AU Loses money on BCS TICKET SALES?

[Tiger Wench]

Per CBS - and I call TOTAL BULLSHIT ON THIS.  With tickets going for $5Gwazillion dollars on teh ebays, how in the HELL did we lose money on TICKET SALES??

Auburn and Oregon lost money with BCS trip
Posted on: March 4, 2011 1:12 pm
Posted by Tom Fornelli

Earlier this week we wrote about the $1.8 million that UConn lost with its trip to the Fiesta Bowl. The largest portion of UConn's loss came from the number of tickets the school wasn't able to sell. Of course, UConn only lost money because it's a smaller school without a great football tradition, and just didn't have the same number of fans available to buy up tickets.  Surely a larger school wouldn't have such a problem with the BCS system, right?

Wrong. Not even Auburn and Oregon, the two teams playing for a national championship, could escape their postseason trips with a profit.

According to the Birmingham News, Auburn returned home from Glendale short over $600,000, while Oregon lost $261,132. Combined, the two schools ended up paying $875,238, with the biggest culprit once again being ticket sales. Auburn had to eat $781,825 in tickets, while Oregon took a $555,575 hit.

Granted, I'm pretty sure if you told Auburn it could win a national championship every year for $600,000 -- insert Cam Newton joke here -- it would take the deal in a heartbeat. Besides, the odds are that Auburn will make that money back through the sale of merchandise related to its BCS title. That being said, the fact that even the teams playing in the biggest college football game of the year are losing money to do so tells you an awful lot about the BCS system. 

Sure, the BCS is around to help both the schools and the student-athletes. Just as long as you replace "schools and student-athletes" with "BCS" anyway.

[Kaos]

Per CBS - and I call TOTAL BULLSHIT ON THIS.  With tickets going for $5Gwazillion dollars on teh ebays, how in the HELL did we lose money on TICKET SALES??

Only part of the story.  Doesn't take into account the money MADE on the trip.  It's spin. 

[Buzz Killington]

Much of that was from unclaimed tickets...the peoples who were stranded in the Birmingham and Atlanta airports.

[Snaggletiger]

They definitely made it back in merchandise sales.  I bought at least $600K worth of gear.

[Tiger Wench]

Much of that was from unclaimed tickets...the peoples who were stranded in the Birmingham and Atlanta airports.

They couldn't sell those at the Will Call and refund the money to the original buyers?

[AUTailgatingRules]

Much of that was from unclaimed tickets...the peoples who were stranded in the Birmingham and Atlanta airports.

Sorry, wrong answer.  The ticket losses are due to the tickets we had to give to the band/cheerleaders/football players parents/etc.  we sold all tickets available for sale

[Kaos]

They couldn't sell those at the Will Call and refund the money to the original buyers?

I tried that when I saw I was stuck in Duck hell. 

The only way I could buy them would be if the original owner confirmed to the ticket office they could not claim them (by giving their credit card number) and that I was authorized to purchase them in their stead. 

Or, barring that, fax permission for me to claim their tickets and pay them whatever they wanted as a side deal. 

Lengthy argument with ticket guy.  He wouldn't budge.

[Buzz Killington]

Sorry, wrong answer.  The ticket losses are due to the tickets we had to give to the band/cheerleaders/football players parents/etc.  we sold all tickets available for sale

Aah...I read that wrong in another article then.  Nevermind.

[CCTAU]

I tried that when I saw I was stuck in Duck hell. 

The only way I could buy them would be if the original owner confirmed to the ticket office they could not claim them (by giving their credit card number) and that I was authorized to purchase them in their stead. 

Or, barring that, fax permission for me to claim their tickets and pay them whatever they wanted as a side deal. 

Lengthy argument with ticket guy.  He wouldn't budge.

Even so, Those tickets were already paid for were they not?

So other than comp tickets, how the hell did we eat 600K worth?

[Kaos]

Even so, Those tickets were already paid for were they not?

So other than comp tickets, how the hell did we eat 600K worth?

Apparently we have a big band.  And a lot of folks in the entourage. 

Didn't we give tickets to Bingo Bob "Glad you're gone and fuck the idea of running for president you buffoon" Riley and his crew?

[Tiger Wench]

The school spent $601,245 for the 473-member traveling party of team and staff to go on the trip for nine days. An additional $362,547 was used to send 435 band members and cheerleaders for four days.  HOLY SHIT!!  473 people??  And only 85 are players?  Unreal...

Auburn's official party, made up of faculty and athletics department officials, went for four days at a cost of $80,527, bringing the total travel cost to $1,044,319.

The trip cost $886,718 for meals and lodging, with additional costs for entertainment ($19,648), promotion ($50,335), awards ($31,014) and equipment and supplies ($87,847).

Auburn sold 14,944 of the 17,400 tickets it committed to, absorbing 2,456 tickets for a total cost of $781,825. The absorbed tickets were for a number of people associated with the program, including the band, players' parents, coaches' families and athletic department officials.

[Tiger Wench]

Apparently we have a big band.  And a lot of folks in the entourage. 

Didn't we give tickets to Bingo Bob "Glad you're gone and fuck the idea of running for president you buffoon" Riley and his crew?

A lot of the politicians were given early opportunities to purchase tickets, but they did have to buy them.  Gov Riley may have been given one as "official"  head of the Board of Trustees but the rest had to pay.