New Student Ticket Transfer System
by asad09 on Feb 5, 2010 6:00 AM PST
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PrintBumped. Important discussion that everyone should read through and offer feedback. Also, on a side (but another significant) note the Den was rocking last night. GO BRUINS. - N
Signing day was a huge win for UCLA and everyone's got to be stoked about the direction CRN is taking the program.
But there was an issue not too long ago that sparked some debate and hating of the UCLA Athletics Marketing Department about a possible student ticket transfer.
Now I know there's some anti-Daily Bruin bias here sometimes, but I do write for the DB and used my skills as a "journalist" (huge air-quotes here) to find out what's happening. My findings are published in today's paper. (continue reading this post after reading the column online). For those picking up the physical paper, it's in the Viewpoint section (Opinion section in the middle of the paper).
It describes a new ticketing system Athletics is rolling out next year--which I'm thrilled about as a student. I only wish they would have done it years ago. When I asked Mr. Mitchell why this was being done now (not too long after CBH and students marched into Marketing being discussed), I was only told it was something that was discussed for a while and the lack of attendance was bothering them--I didn't ask further because I was to get numbers from him later in the day.
The details of the plan have not been finalized (like pricing, who's going to hand out tickets, etc) but this is happening for sure, according to Mr. Mitchell.
Discuss.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.
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Thanks for sharing this
And I speak for most here (I think) when I say we love the Daily Bruin. That is why we anaylze it and comment. We praise it when it does well, and criticize it when it doesn’t.
I think the solution sounds like a great improvement. My only question is how can you charge people for a season pass when you don’t guarantee seating? is there some sort of truing up at season end?
I don't think there will be,
I think it will just be a cheaper season pass. One of the major concerns Gen Rep Thach Nguyen (of USAC) had was the fact that students aren’t getting their money’s worth. IMHO, it’s on you as a student to get the bang for your buck.
Knowing UCLA
I wouldn’t bank on the cheaper season pass. I hope I’m wrong about that, but I’d have to think them making something for the students more affordable is almost unprecedented.
I’d also like to say that I think it’s sad that it was the lack of attendance that bothers them and not the related or subsequent lack of enthusiasm that motivated them to make a change.
Is this the same guy who organized the Bruin Bear Security Farce?
I mean, Force?
If so, I sincerely doubt that anything will get done on his watch.
M
"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008
Yes, but...
It is indeed the same guy from the failed Security Force. But on this project, his office actually did a lot of work. He sent me the proposal (8 pages including a student survey, revenue projections, and references of how other schools do it) they sent to Athletics and summarized the conversations they all had, and it came down to Athletics just saying a loud NO to the idea.
Wasn't Gen Rep Thach Nguyen of the Usac
a founding member of the Rebel Alliance?
Perhaps it is like a fishing license
You aren’t guaranteed to catch a fish just because you purchased a license.
two issues
this system is good for some people: those who can schedule classes (or skip classes) to allow them to stand in line for hours, who live close to campus so don’t get screwed by making a trip in and then getting turned away, and for people who don’t have things like ‘jobs’ getting in the way of their time flexibility. Yes, it rewards hardcore fans over casual fans, but it also discriminates in other ways other than how much of a ‘fan’ you are.
Question: If you are going to make entrance to games on a first-come-first-served policy, what is the point of having a pass in the first place? Why not just make it open to anyone who wants to stand in line?
Answer: because this way you can extract money from students who don’t actually manage to get in to the games that they want to go to.
So synical BB
Ok, fine, I agree with you. I like this change as it gets rid of the restraints that existed before. But you are absolutely right about UCLA still wanting to cash in on students who buy these licenses but dont use them. I imagine they will be just cheap enough that everyone will buy one (say $20), but not expensive enough that people feel they have to go. You also highlighted the other problem in that some students (particularly professional students like Med, MBA, and law) who can go to games now probably wont be able to now.
In the end, it will be nice to have a slightly more filled and energetic student section. But that really wont change the Pauley atmosphere created by all the old alums who don’t show up literally half the time (particularly this year) and when they do, barely offer a golf clap.
we'll see about details
if they leave the price at close to current levels then it will be a rip-off move.
I don't have a problem with it
I think there will only be a scarcity of student seating for a handful of games. The vast majority of games can be attended without having to camp out, but you will not get seats as good as those who do. If there is a big game or two one really wants to attend, they have enough notice to rearrange their schedules accordingly.
I don’t have a problem rewarding those who camp out with better seats. It seems pretty reasonable to me
by silverlakebruin on Feb 4, 2010 9:36 AM PST up reply actions
in regards to jobs, classes
I’m always taking 17-19 units (19 is the unit max), I’m in a ton of groups, and have two jobs on campus. I’ve camped out for a bunch of games in my time here, and plan to for the Cal game (I don’t have tickets to Stanford). Because of the camping out rules (1 of 2 people signed up have to be in tent at any time), it’s doable. You just have to find a partner to sign up with that doesn’t have the same schedule you.
well
I don’t think students who are not willing to camp out and be a part of the Den will purchase this kind of pass. I don’t think this policy discriminates against casual fans because from what I can tell, it seems like normal ticket purchases would remain the same.
it seems like the main failure here
was moving away from paper tickets to having all tickets be on a BruinCard and essentially non-transferable. The system whereby any student could get in with a paper student ticket and a BruinCard made it possible for people to share season tickets and/or find someone to sell them a student ticket if necessary. Camping out was necessary if you wanted to get down into the Den for big games, but not just to get a ticket to get into the game. Seems to me to be a happy medium. But whatever.
A huge improvement.
Still some flaws, perhaps, but a huge improvement. I like it!
Not perfect
but still an improvement. We’ll see what happens as the system becomes familiar 2-3 years down the road.
Much better
While it is not perfect, there will no longer be any reason for someone who wants to go to a game not to be there. The student section should be full regularly next year.
For everything UCLA baseball, visit my UCLA baseball twitter.
What the Den has been told....
$99. This will include EVERY home game, football and basketball. These packages will be sold throughout the year, regardless of how many home games left. This package will also include the $C game, since it is at home this year. The only way for a student to obtain a student ticket to the $C game is to buy this package. Also, there will no longer be a “discount” for students at games, from my understand, but i could be mistaken.
I think this is a stellar plan, and we have been working with marketing over the last few years to reward the hardcore students that make the noise. This works for both sides. Every student has a chance to go to every game (they just have to campout for basketball to ensure a great seat). This is also cheaper than a full football/basketball package ($100 instead of $140). It is also only $20 more than a regular football package would be. UCLA athletics loses money on the students, especially courtside, so there is no room for complain. As far as marketing goes, it gets them more money. Its $20 more from every student that wouldn’t have gone to any BBall game, which should more than offset the loss of $40 of the BBall students.
Regardless of what the opinions are, it prevents myself and my friends, many of which BLEED blue and gold, from being cheated out of tickets to games. Games in the future will be packed. Demand to show up early and be loud will increase. This is a plus for our students.
GO BRUINS!!! CHEER LIKE CHAMPIONS!!!
no one will mind the $20 more
I agree that it’s awesome for students that care about games and it’s a huge improvement: It really sucked to watch the Stanford game from my apartment.
As more details emerge, I’m curious to what this will do to the students that go to one or two football games and just buy individual tickets (if there’s no discounted tickets)
But to be clear, I don’t think this is a great deal by any means. It’s an improvement. I think there are some things to be said about how student ticket sales totaled $190,000 (again, 0.03% of the Athletics budget), they’re trolling us for $20 and student discount students. That bothers me a bit.
Sounds fair to me
Based upon the (very likely) assumption that the will does not exist on campus to roll the cost of tickets onto the current student activity fees, as North Carolina and Virginia among other universities do, the football/basketball season pass idea seems like a reasonable one.
As you mention, the pricing sounds fair, lowering the cost from the current basketball plan due to widening the pool of basketball ticket holders as well as the risk that some pass holders won’t get into popular games. And it allows the diehards that are getting screwed by the current system to go to as many games as they are willing to show up early for.
formerly bruinhoo
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