Session ticket policy for the tourny

[BI_Brave_alum]

So me and my buddies headed down to meet with another BU alum to go to the game on sat, all tickets were sold out, scalpers were charging like $200 for a ticket! first time in 7 or so years we've been going where we couldn't get in for a reasonable price.

so we watched the game over at the bar across the street w/ many other angry fans that couldn't get tickets..

is there any way the valley would consider having the games at two sites, until the final? (SIU's new stadium) so this way there will be seats for people to get in? i'm thinking there are a lot of empty seats by the fans that had tickets for the second game of the session..

i saw that it was an attendance record, but from you all that got in, were there a lot of empty seats for the game?

[kds]

Re: Session ticket policy for the tourny

So me and my buddies headed down to meet with another BU alum to go to the game on sat, all tickets were sold out, scalpers were charging like $200 for a ticket! first time in 7 or so years we've been going where we couldn't get in for a reasonable price.

so we watched the game over at the bar across the street w/ many other angry fans that couldn't get tickets..

is there any way the valley would consider having the games at two sites, until the final? (SIU's new stadium) so this way there will be seats for people to get in? i'm thinking there are a lot of empty seats by the fans that had tickets for the second game of the session..

i saw that it was an attendance record, but from you all that got in, were there a lot of empty seats for the game?

sitting in the nose bleed section saw very few empty seats

[dogsrus]

Re: Session ticket policy for the tourny

So me and my buddies headed down to meet with another BU alum to go to the game on sat, all tickets were sold out, scalpers were charging like $200 for a ticket! first time in 7 or so years we've been going where we couldn't get in for a reasonable price.

so we watched the game over at the bar across the street w/ many other angry fans that couldn't get tickets..

is there any way the valley would consider having the games at two sites, until the final? (SIU's new stadium) so this way there will be seats for people to get in? i'm thinking there are a lot of empty seats by the fans that had tickets for the second game of the session..

I estimated 2k MT seats. It looked full but quite a few scattered all over. I felt bad for all those shut out.
i saw that it was an attendance record, but from you all that got in, were there a lot of empty seats for the game?

[tornado]

Re: Session ticket policy for the tourny

were there a lot of empty seats for the game?

Actually yes and no.....I also had friends who saw Friday's games, and were simply going to go to the arena hour before the Saturday games and buy tickets.
Much to their surprise, the tickets that could be purchased at the arena ticket window -- even the single seats in the upper bowl were all gone by 11AM!! (2.5 hours before game time).
So my friends went back to their hotels and watched the games there, and were really disappointed they didn't get in to see the games.

There were a lot of empty seats DURING THE BRADLEY GAME but they belonged to the many Missouri State and Creighton fans who didn't begin to show up 'til the 2nd half of the BU/SIU game and many didn't even arrive until the BU/SIU game was over.
Thus their seats, including some prime ones right behind the bench were empty most of the game, which is really a waste when there were lots of BU and SIU people outside looking for tickets.
By the way, if you got there early enough, the scalpers were selling upper bowl tickets for $25-30, and lower bowl for $60-200.

A solution would be to play Saturday's games as two different sessions, so that they would have sell out the arena twice before people compained about not getting tickets.


Here's an interesting observation.....
Lots of CU and MSU fans were waiting right outside the arena, and as soon as the BU game was over, lots and lots of BU fans and SIU fans started filing out and going to their cars.

The fans of CU and MSU simply asked for their tickets as long as they were not going to use them.
Then...by using those tickets (which were for the full session Saturday afternoon - both games) those people could get back in and sit for free in the seats that were vacated by the people leaving after the first game.
I wonder if the Scottrade people thought of that.

If they did two separate sessions, they would make a lot more revenue, and lots of the people were really there for just one game anyway.

[BI_Brave_alum]

Re: Session ticket policy for the tourny

were there a lot of empty seats for the game?

Here's an interesting observation.....
Lots of CU and MSU fans were waiting right outside the arena, and as soon as the BU game was over, lots and lots of BU fans and SIU fans started filing out and going to their cars.

The fans of CU and MSU simply asked for their tickets as long as they were not going to use them.
Then...by using those tickets (which were for the full session Saturday afternoon - both games) those people could get back in and sit for free in the seats that were vacated by the people leaving after the first game.
I wonder if the Scottrade people thought of that.

If they did two separate sessions, they would make a lot more revenue, and lots of the people were really there for just one game anyway.

yeah we were talking about that, they need to change it, if they continue to have the crowds coming in.. i dont know its annoying the way they do it, b/c like u said how many of the people watch both games? besides the diehards probably not a whole lot...

[Da Coach]

I am not sure if that worked for them. They would only let fans return to the arena with a valid ticket AND a hand stamp that could only be verified with a blacklamp.

[BI_Brave_alum]

I am not sure if that worked for them. They would only let fans return to the arena with a valid ticket AND a hand stamp that could only be verified with a blacklamp.

ic, well that must have been a surprise for those thinking that they have gotten a free ticket!

[Majik45]

I bought 4 tickets together in the upper bowl on Saturday morning at about 10:30am. It sold out shortly after that I believe. We actually moved down into the lower bowl by the Bradley section to watch the game. Fans just needed to get there a little earlier Saturday morning to get tickets. We used the Taco bell coupons to get $11 tickets.

[mrcoachdude]

I bought 4 tickets together in the upper bowl on Saturday morning at about 10:30am. It sold out shortly after that I believe. We actually moved down into the lower bowl by the Bradley section to watch the game. Fans just needed to get there a little earlier Saturday morning to get tickets. We used the Taco bell coupons to get $11 tickets.

That moving down was a good thing

[real fan]

The only way to attend this tour. is to buy the all tour. tickets as you can always sell them if your team loses and you wish to go home; more people need to complain to the valley about the scalpers as it is illegal and if the police were outside watching this would not be happening.

[it's boogie time]

I was one of those that was shutout by the sellout and watched the game from accross the street. I've been going for 14 years straight now and always hoped for a sellout. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but I'll have to make the appropriate plans next time.

I think it will take a couple of sellouts to start changing plans(from one to two sessions on Saturday). I'm sure there was a smile on the Valley administator's faces when the sellout sign was taped on the windows.

[numbr_9]

The only way to attend this tour. is to buy the all tour. tickets as you can always sell them if your team loses and you wish to go home; more people need to complain to the valley about the scalpers as it is illegal and if the police were outside watching this would not be happening.

Are scalpers really the problem? I respectfully disagree. There is no official re-sale ticket service, so they fill a definate void in the marketplace. That is specifically, they help people by buying tickets they don't want (so they dont have to stand out in the cold whispering "hey, anybody need 2 tickets? box seats. anybody need 2 tickets? box seats ....") and re-distribute those tickets to people who could use them. I view that as a service and one that they deserve to be compensated for.

I think this year its unlikely that scalpers would have scooped up huge quantities of tickets at face value from the box office for re-sale. Since the tourney hasn't sold out before they would have taken on considerable risk in trying this. Next year it may be a problem, but nothing that a simple purchase cap can't fix (i.e. limiting people to 4 tickets per transaction).

Maybe the MVC should look into an official ticket brokerage service. Of course, if they do it like the Cubs they will be charging the same as the scalpers, only they get to make all the money. It's really supply & demand in its purest form, free from regulation.

just my $.02

[Chucky T's]

The only way to attend this tour. is to buy the all tour. tickets as you can always sell them if your team loses and you wish to go home; more people need to complain to the valley about the scalpers as it is illegal and if the police were outside watching this would not be happening.

In all my days of going to "the tour" and Cardinals games and concerts in St. Louis, I have always seen scalpers and sometimes the police are standing 10 feet away. Yes, it is against the law but is it enforced? I don't think so.....

[real fan]

No it is not enforced and I can remember going to the state tour. in champaign and seeing coaches standing outside scalping tikets that the schools rec"d for free and the police did nothing but they will not let them do this in Peoria; it may be a service but it is illegal ; also the tickets are at a premium because of the championship being on Sunday as a lot of people would not come before knowing if their team made it to the championship game they would have to miss it on monday because of work.

[mrcoachdude]

its ok to re-sell tickets at face value