BuckinDayton wrote:

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State Board of Trustees will vote Friday to approve higher prices for football and basketball tickets that athletic director Gene Smith should raise an extra $6 million a year for the Buckeyes' athletic department.

For 2013, football tickets will go up in price from $70 to $79. There will be one premium game designated, against Wisconsin, that will cost $110.

In future years, there may be one or two premium games chosen by Smith. A home game with Michigan will always be designated as such. If there are two premium games in a year, one will cost $125 and the other $150. If there is just one premium game, it could cost $175.

The athletic director will determine the premium games before each season.

The board's finance committee discussed the prices in a meeting Thursday, with Smith there to answer questions. There was no dissent among the committee members and the measure is expected to pass Friday.

Smith said there was no consideration given to lowering the prices of lesser games in the tiered pricing, because the Buckeyes sell out all their games. He doesn't expect that to change, and the doesn't expect the demographics of the fans in the stadium to change with this move.

If Ohio State stops selling out, Smith then the price structure would be looked at.

Smith also said he expects that with the coming Big Ten expansion to 14 teams, the Big Ten will move to either nine or 10 conference games a year. He said he is almost sure there is no chance of staying at eight conference games. Smith thinks the nine games is the most likely outcome.

As I stated in an earlier thread.

As an out-of-towner with no connection to get tickets I would love to pay $110 for a ticket to a game much less a great B1G match up.

If I got four tickets for $440 it would be the cheapest conference (home) game I've ever been to. 

I've gotten plenty of cheaper tickets; @purdue, @UofI, @ NW, etc. But never at home. 

What a travesty......disgusting.

Maybe Maryland will qualify for a premium game.....lol....What a bad joke this is becoming

Quit your whining and pay up losers.  Good lord, before you guys complain why don't you add up all of the time you waste here fantasizing about 18 year old boys and multiply that by $7 an hour or whatever it is you make... I bet its a lot more than $110.  

And thats why the prices are going up.  Gene Smith (worthless sack of p!ss that he is) knows he has you by the balls because you are that pathetic that you'll shell out whatever it takes to get your ego boost.  

Either pay up or get a real life.  Either way, don't complain about the market rates for your absurd indulgences.

  George...that is a mean f*cking post...Yes, I am a loser...but I still like to come on the board & relive our 12-0 season    and gouging is chickens*it , even if you can get away with it    And gouging a loser like me is even worse!!!   So, F*ck you!   I have a right to complain about getting gouged up my rectum...

I shall watch from my couch unless they figure out a way to charge me $25 for that seat, then it's on the floor for $5. Greedy ....................................

AMEN!

Woodeye67 wrote: A family of four will approach $1000 to see tsun.  At $899 it's cheaper to buy a 55" 1080p, then kick back with your favorite frosty adult beverage and catch EVERY game in living color...

I really think they should institute "upper bowl" and "lower bowl" ticket prices!

$175 for Michigan feels about right... But if I was in an upper corner of C deck for $175, I might be a little upset knowing the same price was paid by the guy down in A deck!!!

---------------------------------------------
--- buckEYEdr2B wrote:

I really think they should institute "upper bowl" and "lower bowl" ticket prices!

$175 for Michigan feels about right... But if I was in an upper corner of C deck for $175, I might be a little upset knowing the same price was paid by the guy down in A deck!!!

---------------------------------------------

Very good point. Very easy to do as well but until there are not sellouts, they really have no reason to change.

This "GOUGING" will work fine until we lose a few games or Urban leaves and the glow is off the marriage and then the empty seats will begin to show up and heads will begin to roll.
$79.00 to watch bottom feeders play just AIN'T gonna hack it. Not to mention what the scalpers will have to ask.  

^^^^^^^^^^

With Superconferences on the way, I really don't see us staying at 8 conference games.

If we go to 16 team league, I see us at 9 conference games (at least). Anymore than a 16 team league, and I really think we go to 10 conference games.

In a 16 team league, that would give us 6-8 home games a year - and probably would not be less than 7 because we would probably not play an OOC game the same year we had 4 home conference games.

In a league of more than 16, that would give us 6-7 home games a year. Think 5 home conference games, 1 weak in state OOC game as the first game of the year and a rotating home and away BIG OOC game a year (think our recent series with Texas, USC, etc).

So a Superconference demands fewer home games (the big money is in TV contracts and not gate sales anyways) taking on average 1 home game a year away from us. Raising ticket prices though, completely negates the loss of revenue from fewer home games, and the amount there going up is probably a net gain. But also, the quality of games goes up too. In a >16 team league, besides the first in state warmup game, all other games would be conference games (and winning the conference will be HUGE for post season play) or a prime time OOC game.

I REALLY think Superconferences are going to be a win-win for fans, universities and the media... Except for the handful of decent BCS schools that get left out in the cold.

^^^^^^^^^^

I forgot to add, by decreasing the number of games played at home per year, the DEMAND for these more expensive tickets automatically goes up!

Taking a look at the Boards' decision at first seemed like a very greedy choice made by the school. However if you take a look at all the season ticket holders, students and employees out selling their tickets for a profit either at the Shoe or online it looks like the school just felt if anyone should benefit from the ticket price increase it should be tOSU. Prime games do seem to go for a premium online.

oneflbuck wrote: Taking a look at the Boards' decision at first seemed like a very greedy choice made by the school. However if you take a look at all the season ticket holders, students and employees out selling their tickets for a profit either at the Shoe or online it looks like the school just felt if anyone should benefit from the ticket price increase it should be tOSU. Prime games do seem to go for a premium online.

This might be correct but how diffacult would it be to put a stop to the season ticket holders selling their tickets? They know where everyones seat is so why not put a few people on the street to buy these tickets and just say "sorry pal NO more season tickets". I was always under the understanding that if you did sell your season tickets for a profit that you would not be entitled to them anymore.  Simple solutin to s simple problem but no one seems to give a damn.  Punish the innocent it is much easier that way.

I've been thinking about this for a few days, and I've decided that I'm in the camp that doesn't mind the ticket price increases, for this reason -

Ohio State supports its other sports program, the "Olympic Sports" and so forth, through revenues generated through the football team. This has led us to schedule fifteen home games over the course of two years - every other year, our non-conference schedule includes four home games.

This leads us really only to be able to schedule one premier opponent per year - and in 2012 and 2013, that "premier" opponent is California, who really isn't so premier anymore. Other BCS schools want a home-and-home, so we really can't schedule two OOC games against BCS teams.

With the Big Ten being as weak as it is, I think we really need two OOC games against BCS schools. In fact, we're starting to schedule this in future years. So if we're only going to have seven home games per year, we need to make up the revenue somewhere if we still plan to support our "Olympic Sports" through the football program.

When scalpers are getting enormous prices for the Michigan games and other premier games, I personally don't mind the university cutting in and grabbing some of that revenue. If it allows us to go to seven home games per year and improve our OOC scheduling, bring it on.

I would agree that against our MAC-level OOC opponents, the prices should probably be a little lower. I'm betting we'll start to see some empty seats for those games. I would also support differential pricing for A-deck, B-deck, lower C-deck, and upper C-deck.

bs2u2 wrote: After reading this I feel I could have written it myself with a few exceptions. I will not cancel my season tickets, instead I will do what many others already do and that is to sell the tickets they don't want on ebay or stub hub and keep the games they want ot attend.
It's amazing the prices people will pay for a no name game on these sites. You can make enough on 4 or 5 games to pay for the ones you want. Shady as hell but like you said $300.00 to $400.00 a day gets a little expensive.
This will never change as long as scalping is allowed at these games. Check how scalpers are handeled at the Dayton 500 and see how things SHOULD be done.


You only get those prices for Michigan and big out of conference games.  You will lose money on most of the other games.  I've sold tickets for the last 10 years and at times have not been able to get $40 for a pair of tickets to
MAC/ Indiana/Northwestern/Iowa/Purdue/Minnesota games.  The game is jack prices of tickets up but be willing to sell them for much lower so people thing they are getting a deal.  People don't actually pay scalpers face for the no name games.

GSDGoBucks wrote:

osufeth24 wrote: I don't think i'll be seeing another game in Ohio Stadium

I'm with you 24.  I'm leaning in that direction as the experience is not at the level it used to be.  IMO things have slowly changed for the worse after the '02 season due to the stupidity that happened after The Game.  Gameday on campus equates to Lane Ave and High St experience border-line sucks, lots of control freaks (i.e., can't do this, can't go there), expensive arse concessions, parking farther and farther away on Gameday, too many seat holders (I won't call them fans) believe it is some sort of social event when watching a game, etc.  This coming from a guy who used to be a season ticket holder for 5 seasons and my first game experience was with my dad during Woody's last year playing against Iowa.  Personally I prefer the road trips anymore. 

I know one thing... Am not looking forward to the consistent <100,000 watching a game inside The Shoe.  It's going to happen folks.

Go BUCKS!!!
OHIO STATE in '13!!!

Good!! you guys will be replaced. I pay an average of $200 a game during the regular season from the secondary market. For you fans that don't want to buy season tickets or go to the game at all I will gladly pay $110. It will be a bargain. I am not a alum, current student, or falculty member. I just am a long time rabid fan and Ohioan. There are millions of us. If the season ticket sells drop and alumni participation drops then that is more tics for the general public who never get a chance to walk up and get tics. The only folks losing out will be ticket brokers and scalpers. I can see what OSU is doing now. Smart economic move by them. Scalpers and licensed ticket brokers have been making millions off OSU for years and the university wants a cut off their own product.

osufeth24 wrote: I don't think i'll be seeing another game in Ohio Stadium

See ya

chewytb wrote: You want great coaches? Great facilities? You want superstar recruits? Where exactly do you think money comes from for these things? A money tree? 

number36 wrote: The money machine keeps on trucking. Someday the fans will push back. It might be 5 months or 50 years from now.....but the fans will someday so No. I think the first crack in the foundation will be demand for season tickets. I think you'll slowly see that decrease....and people will just pony up the money for single games against big opponents. People are slowly becoming less enthusiastic about paying $70/ticket to see a game against U Mass.

^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^   The AD is fully self supporting. No taxes are involved. There is no other way to pay for these large coaching salaries and on that note how much do folks figure the cost would be to do the type of recruiting the staff did this past recruiting cycle to pull in a number one/two class in the nation? It is what it is. College football is a multi billion dollar enterprise. The Shoe will be sold out all games this season as we march to the BCS title game.

MichiganMan68 wrote:

sstein55 wrote: You can believe what you want. I did not go to the Nebraska or Michigan game though. Maybe I was just lucky this year, who knows. I was given a ticken in A deck this year for the Purdue game. Thats surely has never happened before. Tickets for the non-premium games this year was just very cheap from scalpers.

Your AD is not only dumb, but he is one greedy bastard. Raising ticket prices in this awful economy is not the right thing to do.

ummm................Pizza Boy is no Einstein either.