNA has the talent to play football at a high level so that is covered. Adding more scholarships makes it more likely that you will get MORE talented players as well as improving depth. NDSU doesn't necessarily have better starters than other teams, but the drop off from the starter to 2nd string is MUCH less than most teams. Particularly the D-Line and running backs. These are the guys that normally get ground down as the game goes on. NDSU is 8-10 deep on the D-line and 3-4 deep at running back so it is a case of "Go like hell for 3-5 plays and we will send in a rested set of legs to cover for you while you get your feet under you again." I hope that your fans realize that and that with the move up to FCS that you will likely have continued success but that the games might be 24-14 rather than a blow-out as you describe. You might even lose some games. But they will be exciting. As you say, LOTS of moving parts. And I have remember/remind myself that your situation is fundamentally different than ours up here. Many of your fans are possibly (probably?) Alabama/Auburn fans first and attend UNA games because they might be closer and cheaper and, therefore, more convenient. While obviously NDSU isn't as good as those teams they do enjoy the "primary" spot in tens of thousands of fans pantheon of college teams. And those fans are willing to reward that status with paying more money to experience watching them play. I don't know the details of the arrangement that the university has with the Fargo-dome. I am pretty confident, though, that it is not owned by the team/university. If NDSU wanted to they could easily fill a stadium of 25-30K on a regular basis. maybe not some OOC games, but conference games probably, rivalry games like UND (moving in the MVFC where they should have been all along), UNI, ISUr, USD and SDSU would have people standing outside dreaming of getting in. But if we can indulge fantasy for a moment and pretend that the university decided to build its own stadium the ideal situation would be a "retractable dome" type arrangement. Check out the NDSU vs ISU game last year. It started before the snow-storm. Within something like 10 minutes of game clock the game went from not great due to strong winds to ugly as the whole field was covered with several inches of snow. The game footage was difficult to watch as the snow was falling so hard that it made visibility difficult, the yard lines/end zones were invisible, passing was difficult due to the wind, running and tackling were impaired as no one could get traction in the wet snow. The ball was hard and wet. Some JSU fans even commented that NDSU didn't look very good in that game and couldn't believe that NDSU wound up ranked higher than them. A couple weeks later they got a little quieter about it. My point is that it could mean some really ugly games in the playoffs and not necessarily mean that the "best team won." Though imagine the home-field advantage! Don't get me wrong. Whenever NDSU plays a team from a much warmer climate, such as SHSU or the University of San Diego, in the semi-finals there are fans commenting how much fun it would be to see these kids with cold hands/legs trying to play football. While NDSU doesn't "assume" they will be hosting the semi-finals they do have to "plan for that contingency" if you get my drift. But I would Love it if they could host some games in September and October. There is nothing like a crisp, clear, dry day, watching football played under the sunlight. Or even a night game on natural grass can be nice. So the option of having an outoor experience OR an indoor experience would be nice. Of course an outdoor stadium would also cost them their "team entrance" that fans enjoy. It is a real spectacle. Sorry that this turned into an NDSU post. I am definitely paying attention to UNA and will cheer for them against all other opponents.
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Post by lions09 on Sept 18, 2018 12:10:01 GMT -6
Apples and oranges here.
NDSU is a one-horse show pretty much in their state. UNA is in a state with numerous other FBS/FCS teams including what could be the biggest college football dynasty of all time.
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Post by unafied on Sept 18, 2018 14:00:06 GMT -6
We are in an interesting position. I mean yeah, obviously those ticket prices are really cheap compared to other programs. At the same time, while we of course have hardcore fans, as you've read in this thread we also have a lot of casual fans that attend because, well, it's a football game to go to. If we raise prices too much, or worse, start losing games over the next few years, I personally worry we'll see a drop in attendance. The flip side of that is, putting big names from the past back on the schedule (like Jacksonville State) should bring in some folks that maybe used to care but got tired of seeing us beat teams they had never heard of from BFE, Arkansas. But then another issue of raising prices is the fact that we don't own our stadium, and can't really upgrade it the way it needs to be. People won't pay for a "premium" experience if the experience isn't premium. So we need a new stadium - and rumors are, the wheels are at least in motion behind the scenes. With a new, on-campus stadium we could charge the premium prices we probably NEED to charge, and give fans that experience, but at the same time hopefully keep some cheap seats for the casuals. Lots of moving parts. Have you guys ever floated any ideas of replacing the Fargodome? I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, but obviously expanding it isn't doable. Would you ever consider an outdoor stadium like Minnesota? I'm sure late November games could be miserable! Which comes first? The premium experience or the fan engagement. I haven't been able to make it to a Bison game in a while (2013 I think?) but the "premium experience" that I remember was the energy in that crowd. The yelling was both deafening and exhilarating. I imagine it has only gotten better. I was sitting in, literally, the last row at about the 20-30 yard line. But it was more than satisfactory because of the crowd and watching football played at a high level. That was the premium experience as far as I was concerned. My seats were probably under $20. But those with season tickets have much better seats and pay a premium for them. I think the "face value" on them isn't particularly high. But as I understand it you also have to make a "suitable donation" to the local booster club to "qualify" to even buy the ticket at the location you desire. I have this info 2nd hand so it may be inaccurate but, as I understand it, that is where the numbers start really exploding. I have said before that UNA has the talent to play football at a high level so that is covered. Adding more scholarships makes it more likely that you will get MORE talented players as well as improving depth. NDSU doesn't necessarily have better starters than other teams, but the drop off from the starter to 2nd string is MUCH less than most teams. Particularly the D-Line and running backs. These are the guys that normally get ground down as the game goes on. NDSU is 8-10 deep on the D-line and 3-4 deep at running back so it is a case of "Go like hell for 3-5 plays and we will send in a rested set of legs to cover for you while you get your feet under you again." I hope that your fans realize that and that with the move up to FCS that you will likely have continued success but that the games might be 24-14 rather than a blow-out as you describe. You might even lose some games. But they will be exciting. As you say, LOTS of moving parts. And I have remember/remind myself that your situation is fundamentally different than ours up here. Many of your fans are possibly (probably?) Alabama/Auburn fans first and attend UNA games because they might be closer and cheaper and, therefore, more convenient. While obviously NDSU isn't as good as those teams they do enjoy the "primary" spot in tens of thousands of fans pantheon of college teams. And those fans are willing to reward that status with paying more money to experience watching them play. I don't know the details of the arrangement that the university has with the Fargo-dome. I am pretty confident, though, that it is not owned by the team/university. If NDSU wanted to they could easily fill a stadium of 25-30K on a regular basis. maybe not some OOC games, but conference games probably, rivalry games like UND (moving in the MVFC where they should have been all along), UNI, ISUr, USD and SDSU would have people standing outside dreaming of getting in. But if we can indulge fantasy for a moment and pretend that the university decided to build its own stadium the ideal situation would be a "retractable dome" type arrangement. Check out the NDSU vs ISU game last year. It started before the snow-storm. Within something like 10 minutes of game clock the game went from not great due to strong winds to ugly as the whole field was covered with several inches of snow. The game footage was difficult to watch as the snow was falling so hard that it made visibility difficult, the yard lines/end zones were invisible, passing was difficult due to the wind, running and tackling were impaired as no one could get traction in the wet snow. The ball was hard and wet. Some JSU fans even commented that NDSU didn't look very good in that game and couldn't believe that NDSU wound up ranked higher than them. A couple weeks later they got a little quieter about it. My point is that it could mean some really ugly games in the playoffs and not necessarily mean that the "best team won." Though imagine the home-field advantage! Don't get me wrong. Whenever NDSU plays a team from a much warmer climate, such as SHSU or the University of San Diego, in the semi-finals there are fans commenting how much fun it would be to see these kids with cold hands/legs trying to play football. While NDSU doesn't "assume" they will be hosting the semi-finals they do have to "plan for that contingency" if you get my drift. But I would Love it if they could host some games in September and October. There is nothing like a crisp, clear, dry day, watching football played under the sunlight. Or even a night game on natural grass can be nice. So the option of having an outoor experience OR an indoor experience would be nice. Of course an outdoor stadium would also cost them their "team entrance" that fans enjoy. It is a real spectacle. Sorry that this turned into an NDSU post. I am definitely paying attention to UNA and will cheer for them against all other opponents. No problem at all. I can't speak for everyone, but I enjoy hearing about the differences between your school and ours. The geographical differences just add to it, haha. I can see how your retractable-roof idea would be the best of all worlds. Heck, I remember attending a D2 title game (that we weren't a part of ) and leaving at halftime because it was just too cold. And I'm sure it was no worse than upper 20s to low 30s! I appreciate the support. I'm sure a lot of folks like to pull against you guys because, well, everybody that's not winning hates the winner. But you guys have made a good impression on us, I think. I don't mind pulling for you. At least for the next four years
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nodak
New Member
Posts: 11
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Post by nodak on Sept 18, 2018 14:41:15 GMT -6
Which comes first? The premium experience or the fan engagement. I haven't been able to make it to a Bison game in a while (2013 I think?) but the "premium experience" that I remember was the energy in that crowd. The yelling was both deafening and exhilarating. I imagine it has only gotten better. I was sitting in, literally, the last row at about the 20-30 yard line. But it was more than satisfactory because of the crowd and watching football played at a high level. That was the premium experience as far as I was concerned. My seats were probably under $20. But those with season tickets have much better seats and pay a premium for them. I think the "face value" on them isn't particularly high. But as I understand it you also have to make a "suitable donation" to the local booster club to "qualify" to even buy the ticket at the location you desire. I have this info 2nd hand so it may be inaccurate but, as I understand it, that is where the numbers start really exploding. I have said before that UNA has the talent to play football at a high level so that is covered. Adding more scholarships makes it more likely that you will get MORE talented players as well as improving depth. NDSU doesn't necessarily have better starters than other teams, but the drop off from the starter to 2nd string is MUCH less than most teams. Particularly the D-Line and running backs. These are the guys that normally get ground down as the game goes on. NDSU is 8-10 deep on the D-line and 3-4 deep at running back so it is a case of "Go like hell for 3-5 plays and we will send in a rested set of legs to cover for you while you get your feet under you again." I hope that your fans realize that and that with the move up to FCS that you will likely have continued success but that the games might be 24-14 rather than a blow-out as you describe. You might even lose some games. But they will be exciting. As you say, LOTS of moving parts. And I have remember/remind myself that your situation is fundamentally different than ours up here. Many of your fans are possibly (probably?) Alabama/Auburn fans first and attend UNA games because they might be closer and cheaper and, therefore, more convenient. While obviously NDSU isn't as good as those teams they do enjoy the "primary" spot in tens of thousands of fans pantheon of college teams. And those fans are willing to reward that status with paying more money to experience watching them play. I don't know the details of the arrangement that the university has with the Fargo-dome. I am pretty confident, though, that it is not owned by the team/university. If NDSU wanted to they could easily fill a stadium of 25-30K on a regular basis. maybe not some OOC games, but conference games probably, rivalry games like UND (moving in the MVFC where they should have been all along), UNI, ISUr, USD and SDSU would have people standing outside dreaming of getting in. But if we can indulge fantasy for a moment and pretend that the university decided to build its own stadium the ideal situation would be a "retractable dome" type arrangement. Check out the NDSU vs ISU game last year. It started before the snow-storm. Within something like 10 minutes of game clock the game went from not great due to strong winds to ugly as the whole field was covered with several inches of snow. The game footage was difficult to watch as the snow was falling so hard that it made visibility difficult, the yard lines/end zones were invisible, passing was difficult due to the wind, running and tackling were impaired as no one could get traction in the wet snow. The ball was hard and wet. Some JSU fans even commented that NDSU didn't look very good in that game and couldn't believe that NDSU wound up ranked higher than them. A couple weeks later they got a little quieter about it. My point is that it could mean some really ugly games in the playoffs and not necessarily mean that the "best team won." Though imagine the home-field advantage! Don't get me wrong. Whenever NDSU plays a team from a much warmer climate, such as SHSU or the University of San Diego, in the semi-finals there are fans commenting how much fun it would be to see these kids with cold hands/legs trying to play football. While NDSU doesn't "assume" they will be hosting the semi-finals they do have to "plan for that contingency" if you get my drift. But I would Love it if they could host some games in September and October. There is nothing like a crisp, clear, dry day, watching football played under the sunlight. Or even a night game on natural grass can be nice. So the option of having an outoor experience OR an indoor experience would be nice. Of course an outdoor stadium would also cost them their "team entrance" that fans enjoy. It is a real spectacle. Sorry that this turned into an NDSU post. I am definitely paying attention to UNA and will cheer for them against all other opponents. No problem at all. I can't speak for everyone, but I enjoy hearing about the differences between your school and ours. The geographical differences just add to it, haha. I can see how your retractable-roof idea would be the best of all worlds. Heck, I remember attending a D2 title game (that we weren't a part of ) and leaving at halftime because it was just too cold. And I'm sure it was no worse than upper 20s to low 30s! I appreciate the support. I'm sure a lot of folks like to pull against you guys because, well, everybody that's not winning hates the winner. But you guys have made a good impression on us, I think. I don't mind pulling for you. At least for the next four years That's part of it. But part of it is that often the NDSU fans that drift onto other boards are some combination of incompetent, rude, obnoxious. In short, they turn into "donkeys." That doesn't help. Fortunately all the Bison fans I have seen on here have been good, which is why I choose to join the conversation. It is enjoyable to talk football with fans of a different team and get past some of the "trash talk" and ignorance. And those I have read and interacted with on this board are some of the best.
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Post by roaringsince96 on Sept 18, 2018 19:41:31 GMT -6
Bison that commented on the North Alabama topics have been great. Value added to our board about FCS. I have enjoyed reading the comments. Very respectful fan base, makes it easier to pull for the Bison. I hope one day in the near future it could be a rivalry, preferably in championship game or yearly playoff games. We have some recruiting to do before we will be on that stage.
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Post by catscratchfever4 on Sept 18, 2018 20:49:11 GMT -6
Apples and oranges here. NDSU is a one-horse show pretty much in their state. UNA is in a state with numerous other FBS/FCS teams including what could be the biggest college football dynasty of all time. Yeah and even carving out a decent niche will be tremendously difficult. I know that and try to accept it but it still makes me want to walk around town and punch people in the head.
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nodak
New Member
Posts: 11
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Post by nodak on Sept 18, 2018 21:23:17 GMT -6
Apples and oranges here. NDSU is a one-horse show pretty much in their state. UNA is in a state with numerous other FBS/FCS teams including what could be the biggest college football dynasty of all time. Yeah and even carving out a decent niche will be tremendously difficult. I know that and try to accept it but it still makes me want to walk around town and punch people in the head. You can go ahead and try it. But somehow I can't see that helping attendance. Let us know how it goes.
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Post by catscratchfever4 on Sept 19, 2018 0:21:25 GMT -6
Yeah and even carving out a decent niche will be tremendously difficult. I know that and try to accept it but it still makes me want to walk around town and punch people in the head. You can go ahead and try it. But somehow I can't see that helping attendance. Let us know how it goes. Unfortunately, unless the Tidegers both get hit with the death penalty, it would be the only way.
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