Email sent to me about ticket prices.

[Jumbo]

This was sent to me by a very good friend of mine,  he has been a very faithful follower of Auburn Football and I know that it pains him to come to this realization that I have been talking about for several years,  He just has done a much better job of putting it all into words.

John


Jun 6th 2011
Subject: "as gas prices go up, so do AU ticket Prices"

Expansion at Jordan-Hare Stadium has been a hot topic for several years among Auburn fans. After taking a peek at this year's ticket prices that may not be an issue any longer. Despite having the SEC's highest ticket prices a year ago, school officials seem determined to cash in on its national championship this season.

A quick price check shows seat prices ranging from $50 for small games to a whopping $80 each for home games with Florida and Alabama. Throw in the mandatory Tigers Unlimited donation and suddenly fans are paying almost $100 a game for the privilege of watching Auburn pound Utah State, Florida Atlantic and Samford.

Want to check out games against Miss State and Ole Miss? Those tickets will run you $70 each - before your TUF donation.

The question is, has Auburn has out-flanked its market? Despite having its best season ever, finding tickets to home games last season was hardly a chore. Needing a couple of extra for the Arkansas game, I picked up a pair for $50 an hour before kickoff.

With the combination of a struggling economy, six returning starters and every game televised, school officials are rolling the dice big-time by instituting yet another price increase this year.

While it's near impossible to get information on the number of Auburn season ticket holders, outside signs point to a struggle this year. In recent days, Auburn has taken to the internet and newspapers to advertise available seats.

Sitting at a movie theater this weekend waiting for The Hangover II to start, there was a flashy, 30-second commercial aired urging fans to buy tickets. Admittedly, economics was never my strong subject in college, but it seems this price increase may be poised to backfire.

On a positive note, many other conference schools have not followed Auburn's lead. If you are planning to make the trip to Fayetteville for the Arkansas contest, tickets are available for $55 each or $25 cheaper than they would be if the Razorbacks were visiting Auburn.

According to this season's Tigers Unlimited brochure, a family of four wishing to sit in the nosebleed sections of Jordan-Hare, tickets prices and donations will run $2,740 for seven games. This includes home contests with Utah State, Miss State, Florida Atlantic, Florida, Ole Miss, Samford and Alabama.

Don't want to sit 5,000 feet up? You can upgrade to the Blue Zone or Orange Zone. Blue Zone tickets for a family of four will set you back $3,400. And for the really good seats, if you can get them (and no, you can't), will run you $4,200 including the Tigers Unlimited donation.

Winning national championships don't come cheap. I get it. You simply can't argue with the success of Jay Jacobs and Gene Chizik. Time and time again, Jacobs has proved us all wrong. So I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt with these ticket prices.

Personally, it's hard to justify forking over that kind of money when tickets for the lesser games can likely be had for $20 or less before kickoff. Even if you pay $200 per ticket for Alabama and $100 each for Florida, you are coming out way ahead by simply waiting for game day.

Just two years ago, Auburn had the eighth largest on-campus stadium in America. Today it ranks 12th nationally. My guess is your going to see a lot of empty seats in the upper decks this year. Maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt it. This will likely put expansion talk on-hold indefinitely.

There's no better sight in college football than a full house at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Will that be a thing of the past this year? I sure hope not, but right now it certainly looks that way.

[The Prowler]

Plus, the home games start at 5am. on Sat.  Those Vuvuzelas are gonna be really loud for the MSU game at 5am.

[JR4AU]

When I first started buying season tix in 94, SEC games were $25.  Non-SEC were $20.  At that time, you pretty well paid face value to buy on on the street outside the stadium.  Last year, as the email said, finding a bargain outside the stadium was easy.  They didn't even sell out season tix packages last year. 

Factor in how they've made tailgating on campus so difficult, the economy, and I gave up my tix after the 2007 season.  Hate I wasn't there for the 2010 season, but the days weren't at long, the games are good on TV, and the food and drink is convenient. That sort of makes up for what I'm missing in person and at the tailgate...a little. 

[Saniflush]

Factor in how they've made tailgating on campus so difficult, the economy, and I gave up my tix after the 2007 season.  Hate I wasn't there for the 2010 season, but the days weren't at long, the games are good on TV, and the food and drink is convenient. That sort of makes up for what I'm missing in person and at the tailgate...a little.

This!  All of it.
 I will still probably make it to a couple of games a year but someone should be horse whipped over what they have done to tailgating.

[Aubie16]

We still tailgate for every home game and have a phenomenal time each week. I can't imagine just staying home and watching on TV.

Pussies.

[GH2001]

We still tailgate for every home game and have a phenomenal time each week. I can't imagine just staying home and watching on TV.

Pussies.

THIS...all of it.

Although, the ticket prices ARE getting unreal. I'm really starting to think about my TUF donation now. I don't mind the face value so much but the fact I have to give 1500 bucks for my 3 season tickets on top of the high face value makes me 2nd guess how bad I want to go sometimes.

[Aubie16]

THIS...all of it.

Although, the ticket prices ARE getting unreal. I'm really starting to think about my TUF donation now. I don't mind the face value so much but the fact I have to give 1500 bucks for my 3 season tickets on top of the high face value makes me 2nd guess how bad I want to go sometimes.

Yeah ticket prices are tough and I completely understand people not wanting to pay TUF donations. My pussies comment is mainly aimed at people bitching about tailgating and how its so hard to do now. Man up. Find a way!

[Saniflush]

We still tailgate for every home game and have a phenomenal time each week. I can't imagine just staying home and watching on TV.

You guys are a bunch of pussys.

We tailgated in the same spot from the early 70's to the late 90's.  Right next to where the old eagle cage. 

Was then moved in the name of progress so some concrete could be poured. 

Been in the same place a little over ten years and guess what.  Getting moved again in the name of progress.  I was actually in Auburn a couple of years ago during the Summer.  Stopped for lunch and got to talking to the chief of police of Auburn.  He told me then that the Universitie's plan was to get all tailgating off campus unless you were a large donator.

Fuck them.  It all started with that fucking that yankee bitch wife of Dr. Muse who thought it was some crime against humanity to park on the fucking grass. 

Last year was the first year that we have not had tickets since the Warden started buying them in '57.  Saved a buttload of cash and was home immediately following every game.

Now I just have to mooch off you fuckers for tickets.

[JR4AU]

We still tailgate for every home game and have a phenomenal time each week. I can't imagine just staying home and watching on TV.

Pussies.

Hmmm.  Well, did it for 15 seasons.  It USED to be a lot more fun.  It got to be work.  2 hour drives from/to B'ham starting at 5-6 am for those fucking JP games.  Getting drunk, sobering up, hung over and driving home at 1am after a 6:30 ESPN start...ended up napping in the truck half way home often.  Humping satellite dishes, tvs, grills, coolers, tents...it's work.  Getting "bumped" all the way out to the facilities by the lake, taking a bus in to the game.  Nah, home is ok...going to a tailgate with a bud or 2 a couple of times a year where they do all the work is fine with me for now.

[JR4AU]

Yeah ticket prices are tough and I completely understand people not wanting to pay TUF donations. My pussies comment is mainly aimed at people bitching about tailgating and how its so hard to do now. Man up. Find a way!

I manned up for 15 seasons.  When it started being more like work than fun, I quit. 

[GH2001]

I manned up for 15 seasons.  When it started being more like work than fun, I quit.

I do see your point. It's a shit TON more work now than it used to be.

[Aubie16]

Yeah I understand where y'all are coming from. I've only been doing the full-tailgating thing for 4 years (started right after I graduated) so I've only got limited experience in terms of the way things used to be. I hope I don't get tired of bringing the TV's, coolers, tents, TV's, generators, etc. but who knows.

That being said, y'all are welcome at our tailgate for whatever games you do make it to. Except for Sani, I think he'd scare teh womenz.

[GH2001]

Yeah I understand where y'all are coming from. I've only been doing the full-tailgating thing for 4 years (started right after I graduated) so I've only got limited experience in terms of the way things used to be. I hope I don't get tired of bringing the TV's, coolers, tents, TV's, generators, etc. but who knows.

That being said, y'all are welcome at our tailgate for whatever games you do make it to.

Booze, Food, Tits

If 2 of these 3 are present, please provide a link with directions.

Mmmmkkkay, thanks.

[Snaggletiger]

I don't know what you wussies are complaining about.  I found a nice spot just south of LaGrange in an old corn field.  When it's time to head to the game, it's just a couple of miles hike to the road, then 3 more to the interstate.  It never takes more than 15-20 minutes for someone to pick me up and drop me off at the College Street exit.  You can always jump in the back of someone's pickup on the way into town.  Hop off at Donahue, 1/2 mile at best to the bus pick up, stand in line for no more than 20 minutes, jump on the bus and BANG, I'm there at the stadium.

Now, getting back can be a little inconvenient but there's a rest stop at mile marker 253 with drink and cracker machines.

[Buzz Killington]

Now I just have to mooch off you fuckers for tickets.

Mooching for tickets is a tradition I have carried on since 2003...the last year we bought season tickets.

[AWK]

Booze, Food, Tits

If 2 of these 3 are present, please provide a link with directions.

Mmmmkkkay, thanks.

We gave you directions last year, sir.

[AUTiger1]

Nah, home is ok...going to a tailgate with a bud or 2 a couple of times a year where they do all the work is fine with me for now.

Factor in how they've made tailgating on campus so difficult, the economy, and I gave up my tix after the 2007 season.  Hate I wasn't there for the 2010 season, but the days weren't at long, the games are good on TV, and the food and drink is convenient. That sort of makes up for what I'm missing in person and at the tailgate...a little. 

We have never bought season tickets, we have never had a problem finding tickets for a reasonable price either.  We are pretty selective about what games we drive down for.  We usually decide, clear out the calendar and start searching for tickets immediately.

We didn't make a game the last two seasons and that is a first for me since 95.  As shitty as 08 was, we still made it down for a couple of games.  09 the wife was pregnant and didn't want to make the trip and last year with mini-me crawling around the house we just didn't feel like packing him up or dropping him off for the weekend.  Home was convenient and fun, but not the same as being there. 

Hopefully we will have a chance or three to get down this year.  I may have to make one by myself.  I hate it, she loves going down for a game as much if not more than me, but it's better being there. 

[dallaswareagle]

They effectively priced me out of more games. Have always made 3 to 4 games a year, this year I’ll make the opening game and that is mostly likely it. Of course with air-fares-gas-rent-a-car and hotels all going up it is a combination of things.  It’s hard to justify spending $1200.00 for the weekend.

[GH2001]

We gave you directions last year, sir.

That you did my good man. Simp and I stopped by on opening game but no one was home. We asked for you by name and the people that were there said "we kicked that homo off this spot last year".

[Snaggletiger]

That you did my good man. Simp and I stopped by on opening game but no one was home. We asked for you by name and the people that were there said "we kicked that homo off this spot last year".

That WAS AWK you were talking to.  Several of us came out from behind the cars afterward.