Ticket Sales Down

[savannahfan]

The 60” flat screen with no traffic or crowds experience at home costs you nothing, that’s why imo

Many reasons given in this thread (have read 3 pages). Comes down to one thing for many of us. COST. Last game I attended (with 2 g-kids and one son) cost approximately $800-$900 dollars. Arrived late fri. nite got home late Sunday afternoon. Kinda tough. Would love to go to every game just can't do or afford.

 

[LWSVOL]

Ticket sales are awful this year? Why are people so down when we have a new coach that might be a great one?

lack of leadership at Tennessee has brought the program to where it is. Now no President, chancellor and new BOT. Until people see if these entities plan to work to revive this program ticket sales will continue to decline IMO.

You also have tax law changes which remove the deduction for donations. Donors are down 1200 from last year. Could be lots of tickets within those 1200 donors. Expect even more to stop next year...

10 years of SEC record of 26-54. That drives a lot of people away.

 

[bag12day]

4+ hours to game and then lose again and again. Then drive away feeling like how can we be this bad? Waiting on something good to come our way.

Lol I live 7 hours away so I have the benefit of almost having to rent a house in the Smokies for two nights on top of the fuel etc... make my 5 tickets and donations look pretty expensive to the wife. I do have the benefit of getting to kick someone else furniture when I get back to rental after loosing to Floriduh or USCjr yet again. Looking forward to at least seeing in game adjustments and better coaching decisions and clock management than the past 7 years. I can take a loss if we are outclassed, out muscled, out talented this year if I just see some real damn coaching up of current players.

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

The 60” flat screen with no traffic or crowds experience at home costs you nothing, that’s why imo

This situation clearly defines the difference between fans and sports consumers..... in fairness some that take the TV route are dealing with other issues, ambulatory problems impact a lot of folks and parking changes have really given those who opted for the single game ticket route cause for concern as all on campus options went away. I am thankful for buses from the Maryville mall..... the wife wimped out of going after the 2nd knee replacement and that makes the bus really cost effective as a singleton.

 

[OnlyGodForgives]

Lol I live 7 hours away so I have the benefit of almost having to rent a house in the Smokies for two nights on top of the fuel etc... make my 5 tickets and donations look pretty expensive to the wife. I do have the benefit of getting to kick someone else furniture when I get back to rental after loosing to Floriduh or USCjr yet again. Looking forward to at least seeing in game adjustments and better coaching decisions and clock management than the past 7 years. I can take a loss if we are outclassed, out muscled, out talented this year if I just see some real damn coaching up of current players.

How many "well-coached" losses can you stomach?

 

[Berry4Heisman14]

It’s not about TVs or prices or anything for me. I love my VOLS and no dollar amount will scare me off. I just want to see improvement and good football before I spend my hard earned money on tickets and plane tickets to go watch. I have issue flying up from Orlando for every big game of the product on the field is worth seeing

 

[jbr82]

Because UT is charging Bama prices for Vandy level entertainment

Wow!!! Best answer yet

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

Ticket sales are awful this year? Why are people so down when we have a new coach that might be a great one?

1. Disappointing decade of football
2a. Economy not as great as is being hyped
2b. Astronomical ticket prices
3. Watching TV at home is much easier
4. New coach with a lot of unknowns

 

[jbr82]

First let me say that I think CJP is a real coach that will get things done here at UT. I think he is on a different level than the last 3 coaches we have had here. That being said, I think there is a frustration with the administration that is of epic proportions. The AD and Chancellor hirings have been mind boggling and the unwillingness to pony up money for a football coach has been down right criminal. I think that Schiano mess will leave a bad taste in the mouths of UT fans for a while. A lot of fans are to the point that it will take success on the field to get their pocket books open again. Not sales pitches, not moral victories, not recruiting classes, not steps in the right direction....success on the field and nothing less. With all of that, I think CJP is a coach that can give us that success.

You can thank Jimmy haslam for the influence of bad hires for the last decade. He hires puppets. Competing with the best was put on the back burner.

Now Fulmer was not a Haslam hire. Davenport went against their wishes. This could be our last chance of hope of climbing back near or to the top until haslams influence is over imo

 

[bigdaddy]

For many years, Saturdays were all about college football. Now CFB competes for time against fall league baseball, softball, soccer and cross country to mention a few. For the many parents and grandparents who live 100 or more miles away, priorities don't allow for the time to get to Knoxville and back. Add in the convenience of watching at home.....

My wife and I have discussed getting our grandchildren into the atmosphere, but it's expensive and makes for a really long day for kids. But really, the parts we miss the most are not the games. Burgers or breakfast at the Varsity, Vol Walk, watching the POTS march to the stadium, watching warm ups and putting numbers and names together, pregame POTS show (Fight Vols Fight, Tn Waltz), and one of the coolest things in American sports- running thru the T. Sitting in the too small seat with my knees jammed into some poor soul's back...not so much.

The last sentence is why I’m in favor of making every seat a box style seat with a back and two cup holders. Decrease the capacity because who cares about these giant numbers because it doesn’t mean squat. Go to around 85k and have everyone comfortable.

 

[OnlyGodForgives]

The "I can take a loss if..." mentality of fans extends into the athletic department, the coaching staff, and the entire university. Not having that attitude will be the only thing that can return TN to some level of rellevance. They need to win big now, no excuses . Even then, the UT experience will need a facelift to modernize it and make people believe it is worth their hard-earned dollars and time.

 

[Otis07]

Is your husband going????

 

[RT1941]

You clearly have no idea about CJP's personality. If Pruitt isnt seriously competing by Year 3 (and maybe by Year 2) he will LEAVE. Realize that Pruitt has never in his football career as a coach or a player been on a team with a losing season. I am not actually sure he has ever been on one that didnt win at least 10 games in a season. He has coached multiple National Championship teams in his few years. HE IS USED TO WINNING AND WINNING BIGLY ON THE BIG STAGE. We do not know yet if he will be able to pull it off here but if you think that PRUITT will stick around 5 years for a rebuild, you are mistaken. Wait and see - if this year is anything less than SEC E champ, CJP will be in CPF and UT board's face like a rabid bulldog about what HAS to happen for them to be SEC champs the next. I think he genuinely believes that they SHOULD win each game (will they is another question) - its just the way he is built.

That's all great and fine, but will CPF & the UT Power guys listen to him and give him carte blanc resources to get what he says he needs to make it happen?

 

[Godfatha]

UT has one of the highest budgets in the country, and appears to be very profitable. It's hard to sell middle of the pack coaching hires and expect to extract top dollar for donations/tickets. Fans will buy in at first but I think the fans are tired of buying in and getting mediocre results.

This is no knock on Pruitt. I'm willing to give it a chance. It's a knock on the inept administration over there.

 

[mrredskin]

Pretty much every sporting event in the world is struggling with ticket sales NFL, Motorsports, CFB, MLB, etc. also we are coming off our worst season in school history so that's also going to keep people from wanting to go.

MLB and NHL seem to be doing ok?

 

[bigdaddy]

MLB and NHL seem to be doing ok?

Nope

MLB Attendance Drops to Lowest Average In 15 Years

 

[jonnon111]

While I agree, the TV is a less hassle and a ton cheaper, but I love game day at Neyland. I only go to a game or 2 ( if I'm lucky) a year.

However, how long before they change the TV access (aka blackout) so that you can't watch if you don't go? I hope not!!

 

[ProudVOLfan]

Factor in a few things. The price of concessions is absurd, the ticket prices are way overpriced especially considering I seem to always sit next to the loud mouth drunk a-hole that wont shut up. Plus, travel 4 hours one way to get there and then be pissed all the way home because we got beat like a drum by an inferior opponent. Yea, I will sit at home in my recliner and watch the majority of games and yes I am getting old lol

 

[Franklin Pierce]

Ticket sales are awful this year? Why are people so down when we have a new coach that might be a great one?

What is your basis for asserting that UT football season ticket sales are AWFUL this year? Is there an article somewhere that gives the UT football season ticket sales figures for this season?

 

[05_never_again]

You kinda sound like an old person (no offense!)... There is still nothing like the experience of tailgating with family and friends before the game and then watching the Vols in Neyland (the Wrigley Field of college football).

I know a lot of people (both younger and older) that love sports but don't necessarily go to a lot of games. If you simply want to attend the game (i.e., no tailgating) then go home, even if you live in Knoxville, there's a time commitment. Tickets aren't necessarily cheap. You have to climb over people to get food, drink, or use the bathroom. It can get really hot early in the season, especially if you sit in the sun.

If you tailgate and/or are making a trip to Knoxville from somewhere else, then the time commitment is even greater. Say you're coming from Chattanooga for a 3:30 PM kickoff and you want to tailgate beforehand. Well, either the night before or morning of you have to get your food/drink/equipment together. It takes 1.5 - 2 hours to drive there, and you'll want at least a few hours to tailgate, so that means you leave at about 10 AM (probably at the latest). The game is over at about 7, call it 2 hours to get back into town, which gets you back home at about 9 PM. Say you worked earlier in the week...lots of people just don't want to do that.

It's an all-day thing, and I get why some people don't want to do it, especially when the alternative is watching it at home, in AC, on your couch, on a 65-in HDTV eating your own food/drink which is a few steps away. Virtually zero prep time beforehand, unless you're cooking a bunch of food and having people over at your house or something. You can flip around to all the other games too and watch them - that's the thing I dislike most when I go to the games. I love the Vols but am a huge fan of the sport generally and when I attend games it feels like I know nothing about what else went on that day. I have to keep up with it on my phone and catch up on Sunday, but you miss stuff, and you don't always have the time to catch up anyway.

 

[bigdaddy]

While I agree, the TV is a less hassle and a ton cheaper, but I love game day at Neyland. I only go to a game or 2 ( if I'm lucky) a year.

However, how long before they change the TV access (aka blackout) so that you can't watch if you don't go? I hope not!!

Highly unlikely as the TV package gives the schools multi million dollar deals

 

[jonnon111]

If all they need is TV money, which I agree is a lot, then why raise ticket prices? Why pay a staff to reach out to potential season ticket buyers if they don't need ticket money?

Seriously asking . . .

 

[Jack Burton]

The "I can take a loss if..." mentality of fans extends into the athletic department, the coaching staff, and the entire university. Not having that attitude will be the only thing that can return TN to some level of rellevance. They need to win big now, no excuses . Even then, the UT experience will need a facelift to modernize it and make people believe it is worth their hard-earned dollars and time.

Well, you ain’t a real fan if you don’t blindly support. Take those high expectations to another school that will deliver. Around here we appreciate and support our mediocrity.

 

[JacketVol]

UT has one of the highest budgets in the country, and appears to be very profitable. It's hard to sell middle of the pack coaching hires and expect to extract top dollar for donations/tickets. Fans will buy in at first but I think the fans are tired of buying in and getting mediocre results.

This is no knock on Pruitt. I'm willing to give it a chance. It's a knock on the inept administration over there.

This is where I am at. Nice seats and good parking pass but if they want to continue to get my money, it’s time to win or else I will stop spending it once my son is grown. Win baby and all is good.

 

[wmcovol]

I have a novel idea...lower ticket prices to bring people in...

GO VOLS!

I’ve got a better idea... put a good team on the field! Watching bad football, regardless of how cheap it is, still sucks!