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 :wink:

 

[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 :wink:

 

[SpfldBUAlum]

Actually, I am not sure that it is ok to resell them at face falue in Missouri. I know someone who was detained and cited before a Cardinal game for selling extra's under face value. Of course the same group of guys I have seen working at every major sporting venue for over 10 years never seems to have a problem?

In the years I have gone to the tourney in St Louis I have often gotten my tickets from the guys working outside the arena. One session I ended up getting Rich Herrin's son's tickets.....the old coach was none too pleased! Since the popularity of the tournament has increased the scalped tickets have gotten pricier. Used to be able to get really good seats for face value on the street.

 

[BI_Brave_alum]

"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."

what do you mean by that? obvious people wanted the tickets, because i ran into a lot at the bar.

"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)"

My friend said someone in front of him bought 20 or so and started selling them before he even got outside, so i think people were buying big quantities for this game.

 

[MacabreMob]

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

Amazing... they did nothing in UIUC's hometown?

And yet I hear how some Peoria people are upset the Tourney is in Peoria because of a place like Big Al's. :roll:

Funny... those Peoria people telling me they are upset are also "Illinois-slash-Bradley" fans.

 

[real fan]

Champaign lost the boys state tour. because of the price gouging going on as the hotels all raised their prices where a 75.00 room went up to 125.00 and all the restaurants had special menus with higher prices for that weekend ; they got greedy and thought they would always have it.

 

[numbr_9]

"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."

what do you mean by that? obvious people wanted the tickets, because i ran into a lot at the bar.

Of course people wanted tickets. however, scalpers centralize the ticket buying process. Let me put it this way: I was looking for a parts bike for an antique motorcycle I'm rebuilding. Of course, there's lots of parts bikes out there, but just because they're out there, doesn't mean I can find them. I called junk yards, scanned the paper, etc, but couldnt find one. Then i used ebay. found one within a few days. sure, ebay made their cut, but they facilitated a transaction that otherwise wouldn't have occured.

to make it more clear, fans want to unload thier all-session tickets when their team loses. however, their choices are limited. They can't re-sell them to the venue or the MVC (the original distributor) so they have to get rid of them through a third party. From that point their options are limited. It's too late (being the day of games) to try to use stubhub or ebay to turn those tickets over. They can either stand outside themselves, asking strangers, "do you need tickets? do you need tickets?", they can actively go to a nearby bar/hotel and hope to run into other fans who would like to buy their tickets, or they can just sell them to a scalper who is conveniently right outside the arena. Of course, there's cost to this; the scalpers want to make a profit so they won't pay as much to the ticket seller as they will charge (just like selling a car to a dealership as opposed to a private party sale). No, there's definatley more money made if you can sell directly to another fan, and more money saved if you can buy directly from another fan. However, there's also risk as neither of you will be as savvy to the current market conditions and therefore you won't agree upon the ACTUAL ticket value (as opposed to face value). Either they will be sold too low or too high (most likely). And frankly, if i was going to unload my tickets I wouldn't want to stand on the cold street corner haggling with strangers. My time is more valuable than that.

Get my point? Either the MVC needs to set up a formal way to re-distribute the tickets that people purchased but no longer want, or they should allow the scalpers to serve their role in the marketplace. Frankly, if the MVC set up a ticket brokerage service they would also charge more than face value (cant leave all that $$$ on the table, see example: chicago cubs ticket brokers), meaning that the customer still has to open his/her wallet.

"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)"

My friend said someone in front of him bought 20 or so and started selling them before he even got outside, so i think people were buying big quantities for this game.

I won't argue this. if I'm a scalper and I hear the game is going to sell out, you'd better believe I'd buy as many tix as possible. Easily controlled though. A ticket limit, bracelet system, ticket lottery, etc. None of which are 'easy' in the sense that they require no effort, but they are 'easy' in the sense that a child could set up any of those systems. Maybe I shoudl say they require effort but are not difficult.

This year's sellouts will make next years tickets even harder to get. I imagine a lot of those people stuck in the bar will be buying their tickets ahead of time.

Of course, there is a very simple solution to being left on the outside looking in ... just buy your tickets in advance. Maybe its a risk because of yoru team getting eliminated early, but frankly no matter what you do there will be inherent risk. It just depends on how much it's worth to ya.