Ticket Prices

[amettrick]

This has bothered me for a while, and I may be alone in this, but I think single-game tickets for Bradley games are pretty over-priced. Especially for a team that hasn't had much success the last few years.

Right now, it's $55 for a lower-bowl sideline ticket. Which means if the wife and I wish to attend a game it's going to cost us $110 plus tax, plus gas (we live an hour away), plus probably something to eat. We're basically looking at a minimum of around $150 for the two of us to attend a game. I know many on this board are season ticket holders and donors and so money probably isn't a big concern. But for my family, desposable income is limited and I can't justify spending that much for one game.

Sure, we could come and sit in the upper bowl cheap seats or in one of the corners, but I don't really see that as being worth the drive. If I can't sit in a decent seat, I'd prefer to just watch from the comfort of my living room.

For comparisons sake, here's what you'd pay for a similar seat at the other Valley schools:
Bradley: $55
MSU: $45
ISU: $30
UNI: $29.50
Evansville: $28
Valpo: $27
Loyola: $25
SIU: $24.50
Indy St: $24
Drake: $20

[Chico]

I see your point, but I??™ve sat all over the arena and IMO there aren??™t too many bad seats, Especially if it isn??™t a packed house.

[Da Coach]

I have posted this before, but I will post again what a past Bradley AD told me- for many years Bradley sold out all those side-court tickets in the lower bowl to season-ticket buyers, so there were never any available to sell for single games. Then after the fiasco of Glasser/Cross/Ford, something unprecedented began happening- people in those sections began giving up their season tickets, and some became available for individual game sale. However, the administration made a decision that continues today that they would not sell those tickets cheaper than what was the approximate cost to the season-ticket buyer.

So they began selling the available tickets at the ticket office and online (Ticketmaster), but set the price approximately what it cost a season-ticket buyer per seat (about $400) plus the minimum maintenance fee per seat (about $350) divided by the number of home games (15). That comes out to about $50 per game, plus fees.
If they sold them for much less, then you'd see a lot more of the remaining season-ticket buyers stop buying season-tickets, and just buy their tickets individually.

[tornado]

in other words we're still seeing fallout from the debacle of hiring Glasser

[Da Coach]

in other words we're still seeing fallout from the debacle of hiring Glasser

Maybe the only good thing for some fans...that there are a lot more tickets available.

[amettrick]

I have posted this before, but I will post again what a past Bradley AD told me- for many years Bradley sold out all those side-court tickets in the lower bowl to season-ticket buyers, so there were never any available to sell for single games. Then after the fiasco of Glasser/Cross/Ford, something unprecedented began happening- people in those sections began giving up their season tickets, and some became available for individual game sale. However, the administration made a decision that continues today that they would not sell those tickets cheaper than what was the approximate cost to the season-ticket buyer.

So they began selling the available tickets at the ticket office and online (Ticketmaster), but set the price approximately what it cost a season-ticket buyer per seat (about $400) plus the minimum maintenance fee per seat (about $350) divided by the number of home games (15). That comes out to about $50 per game, plus fees.
If they sold them for much less, then you'd see a lot more of the remaining season-ticket buyers stop buying season-tickets, and just buy their tickets individually.

I understand the logic, but in reality all it means is that season tickets are also over-priced. Bradley also has the highest priced season tickets in the Valley. Sure a better team will put more butts in the seats, but so would more reasonably priced tickets.

[molar50]

Just buy 2 cheap seats to get in and you will likely be able to sit anywhere you like. You can do the same for Rivermen hockey games. There are lots of season ticket holders that do not attend all the games.

[Buesch N Chips]

Unless you feel compelled to pay the maintenance fee to support BU, there really is no reason to buy season tickets at this point. You can get a good seat wandering around after buying the cheapest ticket offered.

[algotrader]

We should just have an official ticket price complaint thread because complaints about ticket prices being too high get posted every few weeks.

The only way to rectify this issue is to stop buying and let the university make no money on ticket sales. FWIW my Cubs season tickets are $6,500 for the pair.

[Dub]

There is no reason to pay $55 per seat. I paid $150 total for 4 season passes in the upper bowl. Heck, 75% of the time people will offer free giveaway tickets at the door. Don??™t let the price keep you from games.... it shouldn??™t.